Opened 3 hours ahead. Very nice bouquet of dark fruits, tobacco and cedar. Medium bodied, with a good balance of tannin and acid and a core of blackberry fruit. Very elegant with good length. Purchased as futures and stored at 55 degrees. I believe this is in its prime drinking window and I'll drink mine over the next 8-10 years. 92 Points
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Medium ruby appearance. Medium + nose of cassis, blackcurrant, dark plum. Already some tertiary notes of leather, mushroom, tobacco. Medium + acid, medium + tannin. Full bodied with medium + flavor intensity. Flavor profile on the palate is a little brighter than on the nose with the plummy merlot character more pronounced. Medium + finish. Generally speaking, this fundamentally still retains the vibrant, voluptuous character of the wine I remember tasting just after bottling just further down the line in development. I think you can hold for another 10 years but it’ll be for a different experience, depending on preference, rather than one that is necessarily better.
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Medium ruby appearance. Medium + intensity nose of cassis, dark plum, blackcurrant leaf, tobacco, touch of mint. Some emerging tertiary aromas of leather, pencil lead. Very nice silky mouthfeel on the palate. Still a little tight. Full bodied. Medium + flavour intensity. Medium + acid. High, ripe, dusty tannin that as yet is not close to being fully resolved. Medium + finish that's just lacking some complexity at the moment. I'll drink another bottle in the short term as a little undecided on the expected evolution of this.
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Nice midweight Bordeaux. Lifted, herbal character due to the high share of Cabernet Franc. Absolutely ready, but not the complexity I hoped for. I will leave the rest of my bottles for 5 years
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Very approachable and delicious. This has come together at this point, can it age further, I am sure, but this is drinking beautifully. The structure is there but let the fruit and delicate nature of Pauillac really shine through.
60% Cab Sauv / 24% Merlot / 14% Cab Franc / 2% Petit Verdot
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This has really picked up a lot of complexity and weight over the past few years. Now, you find a wine packed with cassis, blackberries, cedar, and tobacco. Medium/full-bodied, refined, soft, lush, and inviting on the palate, with creamy tannins that come in on the back end of the currant-filled finish. This is a good time to start opening your bottles. Drink from 2023-2040.
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The wine is dark purple in the glass, and on P&P the nose showed modest blue fruit aromas with leather, chocolate, and dank antique store notes. On the palate the flavors were reticent on entry, slowly showing mild, dark red fruit.
After an hour the wine opened a bit, but just on the palate. We found blackberry, a bit of dark cherry, spice, and wood. Mild tannins and mild acidity. FWIW, the wine failed to open much more, even after three hours.
Pretty and elegant. A contrast to the big cabernets we enjoyed on our visit to Napa last week!
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Clean cork with perfect seal. Definite clear rim ( and plenty of sediment in the bottle when decanted. Definite ruby although a hint of brick around the edge. Big bouquet when decanting and a real graphite, smoked meat and blackberry nose. Very pleasing palate, elegant tart blackberry and silky smooth tannins. Refreshing and smoother finish than the last bottle 12 months ago.
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Medium (+) Acidity Medium Tannins High Alcohol Medium Bodied Medium (+) Finish
Medium (+) Intensity - Cassis, Blackberry, Black Cherry, Red Cherry, Raspberry, Violet, Smoke, Vanilla, Graphite, Cedar
Closed at first, needed almost two hours of breathing to open up. Sweet, floral, black fruits, some red fruits, smoke and some sweet spice. Not the usual masculine Pauillac, this one is more subtle and elegant, with an enticing nose. Acidity is on point, tannins are soft and smooth but still have some grip towards the end. Alcohol is at 13.5% but somehow the warmth is very noticeable. Overall a very balanced wine with complexity yet reasonably priced as a Grand Cru Classe wine. Drink now.
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This was the last of my bottles of this vintage. The bottle received a thorough decanting. The cork was sound and there was a fair amount of sediment. The wne was very nice right from the start, mature an elegant. The remaining half of the bottle was not quite as good on Night 2. I think it's time to polish off this vintage.
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PnP. Dark ruby in the glass. Fantastic nose on PnP that jumps out of the glass. Black anise, graphite, dark fruit and spices, leather or traces of earthy barn. About medium in the mouth, lovely just ripe fruit, juicy. Lovely texture. Enjoyed this one.
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Popped and poured. This was a big hit at our annual start of season party for Beachwood; 3 bottles finished. This is drinking very well now, with red and black fruit and nice, lingering finish. Folks liked it whether they had a lot of BDX experience or not. You don’t always need a fruit bomb to please a crowd!
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Deep ruby. Pronounced bouquet, dominated surprisingly by tertiary aromas of meat and forest floor, with some vanilla. Blackcurrant and blackberries took backstage but slowly came forward after a 1.5-hour decant.
Medium acidity and high but nicely-rounded tannins. Medium to full bodied, with steel and savoury flavour characteristics emerging on the palate. Medium finish.
A good wine, although I expected far more given the stellar 2009 vintage for left-bank Bordeaux. Would have preferred more fruit and greater flavour intensity. Perhaps this is undergoing a closed phase, as some reviewers have pointed out.
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From 37,5cl, exquisite cork, opened 1 hour, then decanted for a small amount of gritty deposit immediately before serving. Another gorgeous half-bottle, almost exactly as noted on 22.08.2021, perhaps a bit more cassis than bramble this time, which I consider to be good news. Thanks to Fugu Me (CT TN 30.03.2023) for prompting me not to open a 75cl—this half bottle was singing this evening, a youthful, even virile 5th growth Pauillac, among the best I have experienced from this tier of the 1855 classification. 92P
I concur with the prior note someone posted that this is in a dumb phase at the moment. I initially tried a PnP, but it was so shut down, I only poured one glass. Night two, sampled again, and still not much of anything. Night three, it finally opened up a bit, with nice fruit. Tannins are soft but pleasant, helping to round this out. Fairly negligible sediment. This was from a full bottle. Perhaps the 375ml are showing better at the moment?
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Definitely approachable today, even off the cork pull…but this is in a dumb phase. I followed this over 6 hours, and the material is clearly there for a lovely wine, but this is holding in reserve. The bouquet is reticent and the palate is dense. I look forward to tasting this in two or three years.
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Deep ruby in appearance. Still opaque, with just a touch of lightening at the rim. Very impressive color at age 12 plus.
Pronounced and evolving aromas of black fruits, cassis, vanilla and some baking spice and vanilla. Definitely more evolved than a bottle drunk about 13 months ago.
Full bodied on the palate with very impressive mouthfeel and flavor concentration. The finish is medium plus to long .
There is still noticeable tannic and acid structure suggested another decade plus of life in a cold cellar.
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One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Muted during decant. Some sediment. Wine was clear; dark ruby with some amber on the rim. After resting, nose was blackberry with leaves, dry-aged steaks, leather and patchouli. It took some time for the nose to appear. In the mouth: Tannins had softened but not disappeared. Dark fruits with minerality and sandalwood. Nice finish. Wonderful Bordeaux ready to drink.
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Christmas eve, 1 hour decant Was open, but with plenty of life left. Great concentration of fruit, great secondary aromas and an absolute crowd pleaser
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Ikke dekantert. Noe fet, er det dette jeg må forvente av 2009? Kan virke som om det går seg til med mer tid. Dag 2 er den noe smalere. Som jeg foretrekker.
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From memory. Drank about 3 weeks ago. No decant. Best bottle I’ve had so far. Nose has come a long way with classic smoky, charcoal notes and cigar box. Tighter than usual and taking longer to evolve for this wine. Very enjoyable and satisfying expectations. A bit short on the finish as usual from here but a lot of up front pleasure for sure. I would plan on drinking my remaining bottles now and over the next 5 years.
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Nice clean cork. Still a deep ruby with no sign of bricking up. Minimal clear rim. The aroma leapt out of the glass when poured from a decanter (literally decanted 5 mins prior). Still plenty of cassis but also secondary leather and eucalyptus. Very prominent for sure. Strong cassis on the palate - maybe slightly dilute on the finish - nice salinity and good length although perhaps a little chalky towards the end? Great value nonetheless since this was bought 2014 ie in the dip post the 2009 bubble of hype!
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This bottle was thoroughly decanted. The cork was sound and there was some, but not excessive, sediment in the bottle. The wine was great with a very nice balance of fruit and structure. i was a bit surprised at how rich and fresh the fruit was while showing nice signs of developing maturity. I wish I had a many more bottles of this wine to enjoy.
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Last bottle from this 5ieme grand cru from the top year 2009. These bottles gave me a lot of pleasure over the past years. Very balanced with tannins well integrated.
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(at Blue Provence - Naples) Really enjoying this. Classic Pauillac that is just hitting its stride. Color is youthful garnet. Cassis, cedar and pencil lead on the nose. Lovely feel, balanced yet full. This lingers. A big upside surprise. Drink over the next ten years with pleasure. Best wine I have ever tasted from this Chateau. (93)
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Vinturi aerated with a 2 hour decant. Cassis dominates the nose with hints of forest floor and apricot honey. Very elegant mouthfeel, smooth. Layers of dark berry fruit with some flinty notes. Medium long blackberry finish. Just outstanding and my best bottle yet.
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Medium to dark ruby in appearance. Still opaque, with just a touch of lightening at the rim.
Pronounced and evolving aromas of black fruits, cassis, vanilla and some tobacco and spice. More about the fruit now on the aroma, but some of the secondary characteristics are starting to unfold.
Full bodied on the palate with very impressive mouthfeel. The tannins are present but unobtrusive and the acidity is medium (just enough to give it freshness). Lots of flavor intensity, but again more on the fruit than on secondary flavors. The finish is medium plus.
Overall well done and this is a much more evolved bottle than one drunk about 9 months ago. I suspect that this wine will be at its best over the next five years.
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5ieme Pauillac grand cru classe. 2 hours decant. Smokey, with cedar and dark fruit. Very fruity. Softish but very much present tannins. Can most probably improve over the next 10 years. 92 points for now.
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2018 BDX Blind (Chapel Hill, NC): Thrown in as a ringer in a tasting of '18 BDX, which also featured the '18 d'Armailhac. #8 of 15 wines in the tasting, this was one of the group's favorites despite being buried in the middle of the lineup. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 14% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot; 13.5% ABV. My notes read: "more mature nose loaded with tar, smoke and pencil lead. Still quite big and youthful." This is one of the few '09s I've tried lately that has impressed me. This was universally hailed as one of the standouts of the tasting. On day two (30h of air), the wine is still going strong, with saddle leather, cassis and floral notes emerging on the nose. The tannins are fine-grained but still firm, with only a hint of the roasted coffee flavors that mar the vintage now appearing on the back end. Smooth and refined, bright acidity, complex. Textbook Pauillac.
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From 37,5cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour, virtually no deposit. The initially very unpleasant funk blew off, leaving an unusually (in my previous experience of d'Armailhac) expansive, expressive scent of ripe dark red fruit, with the expected cedar, tobacco and graphite Pauillac notes very much in the background. Broad, sweet entry, with generous, ripe bramble-tinged fruit; seamless transition to the excellent, juicy mid-palate—brimming with juicy ripeness leavened by hints of cool eucalyptus(!), mint and—finally, just before swallowing—the blackcurrant I'd been missing so far. Mouth-watering, moreish, long finish, with deliciously fine, astringent tannins. The first GCC, and a big step up from the previous bourgeois half-bottles (Phélan, Angludet and Gloria) tasted from my 2009 en primeur purchases. Just gorgeous (from this format) right now, but no hurry of course. 91(+)P
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I decanted this bottle a couple of times. There was plenty of fruit and the tannins had blended nicely. It was a very nice drink with food the first night and even two nights later for the remainder of the bottle. I was very happy with this bottle and think the vintage is a good place for drinking now.
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Arômes sur la cerise noire et le tabac blond. En bouche, il y a une belle souplesse tannique. Cerise de terre, coing, avec finale sur le cèdre et pointe d’estragon.
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First bottle from 1/2 a case purchased on release and stored in a cold cellar from then on...
Still deep ruby (almost purple) with no lightening to the rim. A quick swirl revealed some impressive legs on the glass.
The nose started off rather muted and is in fact one of the most examples I have seen from this vintage. With lots of coaxing (20 minutes in the glass) classic Pauillac aromas of black fruit, cassis, lead pencil and even some tobacco started to emerge.
On the palate the wine was still backward with plenty of tannic structure. The fruit is there , but again needs some coaxing to come out.
The finish was medium to medium plus.
Overall this is obviously a well made wine that will last for some time. I was surprised at how backward this is compared to others in this vintage. One bottle does not make a wine, so will need to try another one to form a definitive opinion.
This is the second day with this wine. Like all young wines, it has not moved since yesterday, still full of fruit and sweet tannin. Surprisingly heavy at the front palate, but descending a little as it goes on.
