2003 vintage. To infinity and beyond. Throwing a vintage portesque amount of sed. In the nose, post-rain earth, dried shrooms, infinitesimal hint of milk chocolate. Light-medium bod. Maan…did that finish, Cranberries-style, linger. Do you have to do you have to bring that much cedar and chocolate-covered espresso bean to the show? At the top of the bell curve and would seem to effortlessly have another decade double-parked there. Imho, consistently shows the best of the 1st growths with the least. Courtesy of @Bill Bender — 7 days ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark brown/ ruby in color with a wide brick rim.
On the nose blackberries, plums, oak, earth, vegetables, wet leaves, herbs, black pepper, forest floor and light metals.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, earth, tobacco leaf, vegetable and black pepper.
Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
I'm pretty sure I would have liked it much better 10 years ago, but this 40 year old Bordeaux is still drinking very nicely. So nice to see that.
I did not decant it, and it didn't last for more than an hour. After 15 minutes of airtime, tannins show up and bring more structure to the wine.
This gem is from the great 1982 vintage, and drinking these kind of wines is always a great experience. It's like a history book in a glass.
Thank you John for sharing this with me.
Really enjoyed it by itself, and paired very nicely with a stinky Camembert cheese.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for over a year.
12% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$500. — 2 months ago
When I purchased this five years ago, it was without a doubt the nicest bottle of Bordeaux I owned. 2001 was a good vintage for certain producers, and with Haut Brion being my favorite first growth, I wanted to have one of these with some age to see how they evolve. I slow ox’ed for 1-2hrs, consumed from bottle over the next three hours, and saved the last quarter for the next day.
Amongst quite a few first growths (and a ‘94 and ‘04 Haut Brion) this held its own. Compared to HB, it doesn’t have that brooding power and deep fruit core as intensely, but it wasn’t too far behind. More red fruit/black cherry than the dominant black I normally get with HB. Potpourri, baked black cherries, and cherry pipe tobacco showed strong on both days. No reductive funk to blow off. Faint notes of mocha, scorched earth and peppered strip, but it meshes with the cassis and grippy herbal tannic finish. What I didn’t expect was how vibrant the acidity was on both days. A beautiful example of high quality Bordeaux, and one I wish I had more of. — 6 days ago
Intense old cow leather, silken mouth feel, tawny dark. Pretty great and my first HB looking forward to more! At Le Chat Botté — 4 days ago
On its way out, but it’s pure Bordeaux! Completely drinkable and notes if leather, tobacco and olive on the end pallet. Was perfect 5 years ago!! — a month ago
Ruud Verhagen
This is a great bottle of Bordeaux. Very approchable wine with a superb nose.
Medium body, soft, fresh, floral and elegant. Nose of cedar oak, smoke, tobacco, herbs, earth and some leather. Beautiful fine tannins, the vibrant acidity makes it very drinkable and a crowdpleaser. Some tart red fruit and spices. 13% alc. More please…yum! — 8 days ago