The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is the strongest wine from the First Growth in that decade. This bottle, served blind and ex-château in Bordeaux, is so precociously backward that I estimate it to be half its age. Blackberry, cedar and graphite are here as usual, though this bottle has even more intensity than the one served at the estate in 2018. The palate is brilliantly balanced with fine tannins and very intense graphite-infused fruit; there's just a touch more fruité on the finish. Superb. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023) — 10 days ago
Wow. Absolutely stunning tonight. So generous and giving after hardly any aeration, 2000 Angelus wafts from the glass and the decanter with explosive aromatics of blackberry jam, creme de cassis, cigar box and damp earth. It has the most perfect balance of deep fruit intensity and tertiary character, and the palate shows an incredible combination of finesse, density and lift, with a regal mouthfeel and melting tannins. Just stays with you forever. A masterful seesaw between power and elegance. For my tastes, this is in the perfect spot. Fabulous. — 2 days ago
When your dad wants to open a birth year wine he’s been sitting on for nearly 3 decades and impress your winemaker boyfriend…
My first taste of this iconic wine and it didn’t disappoint. I mean look at that color… it’s still so deep and bright. For a moment I worried it might have been a fake (that’s wayyy to much pigmentation for an almost 70 year old wine) but then again it was so good that even if it was a fake I didn’t care.
Decanted for hours and was still opening up over the course of the meal showing more fruit as the night went on (blackberry, ripe plum fresh and dried), lots of leather, tobacco and cedar. Black truffle as expected.
Will it ever live up to the hype? Never. But was it really friggin’ good? YES!!! — 17 days ago
1.5 hour decant(little fine/cloudy sediment). A majestic deep ruby red color. On the nose: perfumed nose of plum, smoked meat, old leather, eucalyptus, burnt cedar, green veggie. Taste: smooth, slightly creamy, elegant, structured wine with black plum, currants, herbaceous, nutty chocolate, leather, graphite and a long peppery savory dry finish. YUM!
The financial crisis and excess wine to sell had the 08 1st growths all priced less than $200 a bottle so I bought a bunch. At 15 years, it's finally time to check em all out. This Mouton is a nice start. — 7 days ago
This bottle is a half bottle released from the Chateau in 2022. It show some development already with a complex spicy nose. Medium bodied with dark fruits, truffle, dry finish and a good posture. This has a old world grace but this vintage makes it harder to justify the price tag. — 6 days ago
Medium ruby still , with some light bricking on the rim . Surprisingly open when opened , tobacco with mixed red fruits , truffle , grafite , lovely definition , touch of blackcurrant and marine , oyster shell . On the palate good weight and mostly ripe red fruits , almost like a fruit jelly in style , but with great acidity and balance , noticeable rounded fine tannins on the finish . Good length , tobacco and mineral notes . Great now , gets better , really grows in the glass . Now and for the next 15 years I would imagine . — 5 days ago
Columbia County 3.0: Apparently I’m one wine away from my 2,000th reviewed on Delectable, which is probably an odd milestone I would not have even conceived of when starting. What better way to celebrate than with the queen bee of wines (?), royalty w grace : an utterly intense & laser- focused Sauternes. Apricot & pineapple perfumed to the point of raising the rafters. Floods the mouth w quince, candied apricot & pineapple. This may be only its half life, & that’s understating it. — 8 days ago
The 2005 Duhart-Milon is a bit of a beast. Displays quite a dense, unforgiving pencil lead and tobacco-scented nose, and the fruit seems to take a back seat at the moment. The palate is well-balanced but undeniably brawny and rough-hewn, the kind of Pauillac you wouldn't want to meet down a dark alley at midnight. This is a bit hard going at the moment. This was an ex-château bottle served at Maison François in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023) — 10 days ago
Rollercoaster of orange, pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, clementine and clove. Sweet almond notes intertwine with honeysuckle, honey, bee pollen and mixed marmalade. Orange marmalade prevails on the palate with poached pear and nectarine, quince and beeswax. Excellent in all ways.
#chateausuduiraut #sauternes #botrytis #bordeaux #sauvignonblancsemillon #noblerot #botrytiscinera — 12 days ago
Mike Mayer
Thought I’d give this bottle a try after sitting on it for a number of years. Deep garnet color. Cigar box, wild berries, espresso and leather on the nose. Tastes of red plums, tart cherries, dark chocolate and a hint of of licorice. Tannins are still a little rustic and acidity is perfect. I don’t know if this wine improves much more with age. While it paired great with a steak tonight, it is not a wine I would probably want to just sip. — a day ago