The 2009s seem to inaugurate a different style of wine-making in Bordeaux. They are fruit driven (and that is a relief from the understated wines of the 1970s, that I grew up with), but in one sense are not classical Claret to my mind (there is little to no deposit of tannin, dregs, for example). Clearly something happened around this time (2009) to redefine what left bank (and possibly right bank) should taste like.
This is not a criticism, just an observation.
mt
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This is the second bottle that I have tried of this wine in the past year. What does the wine tell me? What does the vintage tell me?
It has deepened both in colour and texture, and now has that wonderfully characteristic of structured gentle burnt-fruit of Pauillac wines. This wine is approachable now, if you don't mind the pervasive but not intrusive soft tannin.
The 2009s are wonderfully deep, but with a fragrance and a gentleness that belongs, or should belong, not only to wine but to us all.
To drink it at its best?: 5-10 years.
Face masks off tomorrow in Brisbane. Gott sei Dank.
mt
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Two hour decant. Cassis, barnyard and wet stone nose. Full bodied. Lots of interest in the dark berry fruit on the palate with hints of flint and white pepper. Tannins relatively soft, oak well intergrated. Med long peppery finish. A very enjotable wine.
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2-hour decant. Visuals and nose of classic Pauillac, dark violet with plenty of smoke and graphite. Tannins are quite large but fairly integrated already. Seems to be made in a softer style than some neighboring properties, with the plus being drinkability at a relatively young age and the minus being a somewhat shorter finish than hoped for. Overall, solid value from a top vintage and open for business today.
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Quelle puissance pour ce vin. Pleine maturité. Bois intégré mais encore présent. Le chêne français s'apprécie. C'est la.splendeur du millésime qui s'exprime. Le style Pauillac est perceptible.
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This could use another couple of years in the cellar, IMO; or at least a longer decant than the half hour I gave it, though I’m not a big fan of multi-hour decants. Nose and palate seem tightly coiled today, but raw materials seem promising. I bought a lot of this EP, including some in 375 (this bottle was 750). So I’m thinking I’ll pop a 375 in early 2022 to check in.
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I initially gave the wine 91 because it does lack a certain depth (is, in fact, rather spindly). But it is well made, delicate and with a refined slightly understated style. Lovely perfumed nose (almost Margaux-like) with flavours of dark fruit, mocha and tea; svelte across the palate, with soft tannin and a good if slightly drying finish around the edges. After 2-3 hours in the decanter, it does put on a little more weight without losing its charm. So, it all depends on what you want out of a glass of red wine, and how broad your palette is to appreciate grace and elegance instead of solidity and depth. In the end, 92 points because the latter qualities seem more easy to come by the former qualities.
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Lighter to medium body. Cherry and tobacco. Fairly bright acidity. Mild tannins providing dryness. Acidity should continue to preserve the wine, but expect body to lighten with more age.
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Nez de cassis, graphite et feuille de tabac. Bouche avec une belle texture riche et des tannins assez enveloppées, c’est bon mais sans grande émotion et cela va tenir la route très longtemps encore. 90-91
Nose of cassis, graphite and tobacco leaves. The palate is medium bodied with a nice rich texture and rounded silky tannins, good fun bottle without being great, still has a lot of time ahead of it.
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See prior notes. This wine just keeps getting better. Similise experience to previous bottles but softer with tannins fading. I’d say it is in a very nice drinking window right now. Like all good Bordeaux, this was worth the wait.
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Great stuff! Earthy, Pauillac pencil lead aromas with black fruits melodies and a touch of Brett. Not a wine for Brett hounds, nor posse,s! Seamless elegance, almost Lafite-like in a ripe vintage. There is concentration though. Tannins are there at the vintage and therefore the right pairing with meats and lamb are in order. Yes, it may improve, but why wait if paired correctly with steak?!
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Bordeaux Night. Left Bank Paullic vs right bank Pomerol. Bold year. The wine still young and potential for years to come. Decant for 2 hours. Dark fruit, jammy, cassis and fig with slight hint of herb. Oaky and cedar with a velvety texture. Medium acidity and tannins with a long finish. Well structured and favorite among friends over pomerol.
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Decanted 3 hrs. Certainly feels like an 09 left bank, but there is a little more typicity kicking in when compared to my last bottle 6 years ago. I do enjoy the dark fruit, just fresh enough, solid structure. Happy to have one more bottle in my cellar as a little diversity.
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Joli Bordeaux qui n’est pas encore à maturité mais j’aime bien les notes discrètes d’élevage noble. Bouquet rempli principalement de fruits bleus, de truffe avec légère touche de cèdre noble, tabac et graphite. J’aime beaucoup le grain en bouche c’est dense mais très soyeux et riche. Bref si vous en avez vos mieux attendre encore cinq ans mais il se boit très bien avec une heure en carafe. Je m’attendais à mieux par contre pour 2009.
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Best after a two hour decant, currently. Medium bodied, fairly acidic. Wood flavours dominate, little fruit - surprisingly little for the vintage... Really a bit disappointing considering the producer/vintage/price/alternatives available.
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Pnp during CNY. Slightly disappointing for a Classified Growth in 2009. Not particular deep dark fruit and still plenty of oak on a medium (+) body. At the same time there is also already tobacco emerging, so it’s not like this wine still needs decades of aging. Would give this another 2 years and hope the fruit can abdsorb the oak. 90+
Rest of bottle shows better on day 2. The oak is still noticeable but much better integrated. Now you are getting the noble Pauillac you paid for. Upgraded to 92. Hold until 2022 or 2h decant.
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Initially a bit underwhelming but after a few hours this wine shows its winning colors. The nose is deep with scents of dark berries, spices, chocolate, walnut, and blueberry, with an added liqueur character. Flavors echo the nose with a velvety feel and medium body. Finish is medium long with more dark berries and walnut character. A bit of structure lingers suggesting further aging potential, though probably not long term. Give it a long decant or sit on it for a while.
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Three hours in a decanter before serving. A fine wine in its drinking window. Juicy, sexy, voluptuous. Dark fruited. Mint, cedar box, and tell-tale graphite scents. Could easily go another decade.
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This is textbook Pauillac, as I always find d'Armailhac to be. Coravin'ed a glass and was immediately struck with the beautiful nose of lead pencil, cassis and black fruit. Medium to full bodied with some light vanilla oak still showing on the midpalate and bracing but smooth tannins on the back end. This is still in a very youthful phase and may take another 5-10 years to enter an optimal drinking window. I also get a touch of eucalyptus on the dusty finish, a bit like you see in Martha's Vineyard. This should turn out to be an exceptional year for d'Armailhac.
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A bit short on the finish, and markedly declined by day 2.
Elegant, tannins almost fully resolved. Acidity on the finish keeps things fresh, but lacking structure to age much further. Bought & cellared since release.
Drink up.
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Medium-bodied, soft, elegant and polished, the dark red fruits and tobacco leaf pop with ease. Refined, classic and ready to go, give it an hour of air and enjoy the ride.
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I expected more more, but have a few bottles for a few years from now. Not very interesting or complex. Drank in Reidel Bordeaux glasses and stored properly. Some crystals on the cork; not sure what that was about.
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PnP from a 375. Color is medium to deep purple. Little funky on first pour but blows off pretty quickly to reveal dusty red fruit, tobacco and a lightly sweet peppery floral note.
Very nice palate. Medium in body. Texture. Great purity of fruit. Very alive. Blueberry, black plum. Really nicely balanced.
I wouldn't call it muscular, nor would I call it feminine, but it leans slightly more toward the latter. This is drinking great right now. I have one 750 and I think I'll try to wait for 3-5 years to see how it develops from here.
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Continue to sample this wine very 3 years, which means my last will be in 3-4 years. The mint did not overwhelm on this occasion - light and subtle. Mostly cassis and soft graphite.
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A heap of weird funky bretty smells upon first opening which had me thinking corked at first. Wrapped one of those ice packs around it, then decanted, and voila. Scary stuff gone. It unfolded into a classic bdx representing the four main grapes and not unlike its immediate neighbors (eg pontet canet). Dark berry, raspberry, BlackBerry, forest floor, pine needles, stone. Not hedonistic like other 2009s and also like other bottles I've had from this house. This could go a decade or more.
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Youthful ruby core, medium density; richly fruited on the nose and an earthy mineral quality. Very much in the flush of youth still at 10 years old; good density on the palate, great spread of fruit. Tannins actually quite well resolved at this stage. Delicious flavour. This is very enjoyable on the palate already. A very good Armailhac. Long.
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Tasted next to a barrel sample of 2018. Less depth and finesse in comparison. Good concentration of fruit, a little linear, good acidity, unobtrusive tannins. Drink or keep. Nice length. 90-92
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Changing a bike tire is a pain in the ass. The finger wrestling of odd little tools, getting grease all over your hands. Sweat coming from places they don't usually from your face. Frustrating, but in the end, when its done, you come to peace with it enough to actually enjoy the experience.
This wine is somewhat like that. Nothing likable whatsoever at the start. This wine took a full 3 days to uncoil, completely closed. It might as well have been wine soaked in a can of nuts and bolts. How they achieved this in such a generous year is beyond me.
Day 3: Textbook Pauillac.. everything you want to see and smell, the pencil shavings are sublime, the thyme and tarragon are well represented on the nose and finally we get a smattering of black cherry fruit. Finally something I can drink!
Overall this wine has failed this vintage horribly, all the other Pauillac producers had much lighter colored wines, soft, delicate, letting the vintage shine. What troll left this wine on the skins so long? What were they hiding? Who fell asleep at the wheel.
The wine is correct but what a pity they couldn't take more care. The fruit may not outlast the tannins. HOLD, check back in 2025. Lets see.
Deep purple color. Frangrent, almost floral nose. Rich cassis and dark fruit flavors combined with a touch of modern oak and tobacco. Still very primary. Powdery tannins that need more time to resolve. Just barely entering its drinking window with at least an hour long decant needed to let it breath and to eliminate sediment. Easily 10 years left.
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Courtesy of Bret, drank at Westhome. All bottles opened for approximately 2 hours prior to tasting, and all 4 were superb and ready to drink with some air. No tasting notes, and scores reflect general impression over the course of the evening.
A lot better than the 2011 drank just before. More fruit, more power, more depth. Definitely need air to express itself. Very good now and for another decade. Should age well.
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Opening wine for 2019. Had this 4 years ago. Today at ten years old, it has an aroma of black cassis fruit violets smoke and spices. The palate is medium bodied with youthful black currant fruits, plums, graphites and lead. This has good focus and acidity however the tannins are still slightly firm and austere. Approachable but will will improve further with additional cellaring.
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Poured to a decanter and allowed to breathe for an hour before serving. Floral nose, still showing fruit with just the start of tertiary elements. Fine tannins still evident but receding. Shows plenty of life for more development. Tasty with prime rib, but completely overshadowed by the Ridge Monte Bello it was served next to.
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Dark garnet red color. Nose of dark berries, pine, spice. Palate rounded and smooth, showing smoky black fruits, plums, earth notes. Tannins still a bit grippy. Medium weight and finish.
Nice at this stage, pleasant, not much depth. Given tannic structure, should age well.
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This has lost the sumptuous luscious fruitiness of the 2009 vintage. Puppyfat gone it’s more classic except that it’s drinking well, better than Bordeaux classed growths usually do around 10 years old.
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Subdued nose of barnyard, tobacco, and dark fruit. Immediately after opening, lean, medium body with notes of hay, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, strawberry, and lemon peel. The finish is long and dry. Precise but soft tannins. After 2-hour decant, a rich bouquet, fresh juicy fruits, leather, a bit of funk and well-balanced tannins. Wonderfully interesting and enjoyable wine.
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Vinturi aerated into decanter and rested for one hour. Very dark red, long slow legs,13.5% alc. Aromas or cassis, baking spice, forest floor floor and some heat. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel with cassis and graphite notes. Slightly drying but seems reasonably integrated at this point. The short finish was unexpected.
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Opened 2 nights ago. Sleek, gorgeous dark red with violet rim. Viscous. Good plummy, blackberry fruit nose. Delicious in the mouth with smoky black fruit and a strong tannic structure. Still very young, it needs time to soften and smooth out as it’s a bit hard even after being open 44 hours. 5-12-16-9: 92/100.
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From 375ml. While still showing as quite young, this is fairly approachable now, possibly due to it being from a smaller format bottle. Not the most profound of wines, this did quite admirably for a weeknight dinner.
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Could have almost given this a 90, but no it's more 89, for its lack of personality.
On pouring it looks almost 'new world' ie bold red, weighty, energetic etc. Initial drinking isnt great, with too much led and acidity. After a few hours, it's better balanced but the end is somewhat pointed, like a pencil, rather than enveloping or broadly caressing.
It was probably a bad pick for a sunny day when I felt like something happy and modern (more suited to solemnly watching film noir), but hey it's the French election and it was close to my searching hand in the wine fridge.
Not something I'm keen to finish a whole bottle of. I hope the 2016 is better - I just bought a few bottes 'en prem', but thats more for sentimentality sake (happy memories of this label in HK, where they love it) rather than for likely good drinking for my palate.
