Recent Wine Tasting Notes

Just starting to show well, the wine is vibrant, fresh, floral, smoky, and spicy with sweet, ripe, fresh, crunchy red berries, red plums, thyme, and peppery spices. Medium/full-bodied, this is good now, but it should be even better with another 2-3 years of age.

Just starting to show well, the wine is vibrant, fresh, floral, smoky, and spicy with sweet, ripe, fresh, crunchy red berries, red plums, thyme, and peppery spices. Medium/full-bodied, this is good now, but it should be even better with another 2-3 years of age.

Elegant, silky, vibrant and sensuous, pop and pour was all that was needed to bring out its truffle, flower and cherry filled nose. Poised and refined, the wine is fresh, medium-bodied and long, leaving you with touches of chocolate and cherries that linger in the finish.

Elegant, silky, vibrant and sensuous, pop and pour was all that was needed to bring out its truffle, flower and cherry filled nose. Poised and refined, the wine is fresh, medium-bodied and long, leaving you with touches of chocolate and cherries that linger in the finish.

Dark in color, the wine kicks off with tobacco leaf, underbrush, herbs, olives, flowers and currants. On the palate the wine is soft, forward, fresh and fruity, with polished tannins, elegant textures and a round, sweet, red currant and black cherry finish. There is a nice spicy, fresh kick in the endnote of the classically-styled, bright, understated wine. Give it a few years to compose itself and it will show quite nicely. The wine blends 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 23-October 7. The yields were low at 29 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2025-2055. 92-94

Dark in color, the wine kicks off with tobacco leaf, underbrush, herbs, olives, flowers and currants. On the palate the wine is soft, forward, fresh and fruity, with polished tannins, elegant textures and a round, sweet, red currant and black cherry finish. There is a nice spicy, fresh kick in the endnote of the classically-styled, bright, understated wine. Give it a few years to compose itself and it will show quite nicely. The wine blends 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 23-October 7. The yields were low at 29 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2025-2055. 92-94

Popped and poured for Father’s Day, the wine is elegant, opulent, silky and fresh on the palate. The wine offers a strong cigar box and tobacco nose, along with distinctive mint and green peppery tones, with a touch of 5 spice, smoke, roasted cassis, cedar and pepper. This is fully mature. There is no reason to decant, except for sediment, or to hold any longer. It’s a gorgeous, old school expression of Cos d’Estournel this hits all the right notes.

Popped and poured for Father’s Day, the wine is elegant, opulent, silky and fresh on the palate. The wine offers a strong cigar box and tobacco nose, along with distinctive mint and green peppery tones, with a touch of 5 spice, smoke, roasted cassis, cedar and pepper. This is fully mature. There is no reason to decant, except for sediment, or to hold any longer. It’s a gorgeous, old school expression of Cos d’Estournel this hits all the right notes.

Smoky, tobacco-laden black cherry aromas are in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, sweet, medium-bodied, forward, and already quite easy to like. You can enjoy this on release for its fresh cherry and red currant fruits. Drink from 2023-2031. 88-90

Smoky, tobacco-laden black cherry aromas are in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, sweet, medium-bodied, forward, and already quite easy to like. You can enjoy this on release for its fresh cherry and red currant fruits. Drink from 2023-2031. 88-90

White peach, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, and flowers on the nose and on the crisp, bright, pure, clean palate. This is already just great to taste. Drink from 2023-2032. 92-92

White peach, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, and flowers on the nose and on the crisp, bright, pure, clean palate. This is already just great to taste. Drink from 2023-2032. 92-92

Liber Pater was not in produced for the second year in a row as the wine was not up the exacting standards of Loic Pasquet.

Liber Pater was not in produced for the second year in a row as the wine was not up the exacting standards of Loic Pasquet.

No Chateau d'Yquem was produced in 2012. The entire harvest was declassified.

No Chateau d'Yquem was produced in 2012. The entire harvest was declassified.

