Patrick Knöfler

9.0

Great wine, intense orange in colour, bitter orange, orange peel, orange marmalade, butter, caramel, yoghurt, clove, cinnamon, liquorice, smoke, seasalt and earthy notes on the nose an palate, paired with medium-plus acidity and incredible length. Balanced, med- to full-bodied. Benefited from aeration, should be long-lived. Liked it. 91 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.1

My first wine from China. In a cabin in Finnland, with my wife and parents in law. Screw cap. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour and offered cherry, black currant, cabbage, some sulfur and leafy notes on the nose. On the palate the wine showed cherry, hints of red currant, black currant, blueberry and blackberry, as well as leafy notes, hints of tobacco and liquorice, and a touch of spice, paired with medium to medium-plus well-integrated tannin, medium to medium-plus acidity and good length, with some greeness on the aftertaste. A medium-bodied, fruity, very easy-drinking wine. Simple, but balanced and well-made. Drink now. 85 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

Half-bottle. The wine was medium amber in colour and offered orange peel, apple, honeycomb, caramel, smoke, spices, sherry and a mouldy note on the nose. On the palate the wine showed orange, peach, apple, cane sugar, caramel, smoke, spices, creamy honey, some coffee, a hint of chocolate, sherry, mild black tea and a mouldy note, paired with medium-plus acidity, a creamy honey mouthfeel and very good length. Judged by this half-bottle the wine has just passed its plateau and started its slow journey on the downward slope. A good, medium-bodied Sauternes with lots of botrytis character. Drink now. 89 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.6

Sour cherry and spices, high acidity and very good length. Only 12% ABV. Not much complexity, but well-made. Medium-bodied and very fresh. Gives pleasure. Very food-friendly. A steal! 88 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

9.1

The bottle was in good condition. Medium to light garnet in colour, turning light orange brown towards the edges, some fine sediment. The wine offered red fruit, earthy notes, mushroom, tobacco, iron and some chocolate on the nose. Was there still a whiff of discrete oak? On the palate the wine showed sweet red fruit, mushroom and earthy notes, paired with medium-plus acidity, well-integrated tannin, a good mouthfeel and very good length. The light- to medium-bodied, balanced, medium-complex wine seemed light on its feet yet had good concentration and drank very well. A treat! Didn't stop before the bottle was empty. 91 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

7.1

Interesting package: a long-neck Schlegel-bottle with glass stopper. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour, just on the edge of turning garnet. It offered candy-like fruit aromas, leafy black currant, cherry, red currant, strawberry, leafy and herbaceous notes, mocha, some dark chocolate, some cocoa, leather, tobacco, cigar box and a herbal spiciness on the nose. On the palate the wine showed black currant, cherry, strawberry, cigar tobacco, coffee, herbaceous notes and a mild herbal spiciness, paired with medium-plus acidity, medium-plus slightly green and coarse tannin, and average to good length. An underripe, rustic, medium-bodied, slightly thin Cabernet that did have its charm, but seemed a little disharmonious and somewhat incomplete. 84 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.6

2011 vintage. With my wife. We decanted the wine for one hour before we poured the first glasses and followed its development over a period of another three hours. It was medium to dark ruby, almost purple in colour and offered cherry, blackberry, plum, pencil shaving, cedar, tobacco, spices, liquorice, vanilla and some coconut on the nose. On the palate the medium-bodied wine showed cherry, blackberry, plum, cedar, tobacco and some chocolate, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-level tannin and good length. A solid, medium-bodied, medium-complex, balanced Bordeaux that kept improving with air. We liked it. Good QPR. 88 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour. On day one it offered red fruit, cherry, balsamic vinegar, cola, leather, mushroom, earthy and vegetal notes and a wet sewer component on the nose. On the palate the the wine showed red fruit, cherry, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes, the acidity was quite pronounced, the wine became slightly drying and even more acidic after some time in the glass, and the fruit faded a bit. Two days later, on day three, the medium-bodied wine was more balanced and showed red and dark fruit, some chocolate, some tobacco, spices and earthy notes on the nose, and red fruit, cherry, leather, tobacco, earthy and balsamic notes on the palate, with just a faint touch of greenness, paired with medium-plus well-integrated tannin, medium-plus acidity and very good length. I had almost written-off the wine on day one and then, surprisingly, it showed much better the third day. Holding-up well. 90 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.6

Dark ruby, almost purple in colour. Lovely floral notes, black currant, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, cedar, tobacco, smoke, coffee, vanilla, graphite and some mineral notes on the nose. On the palate the wine showed black currant, blueberry, blackberry, cherry, red currant, raspberry, some plum, cola, cedar, tobacco, coffee, vanilla, graphite and mineral notes, paired with lively acidity, medium-plus well-integrated tannin, a creamy mouthfeel and superb length. The wine also developed a juicy quality with air. It did not have the density and concentration of superior vintages, but was very fragrant and enjoyable. Not bad at all. 91 — 10 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

9.0

Dark ruby, almost purple in colour, lots of fine sediment. The wine offered a complex nose of elder, black currant, cherry, blackberry, chocolate, spices, clove, liquorice, some leather, some tobacco and a charred wood component. On the ripe palate the wine showed elder, black currant, cherry, some blackberry, coffee, chocolate, spices, cinnamon, liquorice and some tobacco, paired with lively medium-plus acidity, medium-plus tannin, notable heat from the alcohol (15.2% ABV) and very good length. The full-bodied wine had good complexity, with well-handled oak, but the alcohol was out of balanced. Inferior to the tight, dense, concentrated, powerful 2007. 91 — 10 years ago