Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 hours ago

with Deked1

Anthony Schmidt

9.6

Proof that you can get lucky…and aging works! Paid under $20 for this and drank this amazing wine in on a whim 10+ years later tonight. Looked it up to see if I could get another and $135-250/bottle today. So fun drinking something awesome that we did nothing but cellar it and then enjoy!!! Very smooth blackberry, slight plum, and hint of smoke with light tannins. — 11 days ago

ESF

9.3

Yeah yeah, I know this is not considered a great vintage, but this is a Cracking Claret! Leaner in style and not a verbose powerhouse, it still delivers an elegant rendition of traditional Pauillac flavors. The cherry was more like kirsch liqueur, the cassis, graphite, leather, gravel, tobacco, the bay leaf... all beautifully delineated and intense. The mid palate was polished to perfection. Tannins are sturdy enough but seamless & integrated. The finish persists and invites another drink. Got these on a great deal from K&L back in the day and glad I did! In a great drinking window right now. — 8 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Mid to dark Crimson. Initially not giving much on the nose after decanting. After some time and a lot of swirling in the glass, aromas of black currant and McBaren’s Plum Cake pipe tobacco which I used to smoke at college many decades ago. Unusually for La Dominque this is 100% Merlot with zero Cabernet Franc. Palate is still lively and fresh with a long future ahead. Supple and persistent. La Dominique is surrounded by high profile neighbours with the best parcels bordered by Cheval Blanc. Other neighbours include Figeac, Conseillante and L’Evangile. Will leave the next for 2 or 3 years. — 3 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I had a number of 1997’s of this late. A good wine & value in 97’s courtesy of Clyde Beffa. 2005 such a splendid vintage and still youthful.

Decanted around 11:45a today, poured around 8:30p with an Allen Brothers Ribcap and it is simply velvet in the mouth.

Recent spilt auction purchase with @Paul T- Huntington Beach for $35-$36 a bottle…in OWC. From the same Technical Team as Leoville Las Cases. Different terroir but, excellent experience.

Excellent, ripe candied fruit of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, raspberries, baked strawberries, dark spices, black licorice core, mid & dark colas, river stone, limestone alluvials, dry crushed rocks, dry tobacco, leather, saddle-wood, dark, rich, forest floor with dry leaves, some tree sap, tea leaves, soft, round, fresh herbs, dark, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is excellent. The finish has length, balance, polish for days that falls on excellent soft earthiness.

2007 Bordeaux’s are already following suit as the 97’s in a lot of cases…only better. Value vintages in Bordeaux if you go looking. — 2 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I bought this on release somewhere between $25-$27.

My first bottle. I have seen people post this w/ nice reviews. It over delivers the price point.

Still needs another 5 years and will live well for 10- 15 years more.

It is classic good vintage Bordeaux. Blueberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, tobacco, graphite, stone, limestone, moist clay, sage, bay leaf, darker, withering florals, smooth acidity and length, balance & polish for days.

Yeah, the zucchini & sugar snaps peas are cut from my garden the end of this week. If you haven’t had sugar snaps peas out of the garden, you are missing veggie candy. Both crazy good w/ the snap peas taking the tape.

92.5 is more accurate. Really doesn’t taste like a Bordeaux Superior at all. — 16 days ago

Fredybeans

9.2

Vin énorme de fruit
Myrtille et évoluant parfaitement 👍👍👍 — 16 hours ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

This is a very tasty Bordeaux blend from Medoc.

Showing black fruits with chocolate notes, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, wood, spices, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, bitter herbs, light cola and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and nicely balanced with lots of fruits and a nice mouthfeel.

Will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Rich and good right out of the bottle. Becomes earthier after 3 hours of airtime.

Good by itself or with food, and would pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30. — 3 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Had this in an early stage. Dark w/ lots of black licorice. Completely different wine tonight. This is what I look for by waiting on wine.

The nose shows floral, ripe, bright, slightly candied fruits of; dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, black plums, poached to baked strawberries, raspberries, powdery lead pencil, dark, rich forest floor w/ leaves, dark & mid spices, black licorice, mixed berry cola, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanillin, soft leather, fresh tobacco, dry, crushed limestone, river stone, dark, red, blue florals framed in violets.

The mouthfeel is gorgeous. The palate shows its relationship w/ its big brother. The length & balance are excellent. Integration is finally showing like a non stubborn 2000 or one that is finally ready. Floral, ripe, bright, slightly candied fruits of; dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, black plums, poached to baked strawberries, raspberries, powdery lead pencil, dark, rich forest floor w/ leaves, dark & mid spices, black licorice, mixed berry cola for days, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanillin, soft leather, fresh tobacco, dry, crushed limestone, moist grey clay, river stone, dark, red, blue florals soaked in violets. The acidity is full warm spring day. The well knitted & balanced finish stuns. Starts fruit forward, cola that fall onto earthy perfection.

Elegant, complex wine candy w/ a 3 1/2 hour decant.

Cheers to the King of steak - Allen Brothers & the King of Cabernet - Latour. — 8 days ago

Scott Rose

9.3

2000 vintage. Tasted fairly recently and this is consistent with previous review. A little brickish and a bit surprised (again) this wine wasn’t “bigger.” Drinking harmoniously but without any glorious attributes other than that. Leanest Lynch-Bages I’ve had since their comparable 1985 vintage/effort. Wanted more but it is what it is. Still pretty nice. — a day ago