Just discovered I own more of these. Planning to leave it at least 10 years and does have the material to go the distance.
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Very young still but drinking surprisingly well. Plenty of tart red fruit, lots of acid, good structure. Needs to gain some weight but I suspect it will do that in time. Very nice now, but will surely improve much more with age.
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This is drinking very well now. Loved the nose of leather and graphite directly after opening, this didn't really improve after 2 hours of letting it breathe.
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Opened the evening before for soft opening. The first impression was a bit deceptive with a lack of body, however with an interesting finish. It started to develop in complexity and flavors in the middle of the dinner offering flavors of dark fruit (plum, prune...), cocoa, chocolate... with a clear Pauillac identity The wine also gained body over he dinner. Tannins were surprisingly already integrated. Even though it could already by drunk, the wine is not as its apogee and needs 5 more years to be ready. It didn't bring me (yet) the pleasure I was expecting.
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Very restrained on the cork pull. Decanted for 8 hours and then the classic d'Arm character came through. Still very young and primary, but very drinkable once it hit its stride. I'll save the rest of the case and check back in a year. Looking forward to reacquainting mon ami.
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2007 d'Armailhac was tasted alongside 2009 d'Armailhac. Battle of the vintages. 2007 being the poor ultra wet year and 2009 being what experts are calling the vintage of the century.
On the nose, poopy smell. On the palate, poopy taste. Slight barnyard funk, I don't mind. Earthy as one would describe it.
Upon Pnp the 2007 was very thin with short finish. On the nose, both were pretty similar to say the least. 2009 had the same initial palate as the 2007 but had a strong finish with tannins evident. 2007 barely had any tannins at finish.
Day 2, both wines became noticeably better. Flavors were coming out. 2007 wasn't nearly as flat as Day 1. It actually carried good flavors like tobacco, gravel, pepper. Much improved. 2009 on Day 2 also much better. Such noticeable difference between the 2007 and 2009, it was definitely worth the try. 2009 was just obviously better.
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Mint, cassis, pencil shaving. The mint is the overwhelming character of the wine, and seems more pronounced than my note from three years ago. Tasty, but leaves a less satisfying finish than its potential.
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This wine went through some interesting changes over our 1.5 hour dinner. On open, a wonderful nose of tobacco and dark berries. Loved the taste, but finish was short and tannic. Poured into decanter (sediment is present). After 40 minutes or so, the tobacco/earthy component went away and left behind blackberry and currant, with a hint of olive and a spicy black pepper finish. Near the end of dinner, it softened and became a bit one-dimensional. Very good, but I missed the earthy component.
Overall, it was tasty, but a bit awkward. I wish the notes from the first pour had remained, but with a longer finish. I have two more bottles, so time will tell. Holding for at least two more years.
Wow. Such a full body after a couple of hours of air. Very intense. Tannins are well integrated and there is just a tiny amount of heat. This is very approachable now if you like younger and fresher wines. Mine was from a 375ml
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Not as dark as I was expecting but rather a mid to dark red that was quite translucent. Lovely sour cherries. Medium bodied that feels light on entry but fills out. Tannins very nicely integrated and drinking well now. Actually, would go as far to say almost seems like no tannins at all. Incredible for such a 'young' bordeaux. Will still last another 15-20 years without issue but drink now to 2030+
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1 hour decant. Tobacco, earth and red fruit on the nose. Palate was a little tight, with some drying tannins present. This seems more classic in style and an not as opulent as some other wines associated with the 09 vintage. Hold for now.
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2009 Bordeaux tasting (at my home): uncorked 9 hours prior to tasting dark opaque red-purple fine quality nose of dark fruits with leather notes full bodied, firm integrated tannins, well balanced and harmonised, fairly structured, nice complexity, chocolate, enjoyable aftertaste, medium length finish. Quite enjoyable now, but will continue to improve during the next decade.
after 36 hours: excellent!
after 48 hours: the wine became partially oxidised; still drinkable in a way
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This bottle seemed older than a 2009 red at rim and mature. Ready to drink. Plumbs red fruit. 4 square and simple yet enjoyable. Nice vanilla oak on the nose. Decent body. I don't see this improving but should last a few more years.
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Drank over two days. Still very young. Tannins are presently dominating but apart from that it is clear this will be very nice in the future. Next bottle in 3-5 years.
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Nose of black and red cherry, creme of cassis, blackberry, holunder, eucalyptus, orange zest. Some liqueur and clay tones as well as rosemary and old leather. Finely balanced palate of black cherry, blackberry, cassis, orange zest ringing into the end. Although there is new oak present, the tannins are smooth, and the fresh acid gives this a nice lift at the end. Very accessible, very fine.
Still youthful (obviously), but lovely, silky and elegant. Loads of crushed currants, plum, dark cocoa, and even a tiny, lurking hint of rosemary (not sure where that comes from...maybe just my palate last night). I was expecting this to be tighter, with heavier tannins, but not so. We drank this over two days, with not much difference day to day. Hold until 2020.
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Served with roast duck, roast potatoes and broccoli I Double decanted for 2 hours Colour:Dark, thick, inky purple Nose:leather notes, cherries Taste: Tannic, black cherries, long finish but is very muted. Lots of structure but definitely needs a few more years in bottle
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Pauillac (Thean's Place): 2 hours decant, not much showing at the monent. The wine is still in its infant stage. Pretty much closed. Try again in 5 years.
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PnP. Ruby color. Med-fast legs. Immediate barn nose (I feel like a child at the petting zoo again). This is not PnP wine. A decant is deserved but sometimes logistics are what they are... A bit of in glass agitation peels away some of the barn revealing distant olfactory hints of richer red fruit notes. Palate is bone dry tart cranberry, unsweetened raspberry and savory finish. Bright acidic balance. Medium long finish. Going to stick with my previous 92 rating but this wine needs better planning to fully enjoy.
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Had next to a 2011 Almaviva. This wine was showing much more old world features. Less fruit forward and slightly more tannic. Very good but not as great as the Almaviva. See previous note: Let last bottle sit.
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(Decanter's Bordeaux '05, '09, '10 tasting) :: missing some of the ripeness and complexity of the '10s, and leaning more toward the savoury and minerals notes, where there is nonetheless still a solid structure and good balance. Cassis and fruit makes itself better felt on the palate, which yields a fairly rounded mouthfeel and med finish.
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Open, rich, seductive fruit notes. Also on the palate quite approachable, with ripe fruit, good length and a drying finish. Lacks a bit of depth and energy. 90-92
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This is interesting: the professional notes are all over the place in terms of fruit and secondary notes. Not really helpful to get some orientation. When I tasted it yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised that despite its young age, the wine was very balanced, rounded and drinkable. Dark ruby colour with fat legs, a rather discrete nose with hints of barnyard initially and pencil shavings later. Very nice fruit of blackberry with some dark cherry, vanilla notes and slightly toasted. Tannins are beautifully integrated and it makes for a very complete and balanced palate. The length is a bit disappointing, shorter than what I hoped for. Some nuts and black fruit on the back palate. Enjoyable and, due to the light remaining tannins, a bit unpredictable to predict with age. Hence giving it for now a reduced drinking date by 2019.
Gorgeous wine. Definitely had the kind of nose that made it difficult for me to get around to drinking it. Gentler and more restrained on the secondary characteristics than I have seen before from pauilliacs of the same vintage, but so well balanced and so finessed that I loved it. Beautiful bottle, would repeat and hold.
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J Mac brought this to a tasting I hosted. The bouquet features the black earth, funk, smoked tobacco, and crude oil 'thing' typical of this chateau, but in a lighter more charming style than other vintages. Bracing and lively mouthfeel, excellent depth, rounded. Dusty-to-grainy tannins make their presence known at the mid palate through a substantive finish. Powerful!
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Popped and let stand for about 2 1/2 hrs. Red at the rim. Chocolate, coffee, plums, some oak. Open for business and a very enjoyable solid wine. Drink or hold.
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Decanted around 3 hrs or so. This was a pretty solid and respectable wine, no question. However, not even close to what I would associate as a classic bordeaux, and I suppose its really up the individual taster as to how much weight they want to assign typicity vs. overall quality. Baked plum and spices on the nose and palate, plump but decent verve and structure. hard to say how this will dramatically improve with age. If you like this style and want to save some money on your wines purchases, i strongly suggest you seek out the better Cab / Bordeaux blends from WA state. Cadence and Andrew Will would be the top choices, also Seven Hills and Gramercy make excellent cabs as well.
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classic Bordeaux with notes of cedar, pencil shavings, and fruit. Tannins still firm. Lots of life left in this wine. Let second bottle sit for many years.
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Last had this 2 years ago. Picked it up in a store for $60. Gave it a 3 hour decant and it was perfect with grilled NY Strip. You can drink now but should improve with time. Will definately get more.
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Mineral, smoke, tobacco and blackberry scents lead to an elegant Pauillac with a lush, soft, forward, black plum filled finish. Give this a few years before popping a bottle, it will add complexity and more finesse.
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Meat evening at Rishon LeZion farm (Tamar & Avi (Arnoldo's patient)): P&P colour: dark red-purple nose: fine earthy fruity notes palate: full bodied, firm tannins, good acidity, ample fruits, good harmony, complex and well structured. Med length finish. Requires further ageing to integrate.
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The first of my 2009s; I was interested to get a first taste of this well hyped vintage.
The d'Armailhac did not disappoint. Pencil shaving, cassis, fig and plum dominate the nose and the palate. The moderate length finish does have a bit of an herbal, minty note on the finish. Not bad, but leaves the finish a little less satisfying than it might otherwise be.
Hoping this continues to develop additional complexity with age.
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1st day: The nose is lovely and Bordeaux upon opening, 1.5 hrs decant didn't do much to palate or nose. Pleasant enough palate, but a little sinewy and even thin for the class and price. The midpalate drops out of the finish completely. Unexciting.
2nd day/2nd glass: Opened up considerably after a day in a half-empty bottle, so much fuller and more flavorful, even less green. A lesson for us about risky infanticide. 88-91.
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Accessible now but will benefit from more bottle age. Maybe another 7-10 yrs will be in a sweet spot. Decant if possible - takes about and hour to open up then you're treated to the classic Paulliac nose. Though the volume is immeasurable to Clerc Milon. For the money, I would spend the little extra for Clerc Milon.
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Three + hour decant (which it needed and did some great things, but probably should have given it 5-6 as it just kept getting better as we poured it over another two hours). Dark Ruby color. Medium/Slow legs. Licorice, Pencil Lead, Vegital and Baked Cherry nose. Juicy Blackberry, Cherry and Raspberry fruit up front palate followed by Coffee and Cocoa. Soft leaning to velvet texture. Nice balance. Medium/Long finish. 13.5% ABV.
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This is a terrific wine. The 2009 is drinkable now if opened and decanted for an hour before consuming. Amazing nose. Lots of friuit and mild tannins. Classic poilliac
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Drank over 2 hours and then saved a glass for the next day. Great Paulliac. Dark fruit, licorice, some coffee and earth. Full and plush in the mouth the chewy tannin. Like most 2009s this tastes great right now and it will be great with some more complexity. The glass on the second day had the same flavor profile but was indeed smoother.
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Robe sombre. Nez sur les fruits noirs. Boisé luxueux en bouche. Beaucoup de matière. À laisser dormir plusieurs années. Tout de même bien agréable! 91-92.
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Partners' Dinner (Wild Rocket, Singapore): I really rather liked this. It may have lacked some of the sheer depth of fruit that some 2009 classed growths are showing in their youth, but this had a nice, classic Pauillac feel to it which really appealed to me. For something so young, it actually had a nicely interesting nose, with plump, fleshy aromas of ripe cassis and plums swathed in a light cloak of earth and tobacco smoke. Attractive. The palate shared some of the ripeness on the nose in its crunchy flavours of cassis and blackberries on the attack, so that it was obviously from a warm vintage. But it was also very fresh and lively, with a good focus and lovely sense of balance that seems to have escaped many houses in 2009, showing a pure Pauillac black-fruitedness wed to a touch of black tea and spice, and just that bit of meatiness at the mid-length finish. Fine, slightly chewy tannins rounded the whole package off. I enjoyed this very much, more so than many a young Bordeaux I have had recently. While not the most profound of wines, it had a nice depth and substance to it as well, suggesting that it will age very nicely over the next decade or so. A nice suprise from d'Armailhac.
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Quick taste at the Angus' Christmas party, but I note a sweet, plump wine showing black fruit and ripe, sweet tannins. Not my style of Bordeaux, but I will gladly drink this at a holiday party.
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Bordeaux 2009: the Golden Vintage (Cellier The Wine Loft): Dark ruby color with faint purple highlights it offers a beautiful earthy and sweet nose, quite expressive with notes black fruit, tar, caramel, cedar tobacco, toast and leather.Combines sweetness concentration and freshness. Oak shows a little but is not intruding. Palate however is surprisignly light on its feet compared to the nose, medium bodied with elegant texture, ripe tannins with just a faint astringency barely felt. Fruit is lean and sweet at the same time and medium+ acidity lends remarkable freshness. Finish is long with tobacco, ink, dark fruit and cedar. 20 years of life ahead of it but perfectly drinkable and enjoyable even now.
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Nose: Very focused and intense nose of ripe, cedary currants, pencil lead, fig sauce, hint of soy. Palate: Pencil lead, crushed gravel, currants on the attack. Strong, drying tannins along with ample acidity form the mid-palate. Tart currants and a hint of licorice linger on the finish.
Focused and taut, showing fairly accurate Pauillac character. Not overly ripe or lush as one might expect a 2009 to be. I would liken this to a 2005 more than a 2009 when I think about other 2009's I've had. This is to say that it is rich, not overly ripe, and quite structured. One worth keeping an eye on.
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375ml bottle. 13.5% alcohol. Good nose, rather forward and perfumed. Notes black berry, dark cherry, licorice with hints of toasty oak. Medium-bodied with good structure. Smooth and silky on entry, a bit Marguax-like. Decent length with chocolate aftertaste but slight heat at the end. Fresh acidity and fruity with pretty good balance overall. Another 2009 Bordeaux that is approachable and enjoyable young. Great nose on 2nd day, still maintains good balance with soft tannins. This is showing better than Larcis Ducasse 2009 tasting along side. Did not buy this during EP, will need to stock this. 93-94 pts.
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Wednesday, for real this time... (Andrew's House): Popped and poured, followed for about 1.5 hours in the glass. Initially on the nose, this was incredibly grapey and primary, but with a bit of air, it opened up a bit to show us what it has in store down the line; blackcurrants, earth, pencil lead, with light florals and some of that oak peaking through, showing mocha and vanilla. On the palate, showing that ripe 2009 fruit, but well balanced tannin and acid. Moderate finish. Oddly enough, I had this wine at the UGC tasting and it did not show well there at all. The bottle tonight was quite good, and should be a treat to revisit in the coming years.
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Opened for 5 hours but not decanted. Nice dark fruit, tobacco and smoke with some mineral as well. Some plum flavors apparant as well. Very nice but next to the 09 Giscours was not even close.
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Outstanding. Unfortunately it went up against the Pagodes from Cos and was lacking. In and of itself it was great with structure, body and balance. However, there was a hint of alcohol. Nice fruit.
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Closed and tight. Minerally with substantial tannin. Currants but otherwise fruit seems hidden. Difficult for me to assess on pop and pour but strangely well balanced.
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Double Blind at Mike O's - Embarrassing!; 6/1/2012-6/2/2012 (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Opened and poured in the glass, sat a couple hrs before tasting. Nose was rather close for the most part, with hint of oak/barrel funk, saline, and cassis. Currants come through on the palate, very polished, concentrated, with fine tannins. Fresh has a definite freshness along with a lush density, though overall mouthfeel is medium in body and plush. Lengthy finish with vanilla, saline, chocolate, and black currants. Clearly has some oak to integrate, with polished tannins and good concentration and poise. Will revisit tomorrow, but not as expressive or enjoyable now as hoped, revisit in 5-10yrs. Day 2,blind to the group. slightly more accessible, with a rather dark fruit character and showing a little flint and saline. Very difficult to nail down as a Paulliac. '09 left banks have been rather closed to me.
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Found at a local store and decided to try since I bought futures. The best d'Armailhac I have had....even at this early age. Lots of red fruit, cassis and some granite on the palat. I truly believe this has the stuff to age and am thrilled that I went long 09. Can't wat to try CM, GPL & PC.
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Pure cassis, gravel, dark berries and earthy aromas lead to a plush, fresh, chewy Pauillac. From an assemblage of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine is medium/full bodied with plush textures and ripe tannins. Graceful and elegant, the wine ends with good concentration of fruit and sweet cassis flavors.
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2009 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting; 1/27/2012-1/31/2012 (Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Chicago, Illinois): 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. About the 12th vintage of this wine I have had going back to 1971. This falls in the middle somewhere in terms of quality. The 1990, 1995 and 2000 were better. An earthy nose. Notes of tobacco and milky red fruit. Medium bodied. Moderate tannins. 89-91 points.
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Has fairly full, slightly pruney fruit, with a touch of perfume on the nose. Palate is also quite full for Armailhac, smooth, fairly round. Will be a good Pauillac; not much mineral showing now, but you can see a touch of leafy green, and some stone and graphite. My favorite Armailhac of recent years, better even than the 2005, for my palate.
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Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (New York, NY): Nose: Perfumed nose of Blackberry, wild berry, cherry and pencil/floral notes. Excellent nose. Palate: Med/Full bodied and loaded with blackberry, plum, and slight red berries. Vanilla, spice and graphite notes are all there as well. Finish: Persistant, dark and full of tannin. This is a standout "affordable" Pauillac in 2009.
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Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux 2009 Tasting K&L, nose of blackberry, lead pencil, cassis, and cigar box, same on the palate, fairly fruit forward, medium/big body, better in 3 years, fairly pricey, tasty, gives the impression of almost easy to enjoy today, long finish.
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Good colour; A little closed. Fresh red berried fruits, spice. Chalky, olive notes; palate a little dumb and showing some furry tannins on the finish. Not giving much today - will retaste another time.
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2009 d’Armahillac shows ample fresh blackberry, oak, cassis, and boysenberry notes. The long, ripe finish is concentrated with dark berries. This is the finest wine I have ever tasted from this property. 90/93 Pts
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BR 2009 Bordeaux En Primeur Tasting (London): Very floral nose impresses, forest fruit attack, very dense and polished. A little new worldy but a great Armailhac. Will need time. 92-94
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4/26/2024 - sastewart wrote: 92 Points
Opened 3 hours ahead. Very nice bouquet of dark fruits, tobacco and cedar. Medium bodied, with a good balance of tannin and acid and a core of blackberry fruit. Very elegant with good length. Purchased as futures and stored at 55 degrees. I believe this is in its prime drinking window and I'll drink mine over the next 8-10 years. 92 Points
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3/29/2024 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby appearance. Medium + nose of cassis, blackcurrant, dark plum. Already some tertiary notes of leather, mushroom, tobacco. Medium + acid, medium + tannin. Full bodied with medium + flavor intensity. Flavor profile on the palate is a little brighter than on the nose with the plummy merlot character more pronounced. Medium + finish. Generally speaking, this fundamentally still retains the vibrant, voluptuous character of the wine I remember tasting just after bottling just further down the line in development. I think you can hold for another 10 years but it’ll be for a different experience, depending on preference, rather than one that is necessarily better.
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2/18/2024 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby appearance. Medium + intensity nose of cassis, dark plum, blackcurrant leaf, tobacco, touch of mint. Some emerging tertiary aromas of leather, pencil lead. Very nice silky mouthfeel on the palate. Still a little tight. Full bodied. Medium + flavour intensity. Medium + acid. High, ripe, dusty tannin that as yet is not close to being fully resolved. Medium + finish that's just lacking some complexity at the moment. I'll drink another bottle in the short term as a little undecided on the expected evolution of this.
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1/19/2024 - Thomas123 wrote: 91 Points
Nice midweight Bordeaux. Lifted, herbal character due to the high share of Cabernet Franc. Absolutely ready, but not the complexity I hoped for. I will leave the rest of my bottles for 5 years
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11/30/2023 - super007 Likes this wine: 93 Points
CdB Dinner (Christy's): Tasted side by side the 2010
Very approachable and delicious. This has come together at this point, can it age further, I am sure, but this is drinking beautifully. The structure is there but let the fruit and delicate nature of Pauillac really shine through.
60% Cab Sauv / 24% Merlot / 14% Cab Franc / 2% Petit Verdot
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10/15/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
This has really picked up a lot of complexity and weight over the past few years. Now, you find a wine packed with cassis, blackberries, cedar, and tobacco. Medium/full-bodied, refined, soft, lush, and inviting on the palate, with creamy tannins that come in on the back end of the currant-filled finish. This is a good time to start opening your bottles. Drink from 2023-2040.
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9/29/2023 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ikke dekantert. Slankere, svært i live, også spor av alkohol, noe brennende, men stort behag. Det samme dag 2.
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9/11/2023 - Ortiz Brown Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine is dark purple in the glass, and on P&P the nose showed modest blue fruit aromas with leather, chocolate, and dank antique store notes. On the palate the flavors were reticent on entry, slowly showing mild, dark red fruit.
After an hour the wine opened a bit, but just on the palate. We found blackberry, a bit of dark cherry, spice, and wood. Mild tannins and mild acidity. FWIW, the wine failed to open much more, even after three hours.
Pretty and elegant. A contrast to the big cabernets we enjoyed on our visit to Napa last week!
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8/18/2023 - J'agnes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clean cork with perfect seal. Definite clear rim ( and plenty of sediment in the bottle when decanted. Definite ruby although a hint of brick around the edge. Big bouquet when decanting and a real graphite, smoked meat and blackberry nose. Very pleasing palate, elegant tart blackberry and silky smooth tannins. Refreshing and smoother finish than the last bottle 12 months ago.
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7/29/2023 - Kevin Mak Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep Ruby
Medium (+) Acidity
Medium Tannins
High Alcohol
Medium Bodied
Medium (+) Finish
Medium (+) Intensity
- Cassis, Blackberry, Black Cherry, Red Cherry, Raspberry, Violet, Smoke, Vanilla, Graphite, Cedar
Closed at first, needed almost two hours of breathing to open up. Sweet, floral, black fruits, some red fruits, smoke and some sweet spice. Not the usual masculine Pauillac, this one is more subtle and elegant, with an enticing nose. Acidity is on point, tannins are soft and smooth but still have some grip towards the end. Alcohol is at 13.5% but somehow the warmth is very noticeable. Overall a very balanced wine with complexity yet reasonably priced as a Grand Cru Classe wine. Drink now.
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7/28/2023 - Redteeth wrote:
This was the last of my bottles of this vintage. The bottle received a thorough decanting. The cork was sound and there was a fair amount of sediment. The wne was very nice right from the start, mature an elegant. The remaining half of the bottle was not quite as good on Night 2. I think it's time to polish off this vintage.
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7/25/2023 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Dark ruby in the glass. Fantastic nose on PnP that jumps out of the glass. Black anise, graphite, dark fruit and spices, leather or traces of earthy barn. About medium in the mouth, lovely just ripe fruit, juicy. Lovely texture. Enjoyed this one.
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6/25/2023 - Ibetian wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. This was a big hit at our annual start of season party for Beachwood; 3 bottles finished. This is drinking very well now, with red and black fruit and nice, lingering finish. Folks liked it whether they had a lot of BDX experience or not. You don’t always need a fruit bomb to please a crowd!
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6/17/2023 - tickingnotes Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby. Pronounced bouquet, dominated surprisingly by tertiary aromas of meat and forest floor, with some vanilla. Blackcurrant and blackberries took backstage but slowly came forward after a 1.5-hour decant.
Medium acidity and high but nicely-rounded tannins. Medium to full bodied, with steel and savoury flavour characteristics emerging on the palate. Medium finish.
A good wine, although I expected far more given the stellar 2009 vintage for left-bank Bordeaux. Would have preferred more fruit and greater flavour intensity. Perhaps this is undergoing a closed phase, as some reviewers have pointed out.
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4/29/2023 - mianthon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking nicely right now. Lots of leather on the nose in this bottle.
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3/31/2023 - honest bob wrote: 92 Points
From 37,5cl, exquisite cork, opened 1 hour, then decanted for a small amount of gritty deposit immediately before serving. Another gorgeous half-bottle, almost exactly as noted on 22.08.2021, perhaps a bit more cassis than bramble this time, which I consider to be good news. Thanks to Fugu Me (CT TN 30.03.2023) for prompting me not to open a 75cl—this half bottle was singing this evening, a youthful, even virile 5th growth Pauillac, among the best I have experienced from this tier of the 1855 classification. 92P
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3/30/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
I concur with the prior note someone posted that this is in a dumb phase at the moment. I initially tried a PnP, but it was so shut down, I only poured one glass. Night two, sampled again, and still not much of anything. Night three, it finally opened up a bit, with nice fruit. Tannins are soft but pleasant, helping to round this out. Fairly negligible sediment. This was from a full bottle. Perhaps the 375ml are showing better at the moment?
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1/31/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
Definitely approachable today, even off the cork pull…but this is in a dumb phase. I followed this over 6 hours, and the material is clearly there for a lovely wine, but this is holding in reserve. The bouquet is reticent and the palate is dense. I look forward to tasting this in two or three years.
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1/15/2023 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby in appearance. Still opaque, with just a touch of lightening at the rim. Very impressive color at age 12 plus.
Pronounced and evolving aromas of black fruits, cassis, vanilla and some baking spice and vanilla. Definitely more evolved than a bottle drunk about 13 months ago.
