Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon yellow , persistent fine perlage . At first quite shy , needs a bit of time to get going . Then buttered pastry , confit lemon and roast nuts , quite bold and rich , just a hint of chalky minerality . On the palate the richer , deeper theme continues , those pastry and buttery notes , confit lemon and a creamy mouthfeel . Long balanced finish , the chalky acidity really helping to cut through richer , mouth filling profile . Coming back to this at the end of the meal , having sat 6 hours in the glass , this still shows remarkable freshness and life. This seems young to me still , certainly has everything for a long life ahead , better in 5 years perhaps and will show well a further 10-15 perhaps . — a day ago

Scott Soren

9.6

Special bottle. Really in its sweet spot. Fragrant nose , with some Mourvèdre funk. Sweet tannins with dark red fruits. Some Tobacco and black olive. Matured further in glass over the hour and a half the bottle was consumed. Just left you want g more — 2 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 2009 Léoville Las Cases is poured blind and just soars in the glass. What stunned me was the tension and precision on the nose, tropes that I do not find with many Left Bank wines in this vintage. It has fabulous mineralité with that crushed stone element more pronounced than ever. The palate has beguiling symmetry, perfectly poised with a peacock's tail on the finish. Just a fabulous Saint-Julien. Tasted at the Bordeaux versus Stellenbosch dinner in South Africa. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 4 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Gorgeous and vivacious. Lemon, slate, wonderful intensity. Open and improving in the glass. Perfect balance. Intense. Wow — 4 months ago

with Bex and Lindsay

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

Mystery achievement, don’t breathe down my neck, no. Excellent fill. 95% saturated cork. Labels a bit yellowed. Decanted and tasted after 15 mins, 45 mins and 1.5 hours. Big, chunky sed. Funk in the immediately decanted nose that blew off after a couple of decanter swirls. A bit of aged color with noticeable meniscus in the glass. Spearmint and orange peel in the nose. Cinnamon and spicy clove kicked in the back door to crash the party. Remarkable concentration in the nose and taste throughout the 1.5 hours. This had a fantastic, 40+ second finish with plenty of viable tannins still maintaining decorum. So yeah, the mystery…the shoulder vintage label was missing and vintage nowhere to be found on the cork, foil or front/back labels. Came from a top-notch cellar. Based on the yellowing of the label, cork saturation, fill, color/meniscus, flavors concentration/structure, initially thinking it to be either a 1978 or 1985 offering. Going with 1978 based on the obvious/large meniscus, amount of sediment, marvelous concentration for the performance and yellowing of the labels. Regardless, arguably the best Burg I’ve had in the last dozen months and def the best 1er Cru. Whatever vintage it was, has another decade-easy-rocking this hard. 3.20.24. — a month ago

Ericsson

9.3

Some say this is desert rain in the a glass… certainly takes me to my childhood. — 2 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

The 2008 Cheval Blanc is one of the go-to wines of the vintage. Now at 15 years old, it has retained the energy and focus it displayed from the outset: black fruit, crushed stone, wilted violet petals and touches of forest floor cohere wonderfully in the glass. The Cabernet here is more expressive. The palate has a slight chewiness on the entry, but it "relaxes" in the glass. It shows off its delicate lattice of tannins and perhaps a bit more backbone than I have observed on previous bottles. It's very intense on the finish where, as before, the Cabernet Franc takes charge. Superb. Keep it another three to four years if you can. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 4 months ago

Dan Huddleston

9.5

Lots of eucalyptus at opening. 15 mins in it begins to settle in. Leather, mushroom on the nose with the ever present eucalyptus. Really well structure fruit on the palette, a tinge of acidity and a bit sharp on the finish. More time in the glass brings a balance that’s amazing for a 39 year old wine. Thankfully no one here to share!
— a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1970 vintage. Good not great fill. Cork an absolute mess. Decanted and tasted after an hour. Wow. Light body but still going strong. Big spice and orange peel components. Excellent length of finish and obvious class in the glass. 3.5.24. — 2 months ago

Willem Booij

9.3

A baby but a nice baby, this one needs a firm shake in the decanter and some time in the glass, but it delivers! — 3 months ago

with Kees and Hans