A. R.

9.1

Still way too young. Amazing upside, highly extracted. I generally dislike this big style, but man is this well made. Dark fruit and pepper in the nose, lots of unresolved tannins, minerals and dark fruit in the mouth. Long finish. — 5 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Wow. Just wow. This nose has unlimited depth. Huge dark cherries. Black. Red. Dark red. Stunning limestone. Blackberry as well. Just huge, dense, but serene. Spice. A new nuance every time I stick my large nose in the glass. Palate is painfully intense and has a kaleidoscopic intensity. Ungodly sweet fruit and a huge limestone mineral wash but in classic Holle fashion this is around 10% of its potential upon opening and the finish is again clipped like the 19 Holle Riesling. The nose has almost a macerated cherry effect. The balance and length are perfect but it’s a donut wine right now with a big gaping hole in the the middle. It will bialyize soon. The nose is at a 9.7 now. I know the palate will catch up. The nose has some of the most stunning fruit ever. Truly wow. The finesse is starting as are the sweet inner mouth aromas and the tannins are sweet and so fine. Really profound length and such a finesse. I can see why Piggott gave this 99. I’m not quite there yet but I might with air. Getting super tangy and even more black cherry fruited. What a finish. Sneakily long. 9.6 to 9.8 with air. Just so elegant and seamless. Mind blowing. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

VTS bottle. Dark purple tawny. Opaque. Fragrant nose. Notes of black cherries, forest floor, walnuts, some pepper and a touch of black licorice. With air some menthol develops. Still big and bold in the mouth. Showed well tonight. — 6 years ago

Tyler Martinelli

9.7

This is just like a Napa Cab! Big, tannic, long finish, lots of acidity, velvety mouth feel! Amazing! — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Light gold. Sharp nose. Notes of citrus, clay, baked lemon merengue pie and stones. Big and rich in the mouth. Powerful. This was very angular and hard to enjoy, even after hours of air. Needs to soften a bit more in the bottle. — 8 years ago

Clay Robins

9.2

Really solid wine. Big in the mouth with balanced fruit. A little dusty, but in a good way. — 8 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.0

That’s rich. 30% apassimento in the blend. Big, beefy, bloody, grapey nose.
It’s extracted yet lithe, some back of mouth tannins to let you know tis ain’t no candy. It has that sense of muddy bogginess that’s wonderful, almost mushroomy. Great w pizza. — 3 years ago

Chris A

8.9

Like Sade’s “Smooth Operator” - this Bordeaux blend brings that best of Bordeaux red but toned down a bit on the nose and mouth feel. Not as strong as big red French can be - but a good measure of a good glass of wine that is incredibly smooth. Perfect weekday glass with dinner! — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Deep, dark amber tinged and tawny color. Hits me immediately as a gravel-influenced Bordeaux and I’m am in Graves with my guess. Notes of tobacco, graphite, ash, earth and gravel stone. Big shoulders, and a little hot. Yet silky in the mouth. I guess 82 La Mish HB. This has plenty of life in front of it, but give it 5+ hrs of air if consuming in the near term as the provider of this wine did. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Dark tawny and opaque. Bright fruity nose. Ripe black cherries. Sappy. Big structure in the mouth. Long finish. Still young. Was strong the next day too. — 7 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Second exemplary bottle I’ve had of this. Nose is rustic/complex. A little barnyard, a little Brett, crushed stones, iodine, and dark berry pomace. Dry and earthy in the mouth, with nice concentration, length, and balance, and a touch of rusticly not-so-soft tannin still. I don’t see this improving, but big fun now. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Nice color, dark ruby and mostly opaque. Bright black cherry and rhubarb nose. Also notes of brown spices and some moist dark soil. Big masculine structure in the mouth. Puckering. Long powerful finish. Great wine but still mostly primary. Needs more age to gain complexity and soften up a bit. — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Dark tawny, almost opaque. Nose of dark black fruit, cedar box, roasted meat, pencil lead, some mint and some forest floor. Smoky. Still young and youthful in the mouth. Tannins integrates but still has a big backbone. Has some power in the finish. Guessed 66 Latour. — 8 years ago

Brian Hearty

9.2

2011. Dark fruit, spice, vanilla, oak, and leather. Mouth coating but not drying tannins. Big wine that my wife really loved. — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Enjoyed at our friend’s on the Big Island for NYE dinner. Dark and opaque. Rich in the mouth. Notes of black fruit, slate stone, some menthol and some five spice. In a good window. — 4 years ago

Anthony Martin

9.0

Big fruit, good acid, full mouth feel - not weak or thin. Fan! — 5 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Lime zest, mint, and a little guava/lychee on the nose. Starts out all flint and grapefruit then broadens into something richer and more mouth-coating. A note of chamomile too. Beautiful, I would love to see how this ages.

Update: Enjoyed this over 4 days. Though there was no big surprise to the evolution, it settled into itself and provided so much joy. For all around enjoyment to the dollar, this is hard to beat. — 6 years ago

Chris B.

9.2

Dark, rich, full mouth-feel... this voluptuous Pinot is chock full full of fruit. Imagine freshly picked raspberries rinsing in a forest stream and you get a good idea of the fragrant nose. Tannins and alcohol are big, but rounded off so the wine goes down easy. — 7 years ago

Jennifer Lakari

9.1

Rich garnet color. Deep black and red fruits. Big flavor. High alcohol. Velvety mouth feel. Long finish — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.7

A review of 9️⃣’s for fun 😁

The 2009 was made 9 years ago @ £39 & 19 years after the 1990 @ €90 😁 so I thought it would be fun to compare how my favourite Pomerol has evolved 😁

💵 Oh & Petrus next door to this Chateau is 90 times more expensive 🤣

🥊 So 90 vs 09

🏵 90 - 97-98 points
🏵 09 - 94-95 points

🍷 90 - Garnet opaque ruby w/ bricking
🍷 09 - Opaque ruby

⏩ scroll for colour pics on Instagram ⏩

👃 90 - Bordeaux nasal sex of soggy earth, sooty underground 🚇, char-smoked oak, old leather, damp musty cellar, mushroom, mirabelle plums, damson compote, obliterated blackcurrant, herbs, toasted fig, bitter mocha & liquorice
👃 09 - Dark jammy plum & blackcurrant through smokey oak, choc mocha, flint, pencil lead, soggy earthy leaves & wet rock minerals

👄 90 - Med body of creamy earthy smooth silk dark plum & berry bathed in ground mocha & liquorice
👄 09 - Med+ creamy smooth ripe dark plum & blackcurrant body w/ a mocha infusion & mineral tone

🎯 90 - Long mocha liquorice dark fruits mouth filling linger w/ a big happy smile 😃
🎯 09 - Long smooth ripe dark fruit, minerals & rich mocha linger - oh & still big happy smile 😀

⏰ 09 I can’t wait to revisit you in 19 years 😘

👏 @josephjanoueix @jeanphilippejanoueix 😍
— 8 years ago