Full bodied on the palate with very impressive mouthfeel and flavor concentration. The finish is medium plus to long .
There is still noticeable tannic and acid structure suggested another decade plus of life in a cold cellar.
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12/28/2022 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine: 91 Points
One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Muted during decant. Some sediment. Wine was clear; dark ruby with some amber on the rim. After resting, nose was blackberry with leaves, dry-aged steaks, leather and patchouli. It took some time for the nose to appear. In the mouth: Tannins had softened but not disappeared. Dark fruits with minerality and sandalwood. Nice finish. Wonderful Bordeaux ready to drink.
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12/27/2022 - jumbo744 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour, this elegant wine opened up beautifully with dark color, good nose, complex and long finish. Ready now.
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12/26/2022 - TightLettuce wrote: 93 Points
Christmas eve, 1 hour decant
Was open, but with plenty of life left. Great concentration of fruit, great secondary aromas and an absolute crowd pleaser
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12/20/2022 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ikke dekantert. Noe fet, er det dette jeg må forvente av 2009? Kan virke som om det går seg til med mer tid. Dag 2 er den noe smalere. Som jeg foretrekker.
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12/3/2022 - fozzibaer Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has arrived at a great state now, excellent!
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11/8/2022 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ikke dekantert. Nydelig vin, ikke noe å sette fingeren på. Behaget noe dempa dag 2, men stadig behag.
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9/5/2022 - Jerseyjudge Likes this wine: 93 Points
From memory. Drank about 3 weeks ago. No decant. Best bottle I’ve had so far. Nose has come a long way with classic smoky, charcoal notes and cigar box. Tighter than usual and taking longer to evolve for this wine. Very enjoyable and satisfying expectations. A bit short on the finish as usual from here but a lot of up front pleasure for sure. I would plan on drinking my remaining bottles now and over the next 5 years.
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9/3/2022 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dekantert. Noe energi, nesten ingen nese, meget pen munn.
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8/10/2022 - Goodjob! wrote: 94 Points
Superbe
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8/10/2022 - MatLot Likes this wine: 94 Points
very nice bottle amazing one A++ drink or hold
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7/1/2022 - J'agnes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice clean cork. Still a deep ruby with no sign of bricking up. Minimal clear rim. The aroma leapt out of the glass when poured from a decanter (literally decanted 5 mins prior). Still plenty of cassis but also secondary leather and eucalyptus. Very prominent for sure. Strong cassis on the palate - maybe slightly dilute on the finish - nice salinity and good length although perhaps a little chalky towards the end? Great value nonetheless since this was bought 2014 ie in the dip post the 2009 bubble of hype!
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6/12/2022 - Redteeth wrote:
This bottle was thoroughly decanted. The cork was sound and there was some, but not excessive, sediment in the bottle. The wine was great with a very nice balance of fruit and structure. i was a bit surprised at how rich and fresh the fruit was while showing nice signs of developing maturity. I wish I had a many more bottles of this wine to enjoy.
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5/20/2022 - WineSauvy wrote: 90 Points
Rich dark fruit.full bodied with perhaps less freshbess than in prior years. Felt slightly closed
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3/23/2022 - cabsrgreat wrote: 90 Points
More developed than last bottle. But must let it decant! Actually better on day 3 and 4. Sour cherries. But if you pop and pour, it will be harsh!
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3/5/2022 - querilant Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle from this 5ieme grand cru from the top year 2009. These bottles gave me a lot of pleasure over the past years. Very balanced with tannins well integrated.
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3/1/2022 - Juliansi wrote:
I was expecting a lot from a 2009 Pauillac and this certainly delivered, so ready to enjoy with just a short half hour bottle decant!
Pencil lead and graphite on the nose, with a smooth velvety mouthfeel.. this was obviously one from a power vintage ??
Blackberry and liquorice on the palate, and a medium-long finish with incredibly juicy acidity and smooth tannins!
Thanks to E for sharing this at our ?? Japanese wagyu and yakiniku beef dinner in ???? Hartamas' Shin Nihon, lots of laughter, beef.. ??
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2/27/2022 - MatLot wrote:
too late or bad bottle no fruits
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2/1/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
(at Blue Provence - Naples) Really enjoying this. Classic Pauillac that is just hitting its stride. Color is youthful garnet. Cassis, cedar and pencil lead on the nose. Lovely feel, balanced yet full. This lingers. A big upside surprise. Drink over the next ten years with pleasure. Best wine I have ever tasted from this Chateau. (93)
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1/14/2022 - boomecho Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vinturi aerated with a 2 hour decant. Cassis dominates the nose with hints of forest floor and apricot honey. Very elegant mouthfeel, smooth. Layers of dark berry fruit with some flinty notes. Medium long blackberry finish. Just outstanding and my best bottle yet.
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12/24/2021 - cugel_saga Likes this wine: 92 Points
Approachable soon after opening and very fresh and drinkable.
Fantastic nose of very gentle liquorice and graphite.
Dark but vibrant. Brambles and good red fruit on the palate. Incredible mouth feel.
Really fine tannins that encourage and reward drinking. Exceedingly long finish
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12/8/2021 - Vancouver wrote: 93 Points
Bottle 2 of a 1/2 case purchased on release.
Medium to dark ruby in appearance. Still opaque, with just a touch of lightening at the rim.
Pronounced and evolving aromas of black fruits, cassis, vanilla and some tobacco and spice. More about the fruit now on the aroma, but some of the secondary characteristics are starting to unfold.
Full bodied on the palate with very impressive mouthfeel. The tannins are present but unobtrusive and the acidity is medium (just enough to give it freshness). Lots of flavor intensity, but again more on the fruit than on secondary flavors. The finish is medium plus.
Overall well done and this is a much more evolved bottle than one drunk about 9 months ago. I suspect that this wine will be at its best over the next five years.
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11/12/2021 - Tony T Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic.
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10/23/2021 - querilant Likes this wine: 92 Points
5ieme Pauillac grand cru classe. 2 hours decant. Smokey, with cedar and dark fruit. Very fruity. Softish but very much present tannins. Can most probably improve over the next 10 years. 92 points for now.
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9/12/2021 - Nionio wrote: 91 Points
Lead pencil after a 3hd decant but continued to open up through the night. Very good.
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9/5/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 93 Points
2018 BDX Blind (Chapel Hill, NC): Thrown in as a ringer in a tasting of '18 BDX, which also featured the '18 d'Armailhac. #8 of 15 wines in the tasting, this was one of the group's favorites despite being buried in the middle of the lineup. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 14% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot; 13.5% ABV. My notes read: "more mature nose loaded with tar, smoke and pencil lead. Still quite big and youthful." This is one of the few '09s I've tried lately that has impressed me. This was universally hailed as one of the standouts of the tasting. On day two (30h of air), the wine is still going strong, with saddle leather, cassis and floral notes emerging on the nose. The tannins are fine-grained but still firm, with only a hint of the roasted coffee flavors that mar the vintage now appearing on the back end. Smooth and refined, bright acidity, complex. Textbook Pauillac.
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8/22/2021 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
From 37,5cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour, virtually no deposit. The initially very unpleasant funk blew off, leaving an unusually (in my previous experience of d'Armailhac) expansive, expressive scent of ripe dark red fruit, with the expected cedar, tobacco and graphite Pauillac notes very much in the background. Broad, sweet entry, with generous, ripe bramble-tinged fruit; seamless transition to the excellent, juicy mid-palate—brimming with juicy ripeness leavened by hints of cool eucalyptus(!), mint and—finally, just before swallowing—the blackcurrant I'd been missing so far. Mouth-watering, moreish, long finish, with deliciously fine, astringent tannins. The first GCC, and a big step up from the previous bourgeois half-bottles (Phélan, Angludet and Gloria) tasted from my 2009 en primeur purchases. Just gorgeous (from this format) right now, but no hurry of course. 91(+)P
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8/21/2021 - camachodavalos wrote: 98 Points
Gran vino, gran año
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8/13/2021 - dwynne wrote: 96 Points
Fabulous. Chargrilled steak. Butter. This wine. Happy times. (Lay & Wheeler, £60)
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7/14/2021 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dekantert. Behag og pen, men ikke mer. Samme dag 2.
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6/5/2021 - Pubu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Can taste the cycle of the wine evolving within 2/3 hours. Well structured.
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5/22/2021 - Redteeth wrote:
I decanted this bottle a couple of times. There was plenty of fruit and the tannins had blended nicely. It was a very nice drink with food the first night and even two nights later for the remainder of the bottle. I was very happy with this bottle and think the vintage is a good place for drinking now.
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5/11/2021 - Sean Tay wrote: 91 Points
Medium+ nose with notes of vanilla, green, cassis, black fruits. Medium+ acidity and high tannin.
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5/8/2021 - FrancoisD Likes this wine: 95 Points
Arômes sur la cerise noire et le tabac blond.
En bouche, il y a une belle souplesse tannique.
Cerise de terre, coing, avec finale sur le cèdre et pointe d’estragon.
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5/5/2021 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ikke dekantert. Meget pen, meget tilgjengelig. Pen frukt som balanserer tanniner og syre. Dag 2: vil deg vel!
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4/25/2021 - Vancouver wrote: 91 Points
First bottle from 1/2 a case purchased on release and stored in a cold cellar from then on...
Still deep ruby (almost purple) with no lightening to the rim. A quick swirl revealed some impressive legs on the glass.
The nose started off rather muted and is in fact one of the most examples I have seen from this vintage. With lots of coaxing (20 minutes in the glass) classic Pauillac aromas of black fruit, cassis, lead pencil and even some tobacco started to emerge.
On the palate the wine was still backward with plenty of tannic structure. The fruit is there , but again needs some coaxing to come out.
The finish was medium to medium plus.
Overall this is obviously a well made wine that will last for some time. I was surprised at how backward this is compared to others in this vintage. One bottle does not make a wine, so will need to try another one to form a definitive opinion.
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4/15/2021 - vide Likes this wine: 92 Points
92 points but probably more after 4-5 years.
This is the second day with this wine. Like all young wines, it has not moved since yesterday, still full of fruit and sweet tannin. Surprisingly heavy at the front palate, but descending a little as it goes on.
The 2009s seem to inaugurate a different style of wine-making in Bordeaux. They are fruit driven (and that is a relief from the understated wines of the 1970s, that I grew up with), but in one sense are not classical Claret to my mind (there is little to no deposit of tannin, dregs, for example). Clearly something happened around this time (2009) to redefine what left bank (and possibly right bank) should taste like.
This is not a criticism, just an observation.
mt
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4/14/2021 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is the second bottle that I have tried of this wine in the past year. What does the wine tell me? What does the vintage tell me?
It has deepened both in colour and texture, and now has that wonderfully characteristic of structured gentle burnt-fruit of Pauillac wines.
This wine is approachable now, if you don't mind the pervasive but not intrusive soft tannin.
The 2009s are wonderfully deep, but with a fragrance and a gentleness that belongs, or should belong, not only to wine but to us all.
To drink it at its best?: 5-10 years.
Face masks off tomorrow in Brisbane. Gott sei Dank.
mt
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3/14/2021 - Bordeaux 2013 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs a long decant, but then a nice wine.
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2/20/2021 - Tony T Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very pleasant, classic Pauillac. Drinks well already but needs 2-3 hours of decanting.
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2/4/2021 - boomecho Likes this wine: 90 Points
Two hour decant. Cassis, barnyard and wet stone nose. Full bodied. Lots of interest in the dark berry fruit on the palate with hints of flint and white pepper. Tannins relatively soft, oak well intergrated. Med long peppery finish. A very enjotable wine.
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1/24/2021 - wxs2102 Likes this wine: 92 Points
2-hour decant. Visuals and nose of classic Pauillac, dark violet with plenty of smoke and graphite. Tannins are quite large but fairly integrated already. Seems to be made in a softer style than some neighboring properties, with the plus being drinkability at a relatively young age and the minus being a somewhat shorter finish than hoped for. Overall, solid value from a top vintage and open for business today.
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12/31/2020 - Sean Tay wrote: 90 Points
Pencil lead, cassis, flora, green, high tannin and acidity. Did not decant.
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12/25/2020 - Antoine G wrote: 93 Points
Quelle puissance pour ce vin. Pleine maturité. Bois intégré mais encore présent. Le chêne français s'apprécie. C'est la.splendeur du millésime qui s'exprime. Le style Pauillac est perceptible.
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12/19/2020 - happy712 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted a hour. I believe it will still improve after 2 hours, but we drank it all before that.
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12/6/2020 - Ibetian wrote:
This could use another couple of years in the cellar, IMO; or at least a longer decant than the half hour I gave it, though I’m not a big fan of multi-hour decants. Nose and palate seem tightly coiled today, but raw materials seem promising. I bought a lot of this EP, including some in 375 (this bottle was 750). So I’m thinking I’ll pop a 375 in early 2022 to check in.
