Fourth of the blind tasting for Father's Day weekend.
Deep and dark purplish ruby red. Dark fruits with a touch of acetone or whiskey on the nose. Some cigars and dark cocoa as well. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and medium bodied. A touch lighter than expected. Extracted dark fruits and bitter dark cocoa on the palate. A little unbalanced with a medium plus finish. This is still a baby and needs time to settle. Drink till 2029. — 9 years ago
Grand finale of a blind tasting of 12 1996 Burgs. This was easily the "youngest" tasting of the group. I actually did not rate this first. That's how good four of the wines were. This has got an easy twenty more years of life. Elegant and rich. — 9 years ago
1999. Slightly underwhelming. Nice stuff, earth and meat on the nose, relatively light body, bit of a smoky finish, but not that long. If blind I would have had this as something more humble. — 10 years ago
Like an older version of the 2004 I tried in April. Concentrated coffee, milk chocolate and smoky fruit, with hints of struck match minerality. Good concentration and tannic grip; could still keep. Tried blind, and guessed it was a Pauillac or Leoville Las-Cases. — 11 years ago
Almost 60 years, both the wine and me when I drank it in Paris, with very good friends. I felt great and the wine tasted really super. Served blind, I called it a very well aged Pauillac. I thought it was a younger wine.😏 #bordeaux #paris #pauillac #pichonbaron — 12 years ago
Oldy and goody. Thanks Larry. Weirdly, if I tasted this blind I would have guessed Margaux. — 12 years ago
A continuation of our anniversary celebration @ Cole’s Steakhouse.
On the nose; cedar, saddle-wood, ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, anise, graphite, touch of smoke, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers.
The body is round, ruby and full. Classic Haut-Brion profile flavors. I don’t believe I would miss call this producer blind as its flavor profile & style is so distinct. The tannins are nicely round and soft, 60% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance are well knitted together. It does lack some wow factor from their truly great vintages. However, there is plenty of life in this bottling and it has not achieved its peak. Probably, another 3-5 years from hitting its peak with another 8 years of good drinking beyond that. Ripe & ruby; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, dry black cherry & cranberries, black plum w/ skin, blue fruit hues & strawberries. Limestone minerals, mint, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, saddle-wood, cedar, anise, graphite, forest floor, touch of smoke, volcanic ash, tobacco with ash, dry stem, the slightest hint of green pepper & dry herbs with blue, red and dark fresh & withering red flowers. The acidity is just about perfect. The ruby finish is elegant, well polished & balanced and last minutes. It continues to evolve & improve in the glass even after a hour long decant. Just missing a 9.4. Man oh man, I love well made older Bordeaux wines. My true love.
Photos of, Chateau Haut-Brion, field-hands harvesting that magical fruit, barrel room and their library cellar that I would love to raid 😜. — 7 years ago
Wow. This is young, and the nose is a bit of dark red berry suffusing a sea of resolving American Oak. The American oak is so pronounced that, had I tasted this blind, I might have taken it for Ridge... :) This has decades ahead, even if -only- a Riserva. Like La Rioja Alta 904, a fantastic value in old school Rioja... — 8 years ago
Great finish. — 10 years ago
Haven't had this in ages. Tasted blind its a dead ringer for a left bank Bordeaux to me. Softer, lighter so more St Julian like perhaps? Yummy wine that's elegant and very smooth with a long finish. — 11 years ago
Second type of cab I've tried, very different flavor. I'm a fan of California Reds!
— 11 years ago
Fantastic bottle of wine. Over delivers in a huge way for the $$. Approachable fruit and tannin with nice lingering finish — 12 years ago
Tasted blind. Deep dark and opaque. Red center with amber rims. Looks young. Very rich and luscious in the mouth. Black cherry, forest floor, tobacco leaf and a hint of old wood. Amazing impact out of the gate, but this declined in what it gave as the night went on whereas the 53 Lafite got better. — 8 years ago
The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago
What a ride! Make sure to give this 2-hours and let the magic begin. Muscular cherry + brown spice garden + mouth feel let you know how important this site is... tasted blind next to DRC La Tache 93 - at gwen restaurant during the "best bottle" dinner hosted by wineLA - The only problem is everyone thought this might be the La Tache - unbelievable power and concentration — 9 years ago
Great breeding trumps a below-average vintage. Blind, the nose alone gives away the DNA of this phenomenal wine. This Merlot-dominated Cheval has a beautiful core of cocoa powder, prune and plums. Structure from sweet oak and cab franc skins come through on the finish. Excellent, but a world away from the 2000 that's a palate-reference for me. Don't wait on this one, this well-stored bottle felt past its apex. — 10 years ago
Love this blend from 2014 — 10 years ago
85 Heitz Martha's Vineyard served blind with 85 phelps Insignia & 85 Caymus SS. Group preferred the Insignia though they all showed well. Most guessed Bordeaux. — 11 years ago
Didn't come across as Barolo when tasted blind, but this is a well made wine that needs food with it to bring out how good it is. — 11 years ago
$15. Great everyday wine!! Available thru Ecluse. — 12 years ago
Mick Farrell
Family collective, where’s Benny Jeanine and Pauly!?! 🇪🇸 🍷 — 7 years ago