Opaque dark with barely any ageing in the rim. Still very tight in the nose, youthful, with shy black currant & black cherry, pencil shavings, a tiny bit of cigar leaf. Nice austere purity here. Powerful yet v. restrained.
On the palate this is more open & evolved. Amazing quality of tannins, so finely polished, so velvety, coating & juicy. Black currant jam with a hint of plum, a sprinkle of savoury herbs. Finishes off on the dry, herby side, not too long.
I was expecting a bit more depth on the mid palate & a bit more length.
Will it improve over time…?
9.0 (mainly for the amazing tannins)
— 2 months ago
1978 vintage. Great fill with a fully saturated cork. Used a Durand to remove and cork held up but big cork splinters shedding upon removal. Decanted and tasted over the course of an hour. Super silky, not chunky, sed. Light-medium body. Had to coax the nose out a little but revealed cassis, tobacco, dark plum, sandalwood and cherry pits. All these plus a slight, beef broth touch in the flavors. Not improving but can sustain another half-decade in this incarnation. Gorgeous, old BDX. Drink now till 2029. 12.8.23. — a day ago
Wine tasting in store - very special, delicious! — 3 months ago
This was served during my annual WWC hosting. Typical format of sparkler, three whites, four reds, one dessert, all served blind.
My goal was to compare this 2003 next to the 2003 Pichon Baron. I’ve had the 2002 Mondavi VHR a few times and have been floored how good they’ve been. Read a review from WA and it said the 2002 was a spitting image of the 2002 Pichon Baron, so I figured I’d see if the 2003 was worthy of the same comparison.
Decanted an hour. Whoa! Much more Bordeaux like than the ‘02, and a touch lighter. Mushroom, pipe tobacco and fig, with mineral/graphite note on the nose too. Mocha dusted red and black berries, currant, herbs and saddle leather. At the end of the lunch, this eventually turned to a more resolved (and deeper core of fruit) with the tannins integrating beautifully. Really enjoyable. Pop and enjoy. — 4 months ago
getting better... deep ruby red color.. earthy nose, full bodied on the entry with a smooth finish — 7 days ago
Spoto Family wine dinner under the stars: always a fun night with Stuart and family!
DINNER WINES
2021 Spoto Oakville cabernet rose
2019 Spoto Godfather red....a blend you can't refuse.
2019 Spoto cuvee Christiane
2018 Spoto Beckstoffer amber Knolls malbec
2018 Spoto family reserve cabernet
2015 Spoto late harvest viognier
Also:
2004 Las Cases
2005 Pichon Baron
2009 Cos d'estournel
2012 La Mission Haut Brion
2005 Spottswood
1989 clerc milon
2005 Spoto private reserve
2001 clos du val
FOOD
Oysters, lamb lollipops, feta skewers
Tomato and nectarine panzanella
Ricotta, summer pea and corn agnolotti
Wood fired gulf prawns
Five spice grass-fed short rib, Yukon potato
Apricot and vanilla custard tartelette — 4 months ago
Sweet, ripe black fruit. Charcoal, fresh and elegant acidity, brilliant balance. Starts very strong, then perhaps lacks a little length (in comparison to the Pichon Longueville ‘08). Powerful, but truly beautifully balanced, gorgeous exotic sweetness in the nose. — 2 years ago
Jan A
Masculine but also relatively soft tannins. Can benefit from a couple of years to further broaden the different layers. Excellent nose already! — a day ago