Jan de Weerd

9.6

And now a Bordeaux blend expression from… well Bordeaux! Left bank that is. Our favorite left bank Bordeaux fantastic quality for reasonable price. This wine was intense, still rather edgy tannins but already great complexity of waves of dark and red fruit laced in subtle pipe tobacco and spiced oak. — a month ago

with RoAnne, Tammy and 2 others

Jan de Weerd

9.4

Wonderful left bank Bordeaux from Saint Julien. Balanced, polished, flavorful with good tension. — 3 months ago

with Chris, Tammy and 2 others

Dave

9.0

Solid Sonoma Cab that tastes like Left Bank Bordeaux. Supple feel, dark berries, cedar, graphite, tobacco. A little eucalyptus and a little espresso. Lengthy tannins. Drinkable now and will age for some time.
Listening to Radiohead — 5 months ago

Pooneet K

9.4

A knockout left bank Bordeaux. I’ve read that the 2005s may go longer than the potentially even more vaunted 2000s and I might agree based on this bottle. Decanted 5 hours. Cork in perfect shape. Amazing depth of fruit and a ton of Bordeaux earth. Nose goes on and on as does the finish. Was an excellent pairing but a very good but simple roast chicken. — 7 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

In typical Calon-Segur fashion, still kinda of a baby. Nice evolution but plenty of life left in this warm vintage Calon-Segur. — 8 months ago

i2

9.0

This was interesting... Imagine swishing rusted nails in blackberry juice and taking a healthy sniff and sip. I hope you’re up to date on your Tetanus shot, because this bag of metal will punch you in the throat…in a good way. Pair with something lightly flavored. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This 2006 was a tale of 1/2 of the bottle decanted in a wide decanter and the other 1/2 left in bottle. The bottom 1/2 bottle better than the 2 hour decant. The decanted part lost complete Bordeaux character, mid palate and depth. A shorter decant was in order, but that doesn’t mean this 06 is waning. It has another 7–10 yrs from bottle.

2006 was the vintage that followed the grand 2005 vintage, not an entirely fair growing seasons. Based on the 2005 vintage, the Bordelaise overpriced the 2006 vintage. The Bordelaise disappointed in the price they sold 2005’s looked to make up their perceived losses in 2006. Except, the quality wasn’t the same. Not even close.

The nose shows brambly, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries and lean raspberry edges. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark chocolate bar, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather,. softy layered baking spices, black licorice-tarriness, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender.

The palate is ripe, juicy w/ medium, rounded tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries, strawberries and lean raspberry. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark & slightly melted chocolate, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather, softy layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, mid dark spices w/ some palate heat, black licorice-tarriness, dry herbs, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dry top soil, moist, grey, volcanic clay, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender, very nice acidity, nicely balanced, well structured/tensioned w/ an elegant finish that lasts a minute plus and lands on earth & spice with mid intensity palate heat.

92 decanted. 93 the bottom 1/2 of the bottle, not decanted. — a month ago

Garen Staglin

9.5

Elegant. Plenty of fruit left. Rose and cedar prominent. — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I remember when the 2005 Pichon Lalande was reviewed by RP, 89. I saw that & said, you would have to get in the way of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be that sad. I still bought 6 at a bargain basement price. A very good idea post 20 yrs+. Both Pichon’s don’t have a modern day history of getting in the way of a good vintage.

I also bought this one. 18 yrs in bottle and still acending. This will hold 5 more yrs and will last another 10 yrs properly stored.

I have visited Bordeaux 11 times. This chateau visually is still my favorite. It was showing a picture of this chateau to Sofia that launched our first visit. Sofia loved it and we have stared at it multiple times on every visit.

It was in our visit in 2007, I stood in the estate vineyard, looked & tasted their soils. After doing so, I said, “I get it.” I understood everything about what I was tasting in Left Bank Bordeaux’s early in my wine journey.

Sofia and I had dinner w/ Christian Moueix not long after the 2005 vintage was hyped/released. She asked him, when did you know you had something special?” He said, “as soon as I tasted the fruit at harvest.”

Tonight, it shows that it is a close relative, a sibling to Pichon Longueville. Cork, perfect.

The nose shows; classic left bank traits. Ripe, dark, brooding fruits, bright, mid berries, red cola, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, led pencil, dark rich earth, limestone, dry river stone, hint of mushrooms, dark, red, fresh & withering florals.

