Clive McNish

9.2

The Purple Angel lives up to expectations. A great blend of Carmenere and Petit Verdot which actually has a vibrant purple edge in the decanter. It is early days for this one but it can already be enjoyed with some decanting time but I think it is better than the 2016. Deep ruby and purple colour, the nose is a combination of Napa Cabernet and Australian Shiraz, rich, smokey, plenty of dark fruit and some nice burnt rubber and tar. On the palate there is blackcurrant, cherry, smoke and green and black pepper. This has a nice long finish and while it is definitely young, the tannins and acid are not overpowering. Definitely plenty of ageing potential and I think this will get better and better. Rating now is 9.2 but I’m sure it will end up at 9.5 in the future. — 4 years ago

Chris England

9.7

After a tiring day shopping 👠 👜 with Mrs E you gotta love Barcelona that you can pop to the local supermarket next to the hotel, grab some meat, cheeses, hummus & bread as well as a €295 98-100 Point by Vega Sicilia Unico 🤣 & a decanter + some glasses, then sit in your room overlooking the beach & city to chill @ sunset 😎 💗 Barcelona 🇪🇸

⏩ scroll for night pic 🌌 on Instagram

Drinking superb already but will become legendary 😍

📍 Vega Sicilia Unico 2006

🏵 97 points w/ huge potential but I prefer 04 at this crazy price 😁

💥 14% ABV

🍇 94% Tempranillo & 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

🍷 Opaque pitch black ruby

👃 A heady intoxicating nose of date & prune jam, chocolate kinky goo sauce, raspberry & cherry Black Forest gateaux, melted liquorice, smoked dry cured meat, mint infused fresh cut cedar & herbs w/ spiced damson plums & subtle oak 😍

👄 Full bodied rich & ripe raspberry & cherry through creamy cocoa w/ dark plum, prune, blackcurrant, liquorice & parma violets

🎯 Long prune choc cherry & raspberry gateaux cake food fight eruption in your cake hole 💥 Did somebody say food fight 🤣 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

12th bottle of this beauty we can't stop drinking as so good young! @£50 - reviewed before & was a quick bottle last night so I think what I said before captures it well 😁

A proper good Margaux! Dark plummy blackened red. Aroma of plum, blackcurrant & wet stones. Thick intensive balanced smooth jammy blackcurrant, cocoa & plums on palate with med body. Long back fruit finish with little acidity.

Mrs E suggested it's like "bare breasted maidens under a blackberry waterfall!" Who am I to argue 😎😍 — 8 years ago

Steven Lee

8.9

Mulberry, blackcurrant, tobacco, light and savoury with a distinct minerality and chalky feel. Quite pure and herbeceous. Quite grippy tannin with slight bitter aftertaste. Overall it is quite drying — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.5

👊💥 £39 unbeatable QPR Pomerol & my favourite 👍 This Chateau is next door to Petrus and produces stunning wine for a fraction of the price! Perfect to drink now to next 5 yrs 😎

🍇 80% Mer & 20% Cab F

🍷 Dark ruby red w/ purple hue

👃 Dark jammy plum & blackcurrant through smokey oak, double choc mocha & minerals

👄 Med+ creamy smooth ripe dark plum & blackcurrant body with mocha infusion 💥 🥊

🎯 Long dark fruit, mineral & rich mocha linger - oh yeah 👍 — 8 years ago

Guy Davies

9.8

Everything I could possibly want it to be at this age. Damsons and blackcurrant, meat, smoke, earth. Depth, power, complexity. Packs a huge punch (I laughed when I first put my nose in it) yet stays dainty and elegant. A hippo in a tutu doing a startlingly good pirouette, a wild animal and an aristocrat. Am almost frightened by how good this will be when fully mature. — 9 years ago

Zoe Zhou

9.3

intense & ripe. dark cherry juice, blackcurrant, slightly liquorice/ medicinal. — 10 years ago

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.2

Excellent style, open and opulent. Dark blackcurrant, gravelly, graphite, stone, tobacco and ash. Well integrated green pepper and mint. Medium to full, good grainy tannic structure and vibrant acidity to back it up. Really coming into its own. Great length, and very good typicity — 10 years ago

Kai Chang

9.6

Tried this for the first time at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, I had such a great memory with this wine. It hits you with a fully oak filled fruity and substantial aroma of blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, cigar, caramel, vanilla and a little breadiness. Burst of energetic fruit flavours supported by its vibrant acidity and smooth yet chewy tannin goes into long a fulfilling finish. Still young, still a lot of potential.. Thanks to my wife for a great dinner of pan seared beef shank steak. — 10 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.0