Medium/light-bodied, forward, fresh, easy to drink, bright, crisp, red berry centric wine for early drinking consumption. Drink from 2023-2027. 83-85 Pts

Medium/light-bodied, forward, fresh, easy to drink, bright, crisp, red berry centric wine for early drinking consumption. Drink from 2023-2027. 83-85 Pts

Crisp, fresh, lemon and grapefruit oriented nose and palate with a nice, yellow, citrus-filled palate. Enjoy this over the next year or two. Drink from 2023-2025. 87 Pts

Crisp, fresh, lemon and grapefruit oriented nose and palate with a nice, yellow, citrus-filled palate. Enjoy this over the next year or two. Drink from 2023-2025. 87 Pts

Plesant, yellow citrus-oriented, summer quaffer for early drinking consumption. Drink from 2023-2024. 85 Pts

Plesant, yellow citrus-oriented, summer quaffer for early drinking consumption. Drink from 2023-2024. 85 Pts

Yes, yes, and yes indeed! This is just great. Elegant, fresh, ripe, rich, soft, polished, refined, long, and deep, everything here is hitting the right notes from the nose to the palate and the finish. Still youthful, this is all about its future greatness. Drink from 2025-2050.

Yes, yes, and yes indeed! This is just great. Elegant, fresh, ripe, rich, soft, polished, refined, long, and deep, everything here is hitting the right notes from the nose to the palate and the finish. Still youthful, this is all about its future greatness. Drink from 2025-2050.

Everything here is on fire! This is what great wine is all about. Incredibly concentrated, powerful, rich, deep, long, and complex. From the sniff, you should be hooked. But the real star of the show is on the palate, which is completely coated with layer after layer of perfectly ripe, opulently textured layers of black, red, and blue fruits that linger well past the 60-second mark! The seamless finish must be tasted to be believed. This is already just great to taste. But it is in the future where it will achieve its future legendary status. Drink from 2025-2060.

Everything here is on fire! This is what great wine is all about. Incredibly concentrated, powerful, rich, deep, long, and complex. From the sniff, you should be hooked. But the real star of the show is on the palate, which is completely coated with layer after layer of perfectly ripe, opulently textured layers of black, red, and blue fruits that linger well past the 60-second mark! The seamless finish must be tasted to be believed. This is already just great to taste. But it is in the future where it will achieve its future legendary status. Drink from 2025-2060.

Fully mature, medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, refined, soft, and expressing its Cabernet side with loads of mint, forest leaf, and tobacco from start to finish.

Fully mature, medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, refined, soft, and expressing its Cabernet side with loads of mint, forest leaf, and tobacco from start to finish.

Supple, round, lush, soft, polished, and loaded with ripe, sweet, plums, black cherry, licorice, and forest leaf, along with a touch of cigar wrapper and crushed stone. Fully mature, there is no reason to hold off from popping a cork.

Supple, round, lush, soft, polished, and loaded with ripe, sweet, plums, black cherry, licorice, and forest leaf, along with a touch of cigar wrapper and crushed stone. Fully mature, there is no reason to hold off from popping a cork.

Fully developed, the nose, with its spice box, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and cigar wrapper calls your name. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, round, and packed with dark currants and red plums, this is ready to go. If you have a bottle, there is no reason to hold this any longer. It will not improve.

Fully developed, the nose, with its spice box, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and cigar wrapper calls your name. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, round, and packed with dark currants and red plums, this is ready to go. If you have a bottle, there is no reason to hold this any longer. It will not improve.

Showy flamboyant, rich, lush, ripe, and packed with layers of deep, dark, red, and black fruits, opulent textures, and a finish that keeps on going. This is simply great now and could be even better with a 3-5 more years of bottle age.

Showy flamboyant, rich, lush, ripe, and packed with layers of deep, dark, red, and black fruits, opulent textures, and a finish that keeps on going. This is simply great now and could be even better with a 3-5 more years of bottle age.

The baby fat continues sliding away while the ripe, cassis, spice, earth and tobacco leaf nuances become more evident. Full-bodied, concentrated, deep and rich, this is sublime to drink today, and it should remain at this level for at least another 10-15 years.

The baby fat continues sliding away while the ripe, cassis, spice, earth and tobacco leaf nuances become more evident. Full-bodied, concentrated, deep and rich, this is sublime to drink today, and it should remain at this level for at least another 10-15 years.

Not as flamboyant as it was in its youth, there is still a lot to like here with its lusciously-textured layers of black and red fruits, tobacco, herbs, and currant profile. Full-bodied and concentrated, drink now or wait a decade for more secondary characteristics.

