Domaine Du Pas Saint Martin
Château Lafleur
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2013
The 2013 Lafleur has an almost Left Bank nose: tobacco and graphite scents misleading you towards perhaps Saint-Julien! At least there is decent freshness. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, light for Lafleur but well-balanced with an attractive, harmonious and peppery finish. This Pomerol ends on a high note, though it will never be regarded as a "great Lafleur". Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 3 years ago
Château Beauséjour
Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2020
The 2020 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is aged in around 60% new oak and made by Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt; Joséphine Duffau tweaked the blend when she took over in April of the following year. This was bottled at the end of May 2022. It has a perfumed nose, predominantly red fruit, sous-bois and a subtle Japanese nori scent. Quite "contained" at the moment, I can see this shutting down. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, dark cherries, bilberry and hints of black pepper and black olive (the latter is accentuated in the chateau bottle). Nicely balanced and persistent, this Saint-Émilion should age with class. Tasted twice with consistent notes. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2023) — 3 years ago
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
The 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou, tasted a dozen times since en primeur, was picked 21 September to 6 October, matured in 90% new oak for 18 months. It delivers a wall of black fruit on the nose that gradually opens up with aeration, touches of incense and wild mint, cedar coming through with time. But these aromatics remain very backward. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grippy tannins, fine acidity, solid and focused. Tremendously and uncompromisingly backward, this is a seriously fine Ducru-Beaucaillou that is just not yet ready, so go back to the cellar and leave it there for another five years. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2022)
— 4 years ago
Château Langoa Barton
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2002
Belle bouteille provenant d’un millésime que je n’affectionne pas particulièrement à Bordeaux. Assez classique, très St-Julien, cassis, cerise noire, framboise, terreux et un peu animal. Dernière bouteille malheureusement... — 6 years ago
Château Martin
Saint Estephe Red Bordeaux Blend 2018
Smells and tastes of tobacco and dried fruit. Classic left bank. — 5 months ago
Château Simian
Massif d'Uchaux Saint Martin de Jocundaz Côtes du Rhône Villages 2022
The ‘22 of this wine is a worthy successor to the surprisingly excellent ‘21. Deep, bright iodine-laced mountain berries on the nose, with dark florals and spice. In the mouth it’s a little more angular and as-yet disjointed than the ‘21, but I think a year or so will pull it together. Acids, tannin, extract, moderate alcohol (14.5%) are all there, but they haven’t made friends yet. They will. Very nice. — a year ago
Château Ausone
Saint Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2019
The 2019 Ausone has a perfumed nose with another Cabernet Franc-driven set of aromas, gravel and loam infusing the black fruit. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a beautifully sculpted wine with a killer line of acidity and immense precision on the finish. This just sashays along with style. Fabulous. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2023) — 3 years ago
Château Montrose
Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012
The 2012 Montrose has a taut and focused bouquet with crisp blackberry, tobacco and light earthy scents on the nose. Fine vigour and class evident here. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a nicely proportioned and focused finish. This is a solid, almost swarthy Montrose, though it is surpassed by more recent vintages. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago
Château Cheval Blanc
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2018
When I tasted the 2018 Cheval Blanc from barrel, I felt that it deserved a very good score, though not one that implied potential perfection. The bottle was tasted upon opening, but I only began to pen my tasting note after 3–4 hours’ decanting. I still find the bouquet more open than many recent vintages, the ripe brambly red fruit intermingling with clove, sage and light graphite notes originating from the Cabernet components (46% of the final blend). It is a really seductive bouquet, though not as complex or as nuanced as, say, the astonishing 2016 or the impressive 2015. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins. A harmonious and elegant Cheval Blanc that has retained the linearity I remarked upon in barrel. So it is not a flamboyant Cheval Blanc like the Cabernet-dominated 2017, but it is a far better wine thanks to the Merlot imparting flesh and rondeur. The finish is extremely precise but never powerful, almost Burgundy-like in weight, with a lightly spiced aftertaste. As the hours pass in the decanter, it gains depth and a little more precision on the finish. This does not possess the otherworldly profundity to equal legends such as the 1934, 1964 or 2016; it is simply a wonderful Cheval Blanc to sit back and savor as a Saint-Émilion par excellence. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2021)
— 5 years ago
Domaine Laroche
Saint Martin Chablis Chardonnay 2022
Выпито 02.01.26 half bottle за обедом с Ирой. Очень очень достойное шардоне 2022 года. — 6 months ago
Château Léoville-Las Cases
Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1990
Tasting the 1990 Léoville Las Cases just a few days after the 1989, it is clear which is the best vintage…this one. It has a sublime nose of melted black fruit, tar, cedar and bay leaf that shrugs off the heat of that summer better than most others. At 33 years of age, you could just lose yourself in these aromatics. The palate is clearly holding up well: beautifully defined and supple yet with typical Las-Cases backbone and depth. It builds magnificently in the glass toward a harmonious finish that reminds me of the 1985 in terms of its fleshiness. Wonderful. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)
— 2 years ago
Château Léoville Poyferré
Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
The 2004 Léoville-Poyferré has a light and airy bouquet with blackberry, antique bureau, forest floor and light fungal aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly dry tannins, a little austere but balanced, though I notice some attenuation and bitterness towards the finish. So-so for this estate. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago
Château Barde-Haut
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2019
The 2019 Barde-Haut is beautifully defined on the nose, very pure with precise blackberry, briary, violets and iris flower, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, cohesive and mineral-driven; the terroir is very expressive towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Wonderful, assured and with great potential. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2022)
— 4 years ago
Domaine Dujac
Morey Saint-Denis 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2017
The 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru is showing a little reduction on the nose; there’s some charry oak here, not quite as clean as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine balance and finer tannins than Taupenot-Merme's La Riotte. This shows impressive delineation and elegance toward the finish, which is persistent and satisfying. An excellent Morey-Saint-Denis. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2022)
— 4 years ago
Château Gruaud Larose
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1986
Dernière bouteille... ce n’est pas la plus belle. Nous sommes clairement dans sa phase tertiaire avec du cuir, graphite, sous-bois. Par contre je trouve qu’il a un léger creux en milieu de bouche, que le vin manque de profondeur à ce moment. — 6 years ago
Château Pavie Macquin
Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2011
Decanted 90 minutes. Very dark opaque colour. Nose with dark fruits, some black currant early on but some spices as well and some oak. Tasted blind the nose seems more CNP then Right Bank. Palate is dense, powerful, nice acidity in the middle, ripe fruit, volume and depth along with a delicious finish with a slight dryness. Very good but there is a little bit of warmth to it caused by alcohol that makes the whole balance very slightly out of sink with the rest. 90-91
Carafé 90 minutes. Couleur foncée et opaque. Fruits noirs, cassis aussi, du bois un peu. Fait plus CNP que Rive Droite au nez. Bouche délicieuse, puissante, dense, du volume, belle acidité en millieu de bouche, finale est assez longue, un peu asséchante et une touche alccoleuse qui affecte un peu l’équilibre d’ensemble. Très bien malgré tout, mais pas certain que ca deviendra grand. 90-91 — 6 years ago
Robert Ahlstrom
Deep garnet opaque, light body, bright red berries and minerals, nice acidity with well balanced tannins — 5 months ago