A delicious super Toscana from the lovely
2010 vintage, a tempting deep red color almost black, multi layered nose, rich and complex that offers a nice blend of black berries, plum, black cherries, blackcurrant ,cedar , earthy notes with a touch of vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate. The wine is full bodied and needs time to open up, the acidity is pleasant and the finish is long and chewy. My score 90. Drink to 2024 — 6 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Quite nicely aromatic , cedar , black fruits touch of truffle , leather perhaps . In the mouth nice ripe black fruits , blackcurrant and blackberry , a mineral and earthy note also . Nice acidity and quite suave tannins . Length is alright , not the longest. Overall a nice drinkable claret , drink now but will last quite well over the next 5?years I suppose . — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Lynch Bages is one of my favourite wines & clearly it’s too young to open this 98 pointer 09 but I’ve found a stash @ £120 so wanted to unleash a bottle for the community 😁 oh and me 😉

📍 Chateau Lynch Bages 2009 Pauillac

🏵 94 points now but 96+ potential in 3-5yrs

🍇 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, & a dollop of Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot

🍷 Opaque blackened ruby

👃 Gravel, flint & pencil lead infused soft smoked oak through earthy blackcurrant w/ wet leaves, red liquorice & mocha

👄 Med body of rich ripe blackcurrant infused with minerals, blackberry, blueberry, red liquorice & mocha w/ fine dry tannins

🎯 Long touch dry vibrant earthy blackcurrant & blackberry, red liquorice, blueberry & mocha mouth coating w/ a mineral stone linger — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.6

Fab £157 Sass now £234 😱 but life is short 😁

🍇 85% Cab S & 15% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Stewed & spiced blackcurrant/berry & plum through smoked earthy dusty herbs & burnt oak w/ rocky minerals, leather, prune, liquorice & vanilla choc mocha

👄 Med smooth velvet body of herby earthy blackcurrant w/ mocha, prune & red cherry/currant tones in dry minerals & a liquorice hint

🎯 Med+ earthy dark & red fruit touch dry mocha herby earthy happiness 😍
— 7 years ago

Chris England

9.1

An off vintage that shouldn't have improved! @ £47 this 07 is drinking lovely right now w/ all tannins soft & integrated 👍

🍇 70% Cab S, 27% Mer & 3% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Mineral & pencil lead driven earthy spiced blackcurrant & dark plum w/ leather, wet leaves, mint & smokey cedar/oak

👄 Med+ body of creamy smooth blackcurrant & dark plum w/ mocha & minerals, all well integrated now

🎯 Med+ ripe dark fruit, mocha & mineral coating — 8 years ago

Chris England

8.9

£99 Magnum that RP said "one of the most disappointing St.-Juliens I tasted 84pts" well I think he should retry the great numpty 😜 Still could do w/ 2-5yrs 👍 Great nose but palate still a little tight

🍇 63% Cab S, 25% Mer, 9% Cab F & 3% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey oaky earthy farmyard through shy blackcurrant & spiced plum w/ minerals, leather, musky cellar & wet leaves - fab nose 👍

👄 Med earthy mocha blackcurrant body w/ dry tannins & touch of tart cherry

🎯 Med dry earthy blackcurrant finish — 8 years ago

Matthieu Bordes

9.2

This 2013 is really well balanced. Of course we can't compare with the amazing 2009 and 2010 but this wine is very fruity strawberry blackcurrant and liquorice. Enjoyable from now and for the next 15 years. It reminds me off the 2007 which was criticised and nowadays nobody is able to recognise this vintage blind according the fact that it is just delicious.
2013 shows us that Lagrange is a Chateau who produce every year very consistent Wine.
No bad vintages just a different window of tasting. .. one of the best value for money in Bordeaux 2013 — 9 years ago

Marco Bergevin

9.3

Fantastically aged bordeaux. Blackcurrant jam, suave tannins and great balance. — 9 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

2000 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon:
From Jay. Dark ruby red in color. A preponderance of black forest fruits on the nose mixed with cedar and some menthol and a touch of spice. Rich blackcurrant, black cherries and traces of vanilla on the palette. This is a solid effort from Ridge and although it does not have the makings of an epic wine it will certainly improve with time. Drink 2017 to 2030. 91/100


— 10 years ago

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.1

2002: good opulent nose, blackcurrant, mineral, tobacco, graphite, leather, forest floor touches coming through. Sweet and attractive. Lovely wine, lightly grippy, fresh acidity, grainy and minerally, oaky, black fruited through to the length. Very good, medium bodied, good balance. — 10 years ago

Phoebe Li

9.2

Elegant wine with blackcurrant note! — 12 years ago

with Laury and Yang

Clive McNish

9.3

Good stuff from a great vintage. Aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, mushroom, menthol and vanilla. Palate is well balanced and finish is smooth and suprisingly fruity with some smokey infusion. This will develop nicely in the years to come but it is drinking nicely now. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.3

