Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 68% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, a new wine in the collection, deep Ruby Color, purple hues, with aromas of black and red fruits, spice and floral notes, aged for 12 months in 20% new French oak. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry, slightly jammy, with notes of cinnamon and floral spice. Clean fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit and herb spice. Nice first offering!! — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

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. — 5 months ago

Ashraf Attal

9.2

Business dinner — 5 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2022 vintage. This large estate is co-owned by Castel and Suntory (the group also owns Beychevelle), and this 2022 represents great value for money. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. Compared to the Castel-owned Barreyres tasted alongside, Beaumont features a more black fruit personality,with more concentration and complexity,for only 1 euro more. Terrific value. — a year ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2016 vintage. Apart from their huge Margaux vineyards (about 100 hectares), Château Giscours also owns 60 hectares of Haut-Medoc vineyards. This 2016 is drinking beautifully now, smooth and sensual. Good value too at less than 20 euros. Reportedly a 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend. Abv. 13%. — 3 years ago

Dawn E.

9.2

I love this Bordeaux from Medoc! Per WE vintage chart the 2015 rates in at a 99, of course not ready to drink yet! I have a few more tucked away and wanted to give this a spin! Thank you @David T for the recommendation!
Finesse is all I can say. Every element is meshed exceedingly well! Smoke, chocolate, dark berries, espresso, earth, leather, pencil lead, and violets.
This wine does not have the wallop of a Napa cab..but think Old World on steroids! — 5 years ago

Douglas Flinn

9.0

Silky smooth — 5 days ago

Alden Ridley

9.5

Maybe the bottle had been opened for the just the perfect amount of time, but this was one of my favorite glasses of wine by the glass I’ve had in a restaurant—I had them bring the bottle back for a picture. Cassis, oak, pepper, licorice combined perfectly to create a flavor that I can only describe as exactly my preferred taste in wine. Excited to try more Haut Medoc blends in the future! — 4 months ago

Mark S.

9.0

Deep cherry red. High concentration with spices. Black currant berry and cherry. Tabacco. Earthy. Leather. Graphite Fruitiness M+ Sweetness M Acidity M Tannin M Smooth Bitterness M Body M++ Finish M+ Concentrated Robust, ready to drink and good potential for aging. Château Sociando-Mallet Cuvee Jean Gautreau Sociando-Mallet Haut Medoc 16 @3300, G5, 260203 — 5 months ago

Mark S.

9.0

Deep cherry red still with violet ~ slightly orange. Chocolate nuance. Clove cinnamon nutmeg. Black currant berry and cherry. Tabacco. Earthy. Leather++ Graphite Fruitiness M+ Sweetness M Acidity M Tannin M Smooth Bitterness M Body M++ Finish M+ 14.5% no need to decant it. Concentrated Robust, ready to drink and good potential for aging. Chateau Sociando Mallet Chateau Sociando Mallet 18 @8503, Toscan, 250629-251227 — a year ago

Ivor

9.0

Young but accessible already. Love this classic haut medoc palate: Blackcurrant, dark cherry, clove, earthiness, cigarboxes & pencil shavings. Pretty classic in profile and with a great potential. — 3 years ago

Carlo Maria Rossotto

9.1

Great Haut Medoc with Friends in Dakar — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have mentally thought about doing this post for quite awhile. Opening this 2003 Verdignan brought on the appropriate moment. I am a believer in paying respects and it’s the basis of this post.

We learn to drink certain wines from the regions we live near or from the people we learn & enjoy wine with as we walk the road to understanding what we really enjoy. I started as an exclusive CA Chardonnay drinker for many years before moving on to nearly every varietal and regions offer. Next was Napa Cabernets which, led me to my true love, red Bordeaux. It was a bit of curve getting there but, once I had them with proper aging, I was hooked for life.

While my curiosity got me to Bordeaux wines, there one person that helped shape my Bordeaux palate and I agreed with more than anyone else’s, including every well known wine critics at that time and even today after spending 10 weeks learning from several Master Sommeliers on my way to passing the Court of Master Sommeliers exam and becoming a Sommelier myself. This person is Clyde Beffa Jr., Owner of K&L Wine Merchants.

Clyde has been traveling to Bordeaux for over 40 years and sometimes multiple times in a year. His palate and experience are second to none. Especially, when it comes to Bordeaux.

I owe him a lot. He taught me the importance of letting good Bordeaux’s age 20 years plus. What were the jewel value producers. Brought in Bordeaux wines direct from the Chateaus that had 10 years of bottle age and older. Bordeaux’s that critics did not like young but, he knew something special had taken place over time as he was tasting them much later in their lives and often. I bought and drank a lot of these wines. They also kept temptation at bay in me reaching for my too young and more expensive wines.

