This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé
Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Musigny Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2014
The 2014 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is a vintage I have not tasted for some time. Quite rustic on the nose, it offers red fruit, juniper berries, leather and forest floor scents that take time to cohere. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, austere like so many of the Côte de Nuits reds, and a slightly dry finish. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Château Ausone
Saint Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
The 2004 Ausone has a mature bouquet with brambly red fruit, marmalade, leather and touches of cooked meat. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a little dry and more savory than expected. I feel there is something a little passé about this Ausone, indicative of the time when wines were being pushed a little hard and frankly, I much prefer more recent vintages (including the 2023 tasted alongside). (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Château Montrose
Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2004
The 2004 Montrose has a slightly rustic bouquet but is quite charming. It offers mainly red fruit, bacon fat, undergrowth and peaty scents, which are very Saint-Estèphe in style. The palate is medium-bodied with melted tannins. It is savory and a little dry, especially towards the finish, though there is good weight, and it is well balanced. Perfect to drink now. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Château Léoville Barton
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
The 2004 Léoville Barton is less opulent on the nose than the Langoa but offers a little more refinement and terroir expression. A touch of seaweed develops with time. The palate is fresh on the entry. It is one of the most saline Léoville Barton that gets the saliva flowing. It is classic old-school Anthony Barton with a judicious dab of black pepper and menthol furnishing the finish. Excellent. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Claude Dugat
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2014
The 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru certainly has one of the more attractive bouquets with redcurrant and cranberry, a touch of tobacco and marine aromas (cockle sheds I used to play on in the Thames Estuary). The palate is well balanced, with a touch of curry leaf on the entry and more black than red fruit. The 2014 has a firm grip with a noticeable backbone, yet the finish has plenty of freshness. Drinking well now, but there are a few years left to enjoy. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Château Léoville-Las Cases
Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
The 2004 Léoville Las Cases has a noticeable mintiness on the nose that actually complements the red fruit, though it deviates away from what you might call Saint-Julien typicité. After ten minutes, it coheres with ash and black tea aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded texture on the entry. The 2004 shows fine acidity and is lightly spiced with cracked black pepper towards the finish. A little conservative, but it acquits itself well considering the vintage. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Domaine des Lambrays
Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2014
The 2014 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, made by Thierry Brouin, has a typically leafy bouquet. There is something autumnal about the aromatics, and some red fruits are extant but certainly moving into their secondary phase. The palate is medium-bodied with an austere, slightly meaty opening. This is not a concentrated Lambrays by any means. It's a little dry and mealy in the mouth, though it has charm. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Château Cos d'Estournel
Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2004
The 2004 Cos d'Estournel has an impressive bouquet with black cherries, hoisin, rose petals and blood orange scents, all mixed with melted tar and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied, with a strong menthol element on the entry that rather dominates the terroir expression. It is very spicy on the finish, with cough candy on the aftertaste. It may be a bit bombastic considering the vintage, but it will continue to age in bottle. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Delectable Wine
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The bottle of 2014 Pontet-Canet showed better than the previous one at the 10-Year-On tasting in London. This offers much more restraint on the nose. It's quite precise, with greater mineralité seeping through the black cherry and cassis fruit. The palate has a sorbet-fresh entry, fine tannins and a silky sheen. The oak is fully subsumed after a decade, plus there is a little more depth on the finish compared to previous showings. This is a fine example of the vintage, and bottles should drink well over the next 12 to 15 years. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Pontet-Canet dinner in Washington DC. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago