The 1982 Léoville Poyferré is a vintage that I have not seen for a while. This bottle is splendid. It is Ferrous on the nose and offers wilted rose petals, asphalt and pencil shavings, now firmly into its secondary aromatic phase yet maintaining impressive delineation and freshness. Maybe a little rustic compared to recent vintages, yet charming. The palate is very well balanced, and there is a touch of Brettanomyces that would be understandable given the warmth of the growing season. Cedar and graphite flourish toward the finish. This is at a peak now, and as I averred before, I would drink these sooner unless you have larger formats on your hands. Tasted at Burns & German's dinner to celebrate The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide book at Medlar. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 3 months ago
Starting to fall in love with these Montepulciano reserves. This is a great one. Dark penetrating extracts of prune and dark tart cherry that unfold in your mouth like a 500 page book. Subtle, fine grained tannins carry the wine for a 3 minute lingering finish. Montepulciano wines are made from a special Sangiovese selection called Prugnolo gentile, a smaller berry with thinner skin than the larger berries from the Sangiovese grosso selection used in Brunello wines from Montalcino. Destiny flavor, needs a bit of an acquired taste , but once adapted they become addictive. — 2 years ago
Tasting the 1990 Léoville Las Cases just a few days after the 1989, it is clear which is the best vintage…this one. It has a sublime nose of melted black fruit, tar, cedar and bay leaf that shrugs off the heat of that summer better than most others. At 33 years of age, you could just lose yourself in these aromatics. The palate is clearly holding up well: beautifully defined and supple yet with typical Las-Cases backbone and depth. It builds magnificently in the glass toward a harmonious finish that reminds me of the 1985 in terms of its fleshiness. Wonderful. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 3 months ago
The 2021 Riesling displays spring flowers, crushed green apples and ginger spice. Soft textures and ripe tropical citrus tones appear on the palate, while kiwi and candied lime nuances linger. At 1.27 grams of residual sugar per liter, it maintains a lovely balance of sweetness and energy. $14.00 (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — a year ago
Color of dark purple. Nose of dark fruits, like blackberry and ripe blueberries, minty, sweet vanilla, and nose is plenty. Taste is quite dry, mouthful with bitter graphite, mature and still bold tannins, oak and cedar wood, some more vanilla and hint of dark fruits. Aftertaste shows a bit peppery, oak, and some more bittersweet note. I think she has peaked. — 2 years ago
The 2008 Cheval Blanc is one of the go-to wines of the vintage. Now at 15 years old, it has retained the energy and focus it displayed from the outset: black fruit, crushed stone, wilted violet petals and touches of forest floor cohere wonderfully in the glass. The Cabernet here is more expressive. The palate has a slight chewiness on the entry, but it "relaxes" in the glass. It shows off its delicate lattice of tannins and perhaps a bit more backbone than I have observed on previous bottles. It's very intense on the finish where, as before, the Cabernet Franc takes charge. Superb. Keep it another three to four years if you can. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 3 months ago
Have been sitting on this for a while. Very fragrant nose of blackberry and tart cherry. Low on tannins, but not sweet. — 9 months ago
Marc Melser
We had the 2013 vintage on 1/11/24. Tastes of blackberry l, plum, eucalyptus and camphor. Full bodied and fruit forward. A very good Washington Merlot. — 3 months ago