Jake Hajer

9.1

Elegant, restrained. Medium bodied. — 9 months ago

Rania P

9.3

Decantered for 2 hours, low tanins, not too acidic. Big, bold, smooth. — 4 years ago

Le Trevs Smith

9.3

Dark and supple. Taste of blackberries with mild black pepper aroma. Virtually no tannins it’s smooth to sip or pair with something light ... or even pizza. 😊 casual, unpretentious and tasty. — 5 years ago

Hanibal

9.2

Seemed a little lacking concentration vs the other bordeaux in the lineup...still very juicy and offering a more black fruit vs the left bank bottles we had. Nice silky tannins — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Yesterday’s Wednesday Wine Committee lunch. Normal format of 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert wine. All tasted blind.

I had this about 2yrs ago and my impression is consistent. Dusty and herbal. More tobacco leaf than leather notes. Dark black cherries, dark cocoa dipped cherries, cedar and truffle dusted licorice. This may be in a sleepy phase and could come out the other side full steam and youthful. Would like to try again and focus on only it. I called this early ‘00s left bank Bordeaux. — 6 years ago

with Dan, Will and 2 others

Jack Petras

9.1

1995 vintage. Still deep purple red, subtle earthy leather aromas with a burst of fresh red raspberries mid palate. Lots of herbal hints like anise and tarragon. Finished with graphite and iron. Changed with each sip. Very nice mature and fully approachable left bank beauty. — 7 years ago

Daniel K

9.0

Slight hint of reduction that faded with 30 mins. Darker fruit profile than expected, considering the light color and low alcohol. 12.5%. well crafted, well balanced. Great value — 8 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2016 vintage. Cantemerle is always a good idea if you want value for money. Like many left bank Bordeaux in this great vintage, it tends to close down a bit, so give it some time in the glass or decant. The nose slowly develops after an hour, with a mix of black and red fruit, classy cedar notes, and flowers. As usual, it's all about elegance, but it doesn't lack power either. Still needs a few more years to reveal all its complexity, but very good already. Ab. 13%. — 10 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Brett Francis

9.1

This was quite flavorful and interesting. It had some jam, blackberry, hints of leather and smoke. It had a nice mouthfeel and a medium finish. All in all this was the standout of the night, but still young. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

A very enjoyable Left Bank Bordeaux. Showing red and black fruits with earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, wet leaves, black tea and black pepper.

This great vintage red is still young, and needs another 5 to 10 years of bottle time. Already showing nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show the tannins and complexity.

Wine Enthusiasts 94 points.

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 3% Petite Verdot.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$70. — 7 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.5

The original year. Still delivering. Soft subtle tannins packed with Cab Franc tootsie roll goodness. — 7 years ago

Lenya Ehrmann

9.0

Can hold it's own, but best with steak or hamburgers. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Classic Cabernet descriptors of Cedar, Tobacco, Red and black fruits and a herbal note. Lovely on the palate, drinking at its peak with excellent balance - smooth, fluid, resolved tannins. One could easily pick this as a Left Bank Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Shows more French restraint than the full blown Napa style for me. Medium + weight palate with balance and concentration. Probably my favourite Napa Valley Cabernet though admittedly I have not tried some of the big guns like Harlan. Post script: A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend for 2004. — 4 years ago

Jonathan Clark

9.5

Lovely, light ruby — 5 years ago

Sarah Reis

9.4

Very fruity and smooth. For adams bday dinner at Chives 2020 — 5 years ago

Bruce Leboff

8.9

A bit disappointing. Strong start but fishes mid palate. Nice left bank nose. Dark fruit. A hint of cherry leather and chocolate. Tannins present but doesn’t feel like it will evolve to be a classic. — 5 years ago

with David

Gary Phillips

9.1

Classic Left Bank Bordeaux. Black fruit and leather with long finish — 7 years ago

David Castricone

9.3

Powerful, dark, brooding. Primary early in the decant, but later opened up to smoke, chocolate, and licorice. A well made old world right bank that was still a bit austere but paired well with French duck. — 7 years ago

with Kiley

Carl Fischer

9.2

Classic right bank, great blue fruit and clove flavors. 85/15 merlot/Cab Franc. This was quite young but still was good. Bet it will be better in 5 -7 years. — 8 years ago