Bright ruby garnet with quite narrow garnet rim . Quite closed at first with mineral , cassis , sous bois , cigar box , touch of smoke . On the palate very intense with lots of cigar box tinged cassis , blackberry , cedar , coffee. Gritty but integrated tannins , fresh acidity . Very long and complex on the finish . This is still young but is starting to show what it can do , perfectly balanced and enormously long . Precise and for Las Cases very elegant . Now and for the next 10-15 years . — 16 days ago
This 09 was upgraded to 100 points by Lisa Perrotti formerly of Robert Parker in 2020. I didn’t taste a 💯 & the first time she & I have been this far apart.
This 09 was velvety, smooth, beautiful & elegant with nicely ripe fruits. But, it really lacked the depth & complexity I have come to expect from this producers bottling.
Touched into 94 with a few sips. Decanted a 1 1/2 hours & enjoyed over the next two hours.
@NepentheBigSur If you haven’t been there, well worth the time to visit. — 10 days ago
#AgedWineTuesday
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of black fruits, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, espresso, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, tobacco leaf, eacaliptus, Indian spices and black pepper.
Full-bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, black plums, light cedar, earth, herbs, light vanilla, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, black tea and a touch of vegetables.
Long spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This second wine from the great 2010 vintage in Bordeaux, is drinking gorgeously now. Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Elegant with lots of fruits.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours in the decanter, when tannins show up. Changes every 20 minutes in the decanter. So nice to experience.
I had this vintage 5 years ago and it is drinking better now. This 14 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and paired nicely with dried meats.
A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot.
14% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$90. — 17 days ago
Medium deep garnet core with slightly wider terracotta rim . Quite exuberant nose , more dark fruits than the Barton , spicy , cedar notes , touch of funk , swimming pool note also . On the palate quite spicy more intense black fruits , cassis , sous bois , coffee , saline , mineral tinged sea spray notes . Balanced acidity and quite rounded but noticeable tannin . Long and denser on the finish than the Barton . Showing well now but can go another 10 years no problem — 16 days ago
Big & self-assured, and yet elegant. Still very young. Very CS dominated nose, black fruit, some cassis, a touch of nice wood & dark chocolate rounded & very elegant.
Proper St Estephe on palate - good tannic frame, juicy acidity, pure black fruit. Great depth here. And aging potential. Needs a bit of time, but it’s already shining. — 20 days ago
Medium garnet , medium wide garnet terracotta rim . Tobacco , sous bois , touch of ash and coffee . On the palate quite rounded but firm tannins , dark cassis , cedar , sous bois . Good acidity and medium grafite tinged finish . Overall a touch rustic in comparison to the other Leovilles , but this is drinking perfectly now , no rush however as this held up well in the glass,
so now and over the next 5-10 years — 16 days ago
Lovely bottle of 1986 Ducru Beaucalliou. A little smoky and not as long as the last bottle but solid with rib chop, sautéed spinach, mushrooms Diane, and Beef Fat Fries at Hawksmoor NYC. Staff said they were going to decant and then did not. I think it would have opened more had they. Next time: insist. — 22 days ago
Sipping Fine Wine
Vines of Lilian-Ladouys are found a stone's throw from the Graves of Cos d'Estournel and the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. Deep Ruby red color, with inky tones, blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, aged in French oak for 15 months, aromas of black and blue fruit, cedar notes and herb spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and plum with licorice and toasty oak flavors, full body with fine tannins, long finish ending with earthy oak mineral character. Will age over short term. — 5 days ago