Not as flamboyant as it was in its youth, there is still a lot to like here with its lusciously-textured layers of black and red fruits, tobacco, herbs, and currant profile. Full-bodied and concentrated, drink now or wait a decade for more secondary characteristics.

Firm, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, youthful, and tannic, it is going to take at least another 5 years in the cellar before this becomes entirely civilized, dropping more of its strict nature so you can enjoy all the ripe currants, blackberries, spice, and earthy nuances. From there, you should be able to enjoy this with ease for at least 25 more years.

Firm, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, youthful, and tannic, it is going to take at least another 5 years in the cellar before this becomes entirely civilized, dropping more of its strict nature so you can enjoy all the ripe currants, blackberries, spice, and earthy nuances. From there, you should be able to enjoy this with ease for at least 25 more years.

Powerful, concentrated, deep, long, intense, youthful, and tannic, there is a strong backbone here that will allow this to age gracefully for 2-3 decades with ease. But it is not ready to go at this point. So, either give it 2 hours of air, or wait 5-10 more years.

Powerful, concentrated, deep, long, intense, youthful, and tannic, there is a strong backbone here that will allow this to age gracefully for 2-3 decades with ease. But it is not ready to go at this point. So, either give it 2 hours of air, or wait 5-10 more years.

Firm, stoic, crisp, tannic, and more interesting on the nose with its flowers, tobacco, currant, forest leaf, and cigar-filled nose, than on the full-bodied, bright, crunchy palate. This is an old-school-styled Pontet Canet that needs at least another 5 years in the cellar.

Firm, stoic, crisp, tannic, and more interesting on the nose with its flowers, tobacco, currant, forest leaf, and cigar-filled nose, than on the full-bodied, bright, crunchy palate. This is an old-school-styled Pontet Canet that needs at least another 5 years in the cellar.

Interestingly, more backward than the previous bottle tasted just 1 year ago, clearly, this is a very good, classic vintage for Lynch Bages. Concentrated, tannic, structured, strict, full-bodied, bright, fresh, and firm, with ample layers of ripe, black, and red currants, topped with tobacco leaf, herbs, forest leaf, and smoke, if you have less than a full case, give this at least 6 more years in the cellar before pulling a cork. Classic in style, this will be worth the wait.

Interestingly, more backward than the previous bottle tasted just 1 year ago, clearly, this is a very good, classic vintage for Lynch Bages. Concentrated, tannic, structured, strict, full-bodied, bright, fresh, and firm, with ample layers of ripe, black, and red currants, topped with tobacco leaf, herbs, forest leaf, and smoke, if you have less than a full case, give this at least 6 more years in the cellar before pulling a cork. Classic in style, this will be worth the wait.

Not quite as opulent as many wines from 2009, here, the wine focuses on its floral and ocean nose, along with nuances of sweet, red cherries, and plums with a hint of licorice. Soft, bright, and fresh, with soft tannins and a long, red fruit and salt-packed finish, this is just now starting to be fun to taste. But its best days are in the future.

Not quite as opulent as many wines from 2009, here, the wine focuses on its floral and ocean nose, along with nuances of sweet, red cherries, and plums with a hint of licorice. Soft, bright, and fresh, with soft tannins and a long, red fruit and salt-packed finish, this is just now starting to be fun to taste. But its best days are in the future.

Les Perrieres replaces the wine formerly known Acte from the Guinaudeau family. The gorgeous wine pops from the moment you open the bottle with all of its notes of flowers, underbrush, cherries, black plums, and earthy nuances. There is lift, energy, length, and purity here with a fabulous finish that lingers with red fruit, freshness, and a hint of salt in the endnote. This is setting a new mark for quality here that while you can enjoy this young, it is also able to age quite well. Drink from 2023-2037.

Les Perrieres replaces the wine formerly known Acte from the Guinaudeau family. The gorgeous wine pops from the moment you open the bottle with all of its notes of flowers, underbrush, cherries, black plums, and earthy nuances. There is lift, energy, length, and purity here with a fabulous finish that lingers with red fruit, freshness, and a hint of salt in the endnote. This is setting a new mark for quality here that while you can enjoy this young, it is also able to age quite well. Drink from 2023-2037.