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11/26/2020 - HeavyPourWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really good after 1.5 hour decant. Wonderful nose. Small amount of sediment and drinking well at this point.
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10/31/2020 - vide Likes this wine: 92 Points
I initially gave the wine 91 because it does lack a certain depth (is, in fact, rather spindly). But it is well made, delicate and with a refined slightly understated style. Lovely perfumed nose (almost Margaux-like) with flavours of dark fruit, mocha and tea; svelte across the palate, with soft tannin and a good if slightly drying finish around the edges. After 2-3 hours in the decanter, it does put on a little more weight without losing its charm.
So, it all depends on what you want out of a glass of red wine, and how broad your palette is to appreciate grace and elegance instead of solidity and depth. In the end, 92 points because the latter qualities seem more easy to come by the former qualities.
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10/22/2020 - Redteeth wrote:
I thought this was in a good place now. I did not decant (should have) and the second half of the bottle opened up more on Day2.
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10/12/2020 - kactuskath Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still vibrant with notes of earth
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10/7/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Solid Bordeaux for the price, slight Bordeaux Brett.
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9/18/2020 - jkad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lighter to medium body. Cherry and tobacco. Fairly bright acidity. Mild tannins providing dryness. Acidity should continue to preserve the wine, but expect body to lighten with more age.
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8/15/2020 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nez de cassis, graphite et feuille de tabac. Bouche avec une belle texture riche et des tannins assez enveloppées, c’est bon mais sans grande émotion et cela va tenir la route très longtemps encore. 90-91
Nose of cassis, graphite and tobacco leaves. The palate is medium bodied with a nice rich texture and rounded silky tannins, good fun bottle without being great, still has a lot of time ahead of it.
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8/7/2020 - fozzibaer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice now, developed as expected.
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7/11/2020 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 93 Points
See prior notes. This wine just keeps getting better. Similise experience to previous bottles but softer with tannins fading. I’d say it is in a very nice drinking window right now. Like all good Bordeaux, this was worth the wait.
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6/28/2020 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great stuff! Earthy, Pauillac pencil lead aromas with black fruits melodies and a touch of Brett. Not a wine for Brett hounds, nor posse,s! Seamless elegance, almost Lafite-like in a ripe vintage. There is concentration though. Tannins are there at the vintage and therefore the right pairing with meats and lamb are in order. Yes, it may improve, but why wait if paired correctly with steak?!
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6/27/2020 - alvinquah Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bordeaux Night. Left Bank Paullic vs right bank Pomerol.
Bold year. The wine still young and potential for years to come. Decant for 2 hours. Dark fruit, jammy, cassis and fig with slight hint of herb. Oaky and cedar with a velvety texture. Medium acidity and tannins with a long finish. Well structured and favorite among friends over pomerol.
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6/7/2020 - Bordeaux 2013 wrote: 92 Points
Much better than last bottle.
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5/31/2020 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. Certainly feels like an 09 left bank, but there is a little more typicity kicking in when compared to my last bottle 6 years ago. I do enjoy the dark fruit, just fresh enough, solid structure. Happy to have one more bottle in my cellar as a little diversity.
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5/26/2020 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dekantert. Meget stort behag, på tross av at den fremstår som noe rå. Pen dag 2.
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5/5/2020 - jee27 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Joli Bordeaux qui n’est pas encore à maturité mais j’aime bien les notes discrètes d’élevage noble. Bouquet rempli principalement de fruits bleus, de truffe avec légère touche de cèdre noble, tabac et graphite. J’aime beaucoup le grain en bouche c’est dense mais très soyeux et riche. Bref si vous en avez vos mieux attendre encore cinq ans mais il se boit très bien avec une heure en carafe. Je m’attendais à mieux par contre pour 2009.
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1/31/2020 - Bordeaux 2013 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Best after a two hour decant, currently. Medium bodied, fairly acidic. Wood flavours dominate, little fruit - surprisingly little for the vintage... Really a bit disappointing considering the producer/vintage/price/alternatives available.
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1/27/2020 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pnp during CNY. Slightly disappointing for a Classified Growth in 2009. Not particular deep dark fruit and still plenty of oak on a medium (+) body. At the same time there is also already tobacco emerging, so it’s not like this wine still needs decades of aging. Would give this another 2 years and hope the fruit can abdsorb the oak. 90+
Rest of bottle shows better on day 2. The oak is still noticeable but much better integrated. Now you are getting the noble Pauillac you paid for. Upgraded to 92. Hold until 2022 or 2h decant.
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12/31/2019 - epiphany Likes this wine: 91 Points
Initially a bit underwhelming but after a few hours this wine shows its winning colors. The nose is deep with scents of dark berries, spices, chocolate, walnut, and blueberry, with an added liqueur character. Flavors echo the nose with a velvety feel and medium body. Finish is medium long with more dark berries and walnut character. A bit of structure lingers suggesting further aging potential, though probably not long term. Give it a long decant or sit on it for a while.
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12/22/2019 - bonedoc wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and drank over # hours. Some Brett was annoying as it detracted from a nicely concentrated silky wine with dark fruits.
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12/18/2019 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
Three hours in a decanter before serving. A fine wine in its drinking window. Juicy, sexy, voluptuous. Dark fruited. Mint, cedar box, and tell-tale graphite scents. Could easily go another decade.
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12/1/2019 - fozzibaer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Doing fine, should be good the next 5 years.
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10/25/2019 - GrapeScott wrote: 93 Points
This is textbook Pauillac, as I always find d'Armailhac to be. Coravin'ed a glass and was immediately struck with the beautiful nose of lead pencil, cassis and black fruit. Medium to full bodied with some light vanilla oak still showing on the midpalate and bracing but smooth tannins on the back end. This is still in a very youthful phase and may take another 5-10 years to enter an optimal drinking window. I also get a touch of eucalyptus on the dusty finish, a bit like you see in Martha's Vineyard. This should turn out to be an exceptional year for d'Armailhac.
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10/21/2019 - vancouvermatt wrote: 90 Points
A bit short on the finish, and markedly declined by day 2.
Elegant, tannins almost fully resolved. Acidity on the finish keeps things fresh, but lacking structure to age much further. Bought & cellared since release.
Drink up.
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9/20/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Medium-bodied, soft, elegant and polished, the dark red fruits and tobacco leaf pop with ease. Refined, classic and ready to go, give it an hour of air and enjoy the ride.
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9/8/2019 - Les Kangas Likes this wine: 89 Points
I expected more more, but have a few bottles for a few years from now. Not very interesting or complex. Drank in Reidel Bordeaux glasses and stored properly. Some crystals on the cork; not sure what that was about.
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8/15/2019 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP from a 375. Color is medium to deep purple. Little funky on first pour but blows off pretty quickly to reveal dusty red fruit, tobacco and a lightly sweet peppery floral note.
Very nice palate. Medium in body. Texture. Great purity of fruit. Very alive. Blueberry, black plum. Really nicely balanced.
I wouldn't call it muscular, nor would I call it feminine, but it leans slightly more toward the latter. This is drinking great right now. I have one 750 and I think I'll try to wait for 3-5 years to see how it develops from here.
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7/20/2019 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Continue to sample this wine very 3 years, which means my last will be in 3-4 years. The mint did not overwhelm on this occasion - light and subtle. Mostly cassis and soft graphite.
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7/16/2019 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
A heap of weird funky bretty smells upon first opening which had me thinking corked at first. Wrapped one of those ice packs around it, then decanted, and voila. Scary stuff gone. It unfolded into a classic bdx representing the four main grapes and not unlike its immediate neighbors (eg pontet canet). Dark berry, raspberry, BlackBerry, forest floor, pine needles, stone. Not hedonistic like other 2009s and also like other bottles I've had from this house. This could go a decade or more.
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7/16/2019 - vespasian wrote:
Youthful ruby core, medium density; richly fruited on the nose and an earthy mineral quality. Very much in the flush of youth still at 10 years old; good density on the palate, great spread of fruit. Tannins actually quite well resolved at this stage. Delicious flavour. This is very enjoyable on the palate already. A very good Armailhac. Long.
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7/3/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 91 Points
Tasted next to a barrel sample of 2018. Less depth and finesse in comparison. Good concentration of fruit, a little linear, good acidity, unobtrusive tannins. Drink or keep. Nice length. 90-92
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7/2/2019 - Purple Grillz wrote: 90 Points
Changing a bike tire is a pain in the ass. The finger wrestling of odd little tools, getting grease all over your hands. Sweat coming from places they don't usually from your face. Frustrating, but in the end, when its done, you come to peace with it enough to actually enjoy the experience.
This wine is somewhat like that. Nothing likable whatsoever at the start. This wine took a full 3 days to uncoil, completely closed. It might as well have been wine soaked in a can of nuts and bolts. How they achieved this in such a generous year is beyond me.
Day 3: Textbook Pauillac.. everything you want to see and smell, the pencil shavings are sublime, the thyme and tarragon are well represented on the nose and finally we get a smattering of black cherry fruit. Finally something I can drink!
Overall this wine has failed this vintage horribly, all the other Pauillac producers had much lighter colored wines, soft, delicate, letting the vintage shine. What troll left this wine on the skins so long? What were they hiding? Who fell asleep at the wheel.
The wine is correct but what a pity they couldn't take more care. The fruit may not outlast the tannins. HOLD, check back in 2025. Lets see.
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6/26/2019 - djarcara Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep purple color. Frangrent, almost floral nose. Rich cassis and dark fruit flavors combined with a touch of modern oak and tobacco. Still very primary. Powdery tannins that need more time to resolve. Just barely entering its drinking window with at least an hour long decant needed to let it breath and to eliminate sediment. Easily 10 years left.
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6/23/2019 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Courtesy of Bret, drank at Westhome. All bottles opened for approximately 2 hours prior to tasting, and all 4 were superb and ready to drink with some air. No tasting notes, and scores reflect general impression over the course of the evening.
2005 Clinet: 96
2004 Leoville Barton: 95
2009 d'Armailhac: 94
2005 Lascombes: 93
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5/29/2019 - Pessah Likes this wine: 97 Points
Outstanding. My last botosadly blackberry and cherry aromas with plum flavors added. Also slight vanilla with long finish and soft tannins.
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5/4/2019 - Angelus728 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good nose with fruity flavors. A bit better at the start but opens once u let it breathe
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3/24/2019 - Goodjob! Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lot better than the 2011 drank just before. More fruit, more power, more depth. Definitely need air to express itself. Very good now and for another decade. Should age well.
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1/1/2019 - Wardyn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opening wine for 2019. Had this 4 years ago. Today at ten years old, it has an aroma of black cassis fruit violets smoke and spices. The palate is medium bodied with youthful black currant fruits, plums, graphites and lead. This has good focus and acidity however the tannins are still slightly firm and austere. Approachable but will will improve further with additional cellaring.
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12/25/2018 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
Poured to a decanter and allowed to breathe for an hour before serving. Floral nose, still showing fruit with just the start of tertiary elements. Fine tannins still evident but receding. Shows plenty of life for more development. Tasty with prime rib, but completely overshadowed by the Ridge Monte Bello it was served next to.
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10/15/2018 - walkerjfw wrote: 89 Points
Coravin'd in Chicago over a couple nights.
Dark garnet red color. Nose of dark berries, pine, spice. Palate rounded and smooth, showing smoky black fruits, plums, earth notes. Tannins still a bit grippy. Medium weight and finish.
Nice at this stage, pleasant, not much depth. Given tannic structure, should age well.
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9/27/2018 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has lost the sumptuous luscious fruitiness of the 2009 vintage. Puppyfat gone it’s more classic except that it’s drinking well, better than Bordeaux classed growths usually do around 10 years old.
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9/15/2018 - HEBRO 10 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bold deep
But not too big
Smooth
Would love to try this in 10 years
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8/20/2018 - Alex Choi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice
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8/17/2018 - futuregold Likes this wine: 91 Points
Subdued nose of barnyard, tobacco, and dark fruit. Immediately after opening, lean, medium body with notes of hay, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, strawberry, and lemon peel. The finish is long and dry. Precise but soft tannins. After 2-hour decant, a rich bouquet, fresh juicy fruits, leather, a bit of funk and well-balanced tannins. Wonderfully interesting and enjoyable wine.
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7/13/2018 - jviz wrote: 89 Points
Pretty round in the mouth. Good balance but not particularly winsome for me. Red profile
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7/2/2018 - boomecho Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vinturi aerated into decanter and rested for one hour.
Very dark red, long slow legs,13.5% alc. Aromas or cassis, baking spice, forest floor floor and some heat. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel with cassis and graphite notes. Slightly drying but seems reasonably integrated at this point. The short finish was unexpected.
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6/28/2018 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 2 nights ago. Sleek, gorgeous dark red with violet rim. Viscous. Good plummy, blackberry fruit nose. Delicious in the mouth with smoky black fruit and a strong tannic structure. Still very young, it needs time to soften and smooth out as it’s a bit hard even after being open 44 hours. 5-12-16-9: 92/100.