The fruits on the palate show everything outstanding from the 2005 growing season. Ripe, juicy, brilliant; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, baked/poached strawberries & some hovering raspberries. Dark chocolate bar to pudding, red cola, anise, dark spices w/ palate heat, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, pronounced graphite, dry tobacco, leather, limestone, dry twig, dry river stone, moist clays, moist herbs, cedar to sandalwood, withering & dry, dark flowers, red roses, some lavender & violets, beautiful rainfall acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure, length w/ an elegant finish that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earth.

13.4 ABV. Nice.

#TheTwoHourRibcap

This held up vacuumed sealed the same night, refrigerated & enjoyed exactly a week later. — 5 months ago

Nick Jouras

9.4

Double magnum still has a lot of life left we sure enjoyed it with the crowd!! — 8 months ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.3

Medium bodied, Dark berries, orange peal, violet, roasted coffee beans, forest floor. If you like your cabs very smooth with not much tannins left, this is at its peak. Personally I wouldn’t mind a bit more tannins structure. Drink now. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Classic Cabernet descriptors of Cedar, Tobacco, Red and black fruits and a herbal note. Lovely on the palate, drinking at its peak with excellent balance - smooth, fluid, resolved tannins. One could easily pick this as a Left Bank Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Shows more French restraint than the full blown Napa style for me. Medium + weight palate with balance and concentration. Probably my favourite Napa Valley Cabernet though admittedly I have not tried some of the big guns like Harlan. Post script: A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend for 2004. — 5 years ago

John Micklethwaite

9.2

Great wine. Could have left it to age for another decade really — a month ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.4

Evolved & aromatic
Cedar wood, cigar box and a touch of cassis with some earthy, gravelly undertone.
Evolved and yet very pure. And very enticing.
Beautiful, simply beautiful on the palate. Firm yet polished and ultra fine tannins, juicy acidity, juice creamy black fruit on the mid palate. Elegant with nice depth and great length.
Beautiful juicy austerity. Classic benchmark left bank Bordeaux. And delish!!! — 2 months ago

Willie Carter

9.5

Already so lovely, but still so young. Medium ruby red in the glass with long, lusty legs and a wide brim. The nose is exactly what you think a classic Left Bank Bordeaux should be. Cassis, plums, and tobacco immediately upon opening. New leather and oak with just the right amount of earth. Very nice.

Big, powerful, and virile. Amazing balance and purity for a wine so young. Still a bit tannic at times but decanting certainly helps with that. Pretty fruit on the palate with blackberries and cherries. Soft vanilla undertones from start to finish along with licorice and more earth on the tongue.

Very impressive with such depth and such personality. As good as this is today it will be so much better if you can show patience. Put these away and try your best to forget about them and you will be rewarded. — 3 months ago

Vino Joe

9.3

It was more subdued than I expected. I tend to like the Merlot heavy Bordeaux but this one was still a bit muted. Perhaps it needs more time even though it’s well in its recommended range. Dark and heavy. Solid but left me underwhelmed. Decanted. Better after an hour. — 6 months ago

Vijay Parikh

9.5

Truly amazing after a 20 minute decanting a profound Margaux 1982with all the intellect that left bank demands — 7 months ago

Cameron Parry

9.4

Just hitting its stride. Rich nose, lush black cherries on the palate, silky tannins. Still has a long time left. — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 69% Shiraz, 16% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from McLaren Vale, deep Ruby color with aromas of berry fruits and sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of vanilla, spice, licorice and tobacco. Fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. — 9 months ago

Will Stanley

9.4

The 2016 Chateau Musar, the winery’s latest vintage on release, is much less forthcoming on the nose than the 2013 and ‘15 that I’ve tried recently, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that the Hochars consider 2016 to be a successful and very ageworthy vintage.

The nose is quite dense and tightly wound, much like a left bank Bordeaux presents in its youth, not yet revealing its cards besides aromas of cedar, steeped plum, smoked beef and cinnamon. The palate, however, is open for business - powerful and saturated, striking that wonderful Musar balance between dark fruit and tangy acidity, expanding towards a puckering finish with good length.

The lasting impression here is of a very modern rendition of Musar, with great clarity and purity to the fruit, fine tannins, refreshing acidity on the palate and great drinkability now (though equal potential to age). My preference of late remains the 2013, but that’s now quite hard to buy - so I’d happily have a case of this instead.

94+ — 4 years ago