Julien Pilon

Château Gruaud Larose

Sarget de Gruaud Larose Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2012

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of black plums, currants, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, cola, light earth, black tea and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, spices, chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn and licorice.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious 14 year old second wine from this Second Growth château. Fruit forward and elegant. Rich and expressive.

Although not from a great vintage, it is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next few years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Complex and interesting. Good by itself or with food.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged for 14 months in (15% new) French Oak barrels.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55.
— 18 days ago

Ted, Daniel and 15 others liked this

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Mostly black fruits, full bodied with cedar, leather, sweet spices & tobacco — 13 days ago

Jan, Jonathan and 7 others liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

Medium deep ruby garnet with wide garnet rim . Open and classic on the nose with tobacco , grafite , herbal , mint , seaweed and some mixed summer fruits . On the palate this is quite fresh and slightly lean in style , quite rustic , bitty tannins and a herbal touch. Mixed summer fruits on the mid palate and a reasonable earthy tobacco tinged finish . Best drunk now and over the next few years on the basis of this bottle . — 21 days ago

Tom, Shay and 9 others liked this

Château Beychevelle

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2020

2020 vintage. A class act, impeccably balanced, layered, concentrated and very elegant, with silky tannins and an impressive finish. — 24 days ago

Ted, Dave and 7 others liked this

Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)

St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2019

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep purple/garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, mixed brambles, tobacco, purple flowers, graphite, dry organic earth and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+.

Initial conclusions: this could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or based blend), Merlot (or based blend) or Tempranillo (or based blend) from France, the United States or Spain. But the oak is French so unlikely to be from Spain and I think this leans more towards its structure so I’m taking this to France. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet-Sauvignon-based blend from France, from Bordeaux, from the Haut-Medoc, 2015. I’ll take it. Tasty stuff. Drink now through 2049.
— 4 hours ago

Château Talbot

Saint-Julien Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2023

Château Talbot 2023 – Saint-Julien, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A youthful yet promising Saint-Julien showing early elegance, fine balance, and clear upward trajectory. The blend delivers freshness, precision, and layered fruit while still carrying a few youthful edges that signal excellent aging potential.

Aromas & Flavors
Red currant, black cherry, raspberry compote, graphite, cedar shavings, crushed herbs, light cocoa dust, subtle floral lift.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with fine-grained tannins, lively acidity, polished mid-palate, slightly angular finish that tightens at the end, a clear marker of youth and future integration potential.

Food Pairings
Herb-roasted chicken, duck breast, pork tenderloin, grilled mushrooms, mild aged cheeses (Tomme, young Comté).

Verdict
A high-quality, early-showing Saint-Julien that already flashes elegance and balance, but will benefit significantly from a few years of cellaring to soften edges and broaden complexity.

🍷 Personal Pick
The talent is obvious, can be enjoyed now. I’d happily cellar this and come back when smooths out a bit more and when aromatics stretch their legs.
— 23 days ago

Tom, Ted and 2 others liked this

Château La Grange

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Solid left bank Bordeaux, too much green notes, this is solid, but green notes really detract, OK. . . . — 19 days ago

Dave, Scott@Mister and 9 others liked this

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Wow. Wow and wow. This was amazing! It’s definitely still early on. I let this decant for 2.5 hours before the first sip. It was revved and ready by then and was stellar by hour 4+. Rich and deep but silky smooth. Currants and an earthy/smokey quality. Loved this! — 15 days ago

Tom, Jeroen and 18 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2023

Château Léoville Barton 2023 – Saint-Julien, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Saint-Julien expression showing clarity, harmony, and structural polish, driven by a 77% Cabernet Sauvignon–led blend with 20% Merlot Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc as a support. The wine balances ripe fruit concentration with restraint, delivering precision, finesse, and a seamless flow from attack through finish.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, ripe blackberry, red plum, cassis, graphite, cedar, subtle baking spice, crushed stone, light tobacco and gentle floral lift.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with finely woven tannins, excellent balance, fresh integrated acidity, supple texture, and a long, graceful finish that feels effortless rather than forceful.

Food Pairings
Herb-crusted lamb, roasted duck breast, grilled filet mignon, mushroom risotto, aged Comté or Gruyère.

Verdict
An elegant, dependable Saint-Julien that delivers purity, structure, and drinking pleasure without excess. Refined, polished, and quietly authoritative, a wine that rewards both immediate enjoyment and patient cellaring.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is the kind of wine that wins through composure and precision rather than horsepower. Easy to enjoy today, yet layered enough to keep you leaning back into the glass. Subtle sophistication done right.
— 23 days ago

Ted, Daniel and 2 others liked this

Château Lagrange

Les Fiefs de Lagrange St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

Very enjoyable and well rounded old school claret. Would get again. Nice freshness despite the 10 year age. Smooth ! — 3 days ago