He is very kind and kind enough to allow me to travel with him & key staffers to the 2014 En Premier to taste what was a very difficult 2013 Bordeaux vintage. You can go to En Premier and then there is going with Clyde. You have all the key appointments, Chateau accommodations/dinners and taste somewhere around 1500 plus wines in 6 days. He is loved by the Bordelais and for good reason.

So, I dedicate this post to him. He is the one who told me to buy this little known 2003 Verdignan at the same “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting” I mentioned in my Chateau de Candale post on Friday. As of Friday, that was the wine of the tasting. Well…until I coravined this slowly over the weekend. This 2003 was under $25 and it is one of the very best Bordeaux’s I had in some time. As well, perhaps the best QPR in my over 20 years collecting wine. Clyde knew that day just how good it would become. He said, forget about this for 20 years. So, I am a little early here.

Clyde has recommended more great Bordeaux’s to me that most people don’t hear about, let alone try. He told me to buy the poorly reviewed 91 Pichon Lalande when he brought more into the store seven years ago Chateau direct. It was a very difficult vintage with spring frost, hail storm and a difficult growing season. He described as “Heaven in a Bottle” and It most certainly the case. To this day, Pichon Lalande is my favorite steak wine and the 91 is still my favorite vintage. I purchased a 3L from him recently that he brought in direct from the Chateau for my 60th next year. Can’t wait to open that with our good friends and celebrate.

As for the Verignan, the nose reveals; dark brooding & slightly bake fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark spice, dry tobacco, graphite, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.

The body is full, rich, lush, satiny with plenty of well rounded, soften tannins. The tension, structure, length and balance are excellent and will continue to improve. This will last another 15 years and beyond with proper storage. This is a very classic Bordeaux well balance in fruit and earth. It is sheer elegance on the palate. It’s why I love Bordeaux more than Napa and I love Napa Valley Cabernet. Dark brooding & slightly bake, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, dark chocolate bar, touch of mocha powder, light caramel notes, Expresso notes, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark Asian & Indian spices with just right amount of palate heat, dry tobacco, graphite, dry twigs with a little sap, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs/sage, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is round and nearly perfect. The long finish is, classic, elegant, well balance fruit and earthy Bordeaux that persists softly on the palate for minutes with just the right amount of spice.
This is a heady wine that you really think about as you slowly sip and it affects your whole body. Can’t wait to have another in five years.

Photos of; Chateau Vergignan in Medoc near St. Estephe, their vineyard that reveals where Bordeaux gets its earthiness, Owner Jean Miaihle who acquired the property in 1972 and a wide shot of their vines. — 6 years ago

K. Ross

9.0

14% abv. 60% Merlot 40% Cab. Grand Bin De Bordeaux. About $25 st total wine. Delicious. — 3 months ago

Mark S.

9.0

Cherry red. Cassis black berry and cherry. Oak vanilla. Clove Nutmeg. Fruitiness M+ Sweetness M+ Acidity M Tannin M+ Bitterness M Body M Finish M 13% Balanced Château Cantemerle Les Allees de Cantemerle Haut Medoc Red Bordeaux Blend 21 @, AD, 260214 — 5 months ago

Carlo Maria Rossotto

9.0

A solid Haut Medoc. Another airplane wine. Had it on the AF to Luanda. Berries, leather, solid choice — 5 months ago

Scott Koles

9.0

Silky smooth Bordeaux with notes of strawberry jam and tartiflette. — 10 months ago

Rufus King

9.4

Delicious Haut-Medoc Bordeaux, with dark fruit notes and silky tannin, served at family dinner in Toronto — 2 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

8.9

Last night I opened the 2009 Château Cambon la Pelouse. Left Bank Bordeaux from Macau in the Haut-Medoc. A blend of 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot.

On the nose there is black cherry, blackberry, black plum, black currant, tobacco, licorice, cedar, charcoal anddark earth.

On the palate is black cherry, blackberry, black currant, green bell pepper, cedar, licorice and pencil shavings.

This wine is full bodied with a silky smooth mouthfeel medium acidity and medium fine tannins that leaves you with a medium to medium + long fleshy dark fruit earthy finish. Please have a wonderful weekend and stay safe and healthy. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 4 years ago

K J

9.2

Del Frisco Orlando. Cedar vanillla and some funkiness. A little shallow finish. — 6 years ago