My favourite Cotes De Bourg wine in a top vintage @ £60 😁 will keep improving 👍 If you’ve never tried this tiny region of Bordeaux you should check it out as there are some great value bottles here; this being one of the more expensive as made by the folks behind Tertre Roteboeuf 😎

📍 Chateau Roc De Cambes 2010

🏵 93 points

🍇 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Malbec

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Cracked mineral rock & gravel through blackcurrant, dark plum & raspberry w/ cocoa, soggy earth, black cherry & herbs

👄 Med body of rich creamy plump fruit filled blackcurrant w/ dark plum, cocoa, dark cherry & raspberry liquorice

🎯 Long ripe dark fruit blackcurrant burst w/ a raspberry mocha liquorice cherry smacker of a kiss
— 6 years ago

Chris England

9.3

One of my fav hidden gems from St Emilion as every vintage delivers & @ a bargain €33/£24 this is fab now but will age well in 5-10yrs 😉 Can’t wait to try 2015 😁 09 & 10 are fab today 👍 More pics on Instagram ⏩

🏵 92 points

🍇 68% Merlot & 32% Cab Franc

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Blackcurrant & dark plum bathed in minerals w/ chocky sprinkles

👄 Med body of ripe rich blackcurrant & plum w/ blueberry & cocoa then a touch dry mineral kick

🎯 Long blackcurrant driven dark fruit finale w/ dry cocoa & minerality — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

1️⃣9️⃣7️⃣8️⃣

🗞 GPS, Mobile Phone, Space Invaders, Sony Walkman, Test Tube 👶, Ben & Jerry 🍦
🎵 Night Fever, You're the One That I Want
🎥 Grease, Animal House, Halloween, Superman
🗣 Nanoo Nanoo!, Za Plane! Za Plane!
🌍 4.223B

40yrs old & @ £105 & alive & kicking 👍

🍷 Dark ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Charred oak smoke, leather, herbs, faded blackcurrant, pencil lead, dates & minerals

👄 Med body of lively blackberry/currant w/ red berry, date & earthy liquorice dry tannins

🎯 Med dark fruit dry finish — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

One of my favourite Margauxs w/ mixed reports on drink early or hold! @ £85 it's drinking superb but will improve over 10yrs 👍

🍇 48% Cab S, 48% Mer & 4% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Stomped lead pencil, minerals, gravel, wet leaves & earth through charred oak & spiced blackcurrant/berry w/ light farmyard, black tea & mocha

👄 Med creamy smooth silky earthy mineral loaded b/currant & berry w/ light fine dry tannins & black tea undertone

🎯 Med+ earthy mineral elegant yet gritty dark fruit & black tea 😎 — 8 years ago

Chris England

8.9

One of my favourite St Estephe chateaus on great QPR 👍 @ £40 this 04 was at its peak 2yrs ago but still an enjoyable drop that won't improve

🍇 48% Cab S, 50% Mer & 2% Cab F

🍷 Dark ruby

👃 Mellowed gravel, minerals, leather, wet leaves & earth through aged stewed blackcurrant & fresh blackberry w/ light smokey oak & herby tones

👄 Med smooth body of deep earthy blackcurrant, dark plum & double shot mocha

🎯 Med earthy muted dark fruit mocha kiss — 8 years ago

Rajiv Ayyangar

10

This was the vintage Serge sipped as bombs fell in Beirut in '76.

Moderate ruby-garnet to an orange rim. It was phenomenal straight out of the bottle, with tertiary dark blackberry essence leaping from the glass. It doesn’t show much oxidation at all. Savory integrated brett, complex tamari and blackcurrant notes. Rounded softened tannins, but still present. I can’t believe how good this is!

Overall the character was similar to the ’95 but with an added tone of brilliant blackness. Slightly toasty, blackened and charred blackberry essence. Also at various moments, dried apricot, orange peel, amaro herbal notes, anise, flemish sour notes, like a rich BFM brew.  

Age with power. Complexity with playfulness. Wisdom with unpredictability.  — 9 years ago

with Gence and Tim

Ekasit Poositranusorn

9.0

Intense ruby red color with nice aromas of ripe dark fruits, mocha, and cigar box. Full-bodied with ripe blackcurrant, plum, creamy vanilla, coffee, and soft spices on the palate. Meaty structure & smooth tannins coupled with nice long length on the finish. Pair well with lamp. — 10 years ago

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.2

Very pure style with gorgeous sweet blackcurrant, mineral, tobacco, light mint. Medium@bodied but with goid structure. Minerally, chalky with fresh fruit. Delicious and not overtly alcoholic. — 10 years ago

Duncan Watt

9.4

Decanted for about an hour. Really lovely. Fragrant with blackcurrant still to the fore but with interesting earthy notes just behind. Tannins are nicely resolved and the finish is long and luscious with a reminder of all the flavours that greeted the nose. — 10 years ago