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5/26/2018 - cabsrgreat wrote: 88 Points
Must let it decant for at least 2 hours. Otherwise will have a harsh taste.
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3/15/2018 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
From 375ml. While still showing as quite young, this is fairly approachable now, possibly due to it being from a smaller format bottle. Not the most profound of wines, this did quite admirably for a weeknight dinner.
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3/3/2018 - appel54 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Vinröd färg, tät kärna
Kanel, svarta vinbär, blyerts, möjligen lite stjälkigt, ceder, träigt
Torrt, strävt, tanninrikt, bra längd
En klassisk bdx med de flesta markörer på plats.
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5/7/2017 - SlimShaney Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Could have almost given this a 90, but no it's more 89, for its lack of personality.
On pouring it looks almost 'new world' ie bold red, weighty, energetic etc. Initial drinking isnt great, with too much led and acidity. After a few hours, it's better balanced but the end is somewhat pointed, like a pencil, rather than enveloping or broadly caressing.
It was probably a bad pick for a sunny day when I felt like something happy and modern (more suited to solemnly watching film noir), but hey it's the French election and it was close to my searching hand in the wine fridge.
Not something I'm keen to finish a whole bottle of. I hope the 2016 is better - I just bought a few bottes 'en prem', but thats more for sentimentality sake (happy memories of this label in HK, where they love it) rather than for likely good drinking for my palate.
Just discovered I own more of these. Planning to leave it at least 10 years and does have the material to go the distance.
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4/9/2017 - jonanator wrote: 91 Points
Very young still but drinking surprisingly well. Plenty of tart red fruit, lots of acid, good structure. Needs to gain some weight but I suspect it will do that in time. Very nice now, but will surely improve much more with age.
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1/2/2017 - fozzibaer Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is drinking very well now. Loved the nose of leather and graphite directly after opening, this didn't really improve after 2 hours of letting it breathe.
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12/25/2016 - Patrick_from_champagne Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opened the evening before for soft opening.
The first impression was a bit deceptive with a lack of body, however with an interesting finish.
It started to develop in complexity and flavors in the middle of the dinner offering flavors of dark fruit (plum, prune...), cocoa, chocolate... with a clear Pauillac identity
The wine also gained body over he dinner.
Tannins were surprisingly already integrated.
Even though it could already by drunk, the wine is not as its apogee and needs 5 more years to be ready.
It didn't bring me (yet) the pleasure I was expecting.
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11/24/2016 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
Very restrained on the cork pull. Decanted for 8 hours and then the classic d'Arm character came through. Still very young and primary, but very drinkable once it hit its stride. I'll save the rest of the case and check back in a year. Looking forward to reacquainting mon ami.
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10/30/2016 - Keeping It Real wrote: 91 Points
2007 d'Armailhac was tasted alongside 2009 d'Armailhac. Battle of the vintages. 2007 being the poor ultra wet year and 2009 being what experts are calling the vintage of the century.
On the nose, poopy smell. On the palate, poopy taste. Slight barnyard funk, I don't mind. Earthy as one would describe it.
Upon Pnp the 2007 was very thin with short finish. On the nose, both were pretty similar to say the least. 2009 had the same initial palate as the 2007 but had a strong finish with tannins evident. 2007 barely had any tannins at finish.
Day 2, both wines became noticeably better. Flavors were coming out. 2007 wasn't nearly as flat as Day 1. It actually carried good flavors like tobacco, gravel, pepper. Much improved. 2009 on Day 2 also much better. Such noticeable difference between the 2007 and 2009, it was definitely worth the try. 2009 was just obviously better.
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10/30/2016 - brianngibson wrote: 91 Points
Mint, cassis, pencil shaving. The mint is the overwhelming character of the wine, and seems more pronounced than my note from three years ago. Tasty, but leaves a less satisfying finish than its potential.
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10/19/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
On day two big fruit and still has impact.
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8/31/2016 - Decanthor Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine went through some interesting changes over our 1.5 hour dinner. On open, a wonderful nose of tobacco and dark berries. Loved the taste, but finish was short and tannic. Poured into decanter (sediment is present). After 40 minutes or so, the tobacco/earthy component went away and left behind blackberry and currant, with a hint of olive and a spicy black pepper finish. Near the end of dinner, it softened and became a bit one-dimensional. Very good, but I missed the earthy component.
Overall, it was tasty, but a bit awkward. I wish the notes from the first pour had remained, but with a longer finish. I have two more bottles, so time will tell. Holding for at least two more years.
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7/24/2016 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow. Such a full body after a couple of hours of air. Very intense. Tannins are well integrated and there is just a tiny amount of heat. This is very approachable now if you like younger and fresher wines. Mine was from a 375ml
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7/13/2016 - DBunk Likes this wine:
Fantastic. Tobacco leaf, cedar, blue fruits and blackberries. Decanted 2+ hours. Can age much longer but with a decant and good food it's ready roll.
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6/21/2016 - JChan wrote: 92 Points
Ripe and full bodied. Sweet black fruits dominate. Similar experience to vintage 2005. Good value.
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6/11/2016 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not as dark as I was expecting but rather a mid to dark red that was quite translucent. Lovely sour cherries. Medium bodied that feels light on entry but fills out. Tannins very nicely integrated and drinking well now. Actually, would go as far to say almost seems like no tannins at all. Incredible for such a 'young' bordeaux. Will still last another 15-20 years without issue but drink now to 2030+
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4/3/2016 - qcwino wrote:
1 hour decant. Tobacco, earth and red fruit on the nose. Palate was a little tight, with some drying tannins present. This seems more classic in style and an not as opulent as some other wines associated with the 09 vintage. Hold for now.
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3/29/2016 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
quality nose & palate; should age further
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3/14/2016 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
2009 Bordeaux tasting (at my home): uncorked 9 hours prior to tasting
dark opaque red-purple
fine quality nose of dark fruits with leather notes
full bodied, firm integrated tannins, well balanced and harmonised, fairly structured, nice complexity, chocolate, enjoyable aftertaste, medium length finish. Quite enjoyable now, but will continue to improve during the next decade.
after 36 hours: excellent!
after 48 hours: the wine became partially oxidised; still drinkable in a way
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3/7/2016 - Ispendtoomuchmoneyonwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
This bottle seemed older than a 2009 red at rim and mature. Ready to drink. Plumbs red fruit. 4 square and simple yet enjoyable. Nice vanilla oak on the nose. Decent body. I don't see this improving but should last a few more years.
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2/20/2016 - Longrange380 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank over two days. Still very young. Tannins are presently dominating but apart from that it is clear this will be very nice in the future. Next bottle in 3-5 years.
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2/16/2016 - slaughterer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black and red cherry, creme of cassis, blackberry, holunder, eucalyptus, orange zest. Some liqueur and clay tones as well as rosemary and old leather. Finely balanced palate of black cherry, blackberry, cassis, orange zest ringing into the end. Although there is new oak present, the tannins are smooth, and the fresh acid gives this a nice lift at the end. Very accessible, very fine.
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2/12/2016 - Haggis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still youthful (obviously), but lovely, silky and elegant. Loads of crushed currants, plum, dark cocoa, and even a tiny, lurking hint of rosemary (not sure where that comes from...maybe just my palate last night). I was expecting this to be tighter, with heavier tannins, but not so. We drank this over two days, with not much difference day to day. Hold until 2020.
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12/24/2015 - jeffjohnsonjj@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Bordeaux nose. Drinking surprisingly well, with earth and dark fruit complementing each other.
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11/14/2015 - Tag01 wrote: 89 Points
Served with roast duck, roast potatoes and broccoli I
Double decanted for 2 hours
Colour:Dark, thick, inky purple
Nose:leather notes, cherries
Taste: Tannic, black cherries, long finish but is very muted. Lots of structure but definitely needs a few more years in bottle
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11/2/2015 - sabrage wrote:
Decanted 4 hrs and drank over 1 hr
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10/4/2015 - ballz28 wrote:
Don't drink until 2020
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9/15/2015 - jskuek wrote: 89 Points
Pauillac (Thean's Place): 2 hours decant, not much showing at the monent. The wine is still in its infant stage. Pretty much closed. Try again in 5 years.
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8/29/2015 - Eakm5 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aroma, redberry , chocolate & soft tanin
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8/22/2015 - sabrage Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Ruby color. Med-fast legs. Immediate barn nose (I feel like a child at the petting zoo again). This is not PnP wine. A decant is deserved but sometimes logistics are what they are... A bit of in glass agitation peels away some of the barn revealing distant olfactory hints of richer red fruit notes. Palate is bone dry tart cranberry, unsweetened raspberry and savory finish. Bright acidic balance. Medium long finish. Going to stick with my previous 92 rating but this wine needs better planning to fully enjoy.
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8/15/2015 - kwangeurng Likes this wine: 92 Points
คุ้มราคามาก เป็นปีที่ดีมาก เปิดทิ้งไว้ชั่วโมงครึ่ง ปีหน้าน่าจะดีกว่านี้อีกเยอะ ชอบ
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6/22/2015 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote:
Had next to a 2011 Almaviva. This wine was showing much more old world features. Less fruit forward and slightly more tannic. Very good but not as great as the Almaviva.
See previous note: Let last bottle sit.
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5/16/2015 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 92 Points
(Decanter's Bordeaux '05, '09, '10 tasting) :: missing some of the ripeness and complexity of the '10s, and leaning more toward the savoury and minerals notes, where there is nonetheless still a solid structure and good balance. Cassis and fruit makes itself better felt on the palate, which yields a fairly rounded mouthfeel and med finish.
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5/9/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 91 Points
Open, rich, seductive fruit notes. Also on the palate quite approachable, with ripe fruit, good length and a drying finish. Lacks a bit of depth and energy. 90-92
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4/25/2015 - Fantomas Likes this wine: 95 Points
My previous tasting note is confirmed. A star in my cellar: grand, promising future, and reasonably priced.
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4/9/2015 - Fantomas Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is interesting: the professional notes are all over the place in terms of fruit and secondary notes. Not really helpful to get some orientation. When I tasted it yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised that despite its young age, the wine was very balanced, rounded and drinkable. Dark ruby colour with fat legs, a rather discrete nose with hints of barnyard initially and pencil shavings later. Very nice fruit of blackberry with some dark cherry, vanilla notes and slightly toasted. Tannins are beautifully integrated and it makes for a very complete and balanced palate. The length is a bit disappointing, shorter than what I hoped for. Some nuts and black fruit on the back palate. Enjoyable and, due to the light remaining tannins, a bit unpredictable to predict with age. Hence giving it for now a reduced drinking date by 2019.
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4/4/2015 - eddie100 wrote: 88 Points
???
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1/27/2015 - Johnfromspokane wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous wine. Definitely had the kind of nose that made it difficult for me to get around to drinking it. Gentler and more restrained on the secondary characteristics than I have seen before from pauilliacs of the same vintage, but so well balanced and so finessed that I loved it. Beautiful bottle, would repeat and hold.
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1/26/2015 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
J Mac brought this to a tasting I hosted. The bouquet features the black earth, funk, smoked tobacco, and crude oil 'thing' typical of this chateau, but in a lighter more charming style than other vintages. Bracing and lively mouthfeel, excellent depth, rounded. Dusty-to-grainy tannins make their presence known at the mid palate through a substantive finish. Powerful!
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1/26/2015 - Ispendtoomuchmoneyonwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and let stand for about 2 1/2 hrs. Red at the rim. Chocolate, coffee, plums, some oak. Open for business and a very enjoyable solid wine. Drink or hold.
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12/21/2014 - Dale M Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted around 3 hrs or so. This was a pretty solid and respectable wine, no question. However, not even close to what I would associate as a classic bordeaux, and I suppose its really up the individual taster as to how much weight they want to assign typicity vs. overall quality. Baked plum and spices on the nose and palate, plump but decent verve and structure. hard to say how this will dramatically improve with age. If you like this style and want to save some money on your wines purchases, i strongly suggest you seek out the better Cab / Bordeaux blends from WA state. Cadence and Andrew Will would be the top choices, also Seven Hills and Gramercy make excellent cabs as well.
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12/2/2014 - Wardyn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruits and cherries on the nose. Fruity on the palate with sweet, tabacco, vanilla and cedar notes. Very nice.
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11/7/2014 - info@urs-schindler.ch wrote:
der 09 war ein hit
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11/1/2014 - fatfishzsy wrote: 91 Points
酒体壮美,黑色水果浓郁,单宁并不强劲,3小时无疲态。
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7/17/2014 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 91 Points
classic Bordeaux with notes of cedar, pencil shavings, and fruit. Tannins still firm. Lots of life left in this wine. Let second bottle sit for many years.
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5/17/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Sweet and rich on the nose. Quite juicy, good structure, fresh, pretty linear. Not super complex but great length. 91-92+
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5/11/2014 - MarkMich wrote: 92 Points
Last had this 2 years ago. Picked it up in a store for $60. Gave it a 3 hour decant and it was perfect with grilled NY Strip. You can drink now but should improve with time. Will definately get more.
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5/1/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Mineral, smoke, tobacco and blackberry scents lead to an elegant Pauillac with a lush, soft, forward, black plum filled finish. Give this a few years before popping a bottle, it will add complexity and more finesse.
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1/9/2014 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Meat evening at Rishon LeZion farm (Tamar & Avi (Arnoldo's patient)): P&P
colour: dark red-purple
nose: fine earthy fruity notes
palate: full bodied, firm tannins, good acidity, ample fruits, good harmony, complex and well structured. Med length finish. Requires further ageing to integrate.
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11/4/2013 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
The first of my 2009s; I was interested to get a first taste of this well hyped vintage.
The d'Armailhac did not disappoint. Pencil shaving, cassis, fig and plum dominate the nose and the palate. The moderate length finish does have a bit of an herbal, minty note on the finish. Not bad, but leaves the finish a little less satisfying than it might otherwise be.
Hoping this continues to develop additional complexity with age.
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11/3/2013 - P&F wrote: 89 Points
1st day: The nose is lovely and Bordeaux upon opening, 1.5 hrs decant didn't do much to palate or nose. Pleasant enough palate, but a little sinewy and even thin for the class and price. The midpalate drops out of the finish completely. Unexciting.
2nd day/2nd glass: Opened up considerably after a day in a half-empty bottle, so much fuller and more flavorful, even less green. A lesson for us about risky infanticide. 88-91.
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10/21/2013 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 89 Points
Accessible now but will benefit from more bottle age. Maybe another 7-10 yrs will be in a sweet spot. Decant if possible - takes about and hour to open up then you're treated to the classic Paulliac nose. Though the volume is immeasurable to Clerc Milon. For the money, I would spend the little extra for Clerc Milon.
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9/24/2013 - larseman wrote:
Munskänkarna 1-betygskurs, del 3 (Tyresö): (569kr på SB)
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6/14/2013 - jimyeni wrote: 90 Points
Good, black fruit, violets and cedar. Needs a little more time in the cellar, the right ingredients were there.
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5/27/2013 - sabrage Likes this wine: 92 Points
Three + hour decant (which it needed and did some great things, but probably should have given it 5-6 as it just kept getting better as we poured it over another two hours). Dark Ruby color. Medium/Slow legs. Licorice, Pencil Lead, Vegital and Baked Cherry nose. Juicy Blackberry, Cherry and Raspberry fruit up front palate followed by Coffee and Cocoa. Soft leaning to velvet texture. Nice balance. Medium/Long finish. 13.5% ABV.
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3/24/2013 - Dkahn wrote: 92 Points
This is a terrific wine. The 2009 is drinkable now if opened and decanted for an hour before consuming. Amazing nose. Lots of friuit and mild tannins. Classic poilliac
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3/3/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Drank over 2 hours and then saved a glass for the next day. Great Paulliac. Dark fruit, licorice, some coffee and earth. Full and plush in the mouth the chewy tannin. Like most 2009s this tastes great right now and it will be great with some more complexity. The glass on the second day had the same flavor profile but was indeed smoother.
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2/23/2013 - Opusone99 wrote: 91 Points
Sans prise de notes.
Robe sombre. Nez sur les fruits noirs. Boisé luxueux en bouche. Beaucoup de matière. À laisser dormir plusieurs années. Tout de même bien agréable! 91-92.
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1/4/2013 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Partners' Dinner (Wild Rocket, Singapore): I really rather liked this. It may have lacked some of the sheer depth of fruit that some 2009 classed growths are showing in their youth, but this had a nice, classic Pauillac feel to it which really appealed to me. For something so young, it actually had a nicely interesting nose, with plump, fleshy aromas of ripe cassis and plums swathed in a light cloak of earth and tobacco smoke. Attractive. The palate shared some of the ripeness on the nose in its crunchy flavours of cassis and blackberries on the attack, so that it was obviously from a warm vintage. But it was also very fresh and lively, with a good focus and lovely sense of balance that seems to have escaped many houses in 2009, showing a pure Pauillac black-fruitedness wed to a touch of black tea and spice, and just that bit of meatiness at the mid-length finish. Fine, slightly chewy tannins rounded the whole package off. I enjoyed this very much, more so than many a young Bordeaux I have had recently. While not the most profound of wines, it had a nice depth and substance to it as well, suggesting that it will age very nicely over the next decade or so. A nice suprise from d'Armailhac.
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12/24/2012 - Pknut wrote:
Quick taste at the Angus' Christmas party, but I note a sweet, plump wine showing black fruit and ripe, sweet tannins. Not my style of Bordeaux, but I will gladly drink this at a holiday party.
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12/19/2012 - Stefanos T. wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2009: the Golden Vintage (Cellier The Wine Loft): Dark ruby color with faint purple highlights it offers a beautiful earthy and sweet nose, quite expressive with notes black fruit, tar, caramel, cedar tobacco, toast and leather.Combines sweetness concentration and freshness. Oak shows a little but is not intruding. Palate however is surprisignly light on its feet compared to the nose, medium bodied with elegant texture, ripe tannins with just a faint astringency barely felt. Fruit is lean and sweet at the same time and medium+ acidity lends remarkable freshness. Finish is long with tobacco, ink, dark fruit and cedar. 20 years of life ahead of it but perfectly drinkable and enjoyable even now.
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12/16/2012 - gunpwdr wrote: 90 Points
Nose: Very focused and intense nose of ripe, cedary currants, pencil lead, fig sauce, hint of soy. Palate: Pencil lead, crushed gravel, currants on the attack. Strong, drying tannins along with ample acidity form the mid-palate. Tart currants and a hint of licorice linger on the finish.
Focused and taut, showing fairly accurate Pauillac character. Not overly ripe or lush as one might expect a 2009 to be. I would liken this to a 2005 more than a 2009 when I think about other 2009's I've had. This is to say that it is rich, not overly ripe, and quite structured. One worth keeping an eye on.
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9/24/2012 - pclin wrote: 93 Points
375ml bottle. 13.5% alcohol. Good nose, rather forward and perfumed. Notes black berry, dark cherry, licorice with hints of toasty oak. Medium-bodied with good structure. Smooth and silky on entry, a bit Marguax-like. Decent length with chocolate aftertaste but slight heat at the end. Fresh acidity and fruity with pretty good balance overall. Another 2009 Bordeaux that is approachable and enjoyable young. Great nose on 2nd day, still maintains good balance with soft tannins. This is showing better than Larcis Ducasse 2009 tasting along side. Did not buy this during EP, will need to stock this. 93-94 pts.
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8/22/2012 - alittle wrote: 91 Points
Wednesday, for real this time... (Andrew's House): Popped and poured, followed for about 1.5 hours in the glass. Initially on the nose, this was incredibly grapey and primary, but with a bit of air, it opened up a bit to show us what it has in store down the line; blackcurrants, earth, pencil lead, with light florals and some of that oak peaking through, showing mocha and vanilla. On the palate, showing that ripe 2009 fruit, but well balanced tannin and acid. Moderate finish. Oddly enough, I had this wine at the UGC tasting and it did not show well there at all. The bottle tonight was quite good, and should be a treat to revisit in the coming years.
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8/2/2012 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
deep purple, black fruits, cedar, chocolate, lovely nose, very ripe palate, full bodied, opulent, rich, lovely mouthfeel, very young
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7/18/2012 - awilliamson4 wrote: 90 Points
Opened for 5 hours but not decanted. Nice dark fruit, tobacco and smoke with some mineral as well. Some plum flavors apparant as well. Very nice but next to the 09 Giscours was not even close.
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6/4/2012 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding. Unfortunately it went up against the Pagodes from Cos and was lacking. In and of itself it was great with structure, body and balance. However, there was a hint of alcohol. Nice fruit.
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6/2/2012 - texaswinelover wrote:
Closed and tight. Minerally with substantial tannin. Currants but otherwise fruit seems hidden. Difficult for me to assess on pop and pour but strangely well balanced.
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6/1/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Double Blind at Mike O's - Embarrassing!; 6/1/2012-6/2/2012 (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Opened and poured in the glass, sat a couple hrs before tasting. Nose was rather close for the most part, with hint of oak/barrel funk, saline, and cassis. Currants come through on the palate, very polished, concentrated, with fine tannins. Fresh has a definite freshness along with a lush density, though overall mouthfeel is medium in body and plush. Lengthy finish with vanilla, saline, chocolate, and black currants. Clearly has some oak to integrate, with polished tannins and good concentration and poise. Will revisit tomorrow, but not as expressive or enjoyable now as hoped, revisit in 5-10yrs.
Day 2,blind to the group. slightly more accessible, with a rather dark fruit character and showing a little flint and saline. Very difficult to nail down as a Paulliac. '09 left banks have been rather closed to me.
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5/30/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 91 Points
Grande Bordeaux Tasting, 2009 (Harbour Grand Kowloon, Hong Kong): Very good nose - complex. Good balance but not great length or body.
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5/12/2012 - Bisty Likes this wine: 93 Points
Le Week-end des Grands Crus (Bordeaux): Very soft and warm fruit, delicious already!
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5/5/2012 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
AHA - 2009 Bordeaux Wine Tasting with Bernard Burtschy (Washington DC): Very, very small hint of berries. A simple straight forward wine with moderate tannins which soften from the mid to late palate.
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3/24/2012 - MarkMich wrote: 93 Points
Found at a local store and decided to try since I bought futures. The best d'Armailhac I have had....even at this early age. Lots of red fruit, cassis and some granite on the palat. I truly believe this has the stuff to age and am thrilled that I went long 09. Can't wat to try CM, GPL & PC.
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2/7/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Pure cassis, gravel, dark berries and earthy aromas lead to a plush, fresh, chewy Pauillac. From an assemblage of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine is medium/full bodied with plush textures and ripe tannins. Graceful and elegant, the wine ends with good concentration of fruit and sweet cassis flavors.
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1/31/2012 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
2009 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting; 1/27/2012-1/31/2012 (Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Chicago, Illinois): 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. About the 12th vintage of this wine I have had going back to 1971. This falls in the middle somewhere in terms of quality. The 1990, 1995 and 2000 were better. An earthy nose. Notes of tobacco and milky red fruit. Medium bodied. Moderate tannins. 89-91 points.
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1/28/2012 - mike410 wrote: 92 Points
Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (MONTREAL). Pepper on the nose. Well balanced. Black berries.
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1/27/2012 - lumpyelbow wrote:
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2009 (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON): Grease pan. Lighter in body than Clerc. Very good.
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1/26/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 89 Points
UGC 2009 Bordeaux Tasting (Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers): Rather unimpressionable, without either fruit or oak standing out much.
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1/25/2012 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Has fairly full, slightly pruney fruit, with a touch of perfume on the nose. Palate is also quite full for Armailhac, smooth, fairly round. Will be a good Pauillac; not much mineral showing now, but you can see a touch of leafy green, and some stone and graphite. My favorite Armailhac of recent years, better even than the 2005, for my palate.
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1/25/2012 - Faryan wrote:
UGC 2009 Bordeaux Tasting - NYC - 1.25.12 (New York City): Maybe a small notch below the Clerc. Similar, but harsher on the nose with some drying wood tannins on the finish. (90-92)
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1/24/2012 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (New York, NY): Nose: Perfumed nose of Blackberry, wild berry, cherry and pencil/floral notes. Excellent nose. Palate: Med/Full bodied and loaded with blackberry, plum, and slight red berries. Vanilla, spice and graphite notes are all there as well. Finish: Persistant, dark and full of tannin. This is a standout "affordable" Pauillac in 2009.
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1/21/2012 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux 2009 Tasting K&L, nose of blackberry, lead pencil, cassis, and cigar box, same on the palate, fairly fruit forward, medium/big body, better in 3 years, fairly pricey, tasty, gives the impression of almost easy to enjoy today, long finish.
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1/21/2012 - Redguy wrote: 90 Points
2009 Bordeaux at UGC San Francisco (Bentley Reserve Building, San Francisco): Round and ripe Pauillac with black fruits, graphite, and cedar. Decent structure and length. Excellent wine though certainly not a standout of the region. A good example of a Pauillac.
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10/18/2011 - vespasian wrote:
Good colour; A little closed. Fresh red berried fruits, spice. Chalky, olive notes; palate a little dumb and showing some furry tannins on the finish. Not giving much today - will retaste another time.
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8/26/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
2009 d’Armahillac shows ample fresh blackberry, oak, cassis, and boysenberry notes. The long, ripe finish is concentrated with dark berries. This is the finest wine I have ever tasted from this property. 90/93 Pts
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7/6/2010 - Khamen wrote:
BR 2009 Bordeaux En Primeur Tasting (London): Very floral nose impresses, forest fruit attack, very dense and polished. A little new worldy but a great Armailhac. Will need time. 92-94
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4/1/2010 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Clean pure fruit, Cab dominant nose, quite fresh 90-92 pts
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