Neal Family Vineyards
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1990
The 1990 Lynch-Bages has a precocious nose, utterly captivating with intense black fruit suffused with iodine and seaweed scents. There is something old school about this Lynch Bages, perhaps not quite as precise as the previous vintage, yet still multi-dimensional. It gains cohesion with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with more structure than expected. There's fine delineation with chiseled tannins. Cedar and tobacco are interwoven through the layered black fruit, and it fans out with panache on the finish. This continues to fire on all cylinders. Tasted at the château in bottle and double-magnum formats. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2023) — 9 months ago
Château Climens
Barsac 1er Cru Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2011
The 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger thatlinger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)
— 2 years ago
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
The 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou, tasted a dozen times since en primeur, was picked 21 September to 6 October, matured in 90% new oak for 18 months. It delivers a wall of black fruit on the nose that gradually opens up with aeration, touches of incense and wild mint, cedar coming through with time. But these aromatics remain very backward. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grippy tannins, fine acidity, solid and focused. Tremendously and uncompromisingly backward, this is a seriously fine Ducru-Beaucaillou that is just not yet ready, so go back to the cellar and leave it there for another five years. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2022)
— 2 years ago
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1945
This bottle of 1945 Mouton-Rothschild is my fourth encounter and actually showed better than one poured three months earlier that came directly from the château. Ethereal as always on the nose, that distinctive menthol scent is present and correct, and this bottle is perhaps more elegant and almost Burgundian in style. The palate has heavenly balance, quite opulent and velvety, with morello cherry, raspberry preserve, orange pith and a delicate touch of cedar on the never-ending finish. Monumental. Tasted at Koala's 1945 dinner. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2020)
— 4 years ago
Château d'Yquem
Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend
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) — 6 years ago
Château Figeac
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2003
Wow. This is full of cedar box and smoke, dark fruit, that french terroir of scorched earth, its medium body with smooth tannins. Decanted 1 1/2 hours.
I've had several vintages of Figeac and this one is a no nonsense vintage. Peaking in the next 1-3 years? Like my location Paul? @Paul T @Jade Moore @Jim Trobaugh @Neal Schaffer @Eric Shanks @TheSkip @Warren Sapp @Vanessa D @Bill Bender @Martin G Rivard @Connor McMahon @Neal Schaffer — 7 years ago
Neal Family Vineyards
Wykoff Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Very nice. Definitely pick up the terroir and some dustiness. — 10 years ago
Château L'Eglise-Clinet
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2013
The 2013 L'Eglise-Clinet has a clean and precise bouquet with black fruit, sous-bois, shavings of black truffle and hints of morels. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry, red fruit laced with mocha and delicate acidity with a harmonious, if simplistic (for this estate) finish. Fine. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 9 months ago
Château Lafite Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003
The 2003 Lafite-Rothschild has an attractive perfumed bouquet with touches of camphor infusing the blackberry and bilberry fruit. There is a mahogany bureau hint. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy opening. The sharp acidity slightly jars against the sweet candied black fruit, with blood orange and white pepper toward the mocha-tinged finish. It's missing a bit of sustain on the aftertaste, hence my more parsimonious score. It does cohere in the glass, so decanting will help. Tasted at the Académie du Vin dinner from ex-château magnum. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 9 months ago
Château Cantenac Brown
Margaux Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017
The 2017 Cantenac Brown is always a strong performer in this vintage. Here, it has quite an opulent nose that you could easily mistake for a 2018 with copious black cherries and violet scents. The palate is fleshy, rounded and fairly sumptuous with pure black fruits that disguise the backbone. There is a welcome marine influence with hints of shucked oyster shells developing on the finish. Give this several years in bottle. Tasted at the Cantenac Brown vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2022)
— 2 years ago
Château Barde-Haut
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2019
The 2019 Barde-Haut is beautifully defined on the nose, very pure with precise blackberry, briary, violets and iris flower, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, cohesive and mineral-driven; the terroir is very expressive towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Wonderful, assured and with great potential. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2022)
— 2 years ago
Château Belair-Monange
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
The 2016 Belair-Monangé displays almost clinical precision on a nose of mineral-rich black cherry and raspberry fruit, plus hints of wilted violets and iris. The medium-bodied palate delivers firm grip on the entry. This is a clean, precise, correct Saint-Émilion with plenty of tension and poise toward the persistent finish. Very classy and noble. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2020)
— 4 years ago
Château Haut-Bailly
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2017
The 2017 Haut-Bailly matured in 50% new oak and bottled at the end of April. It has a fragrant bouquet with blackcurrant, wild strawberry, wilted rose petal and light truffle scents emerging with time. This is a less powerful nose than recent vintages, but I appreciate the understated style. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, saturated tannin. There is good acidity here, quite spicy in the mouth with a gentle, if not overly complex finish. It is the kind of Haut-Bailly that will drink comparatively early, though it has the substance to last for 20+ years. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2020)
— 4 years ago
Château Brane-Cantenac
Grand Cru Classé en 1855 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend
The 1961 Brane-Cantenac is a wine that I have been lucky enough to taste three or four times before. It’s a wonderful 1961 that comes racing out of the blocks, displaying vestiges of red fruit, autumn leaves, mint, chlorophyll and blood orange on the nose. It just feels multifaceted and more complex than the 1959, even if it does not quite reveal the same vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and impressive concentration. It is maybe a little rustic in style but certainly shows more depth and concentration than the 1961 Rauzan-Sègla that I tasted a month earlier. There is a touch of Earl Grey and tobacco lingering on the finish. Maybe this is in gradual decline, since it does not match the stellar bottle tasted back in 2010, yet it remains a great Margaux. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2019) — 5 years ago
Neal Family Vineyards
Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Love this wine for its crispness and consistency. Great Napa Sav Blanc for summer time. — 9 years ago
Neal Family Vineyards
Second Chance Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
2005 Second Chance did not disappoint. — 9 years ago
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1983
This bottle of 1983 Pichon-Lalande (I really can't be bothered to type out its full name) is the best of many encountered over the years. This offers gorgeous melted red fruit, woodbines, smoke and cigar humidor scents that could only come from Pauillac. Hints of black truffle and morels follow after about an hour in the glass. The palate displays lovely balance, poised and fresh, perhaps more vigor than I ever expected, with just a hint of dried blood on the finish. Impeccable provenance played a role here, but it is still a 1983 that should not be underestimated. Tasted blind at Pichon-Lalande. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 9 months ago
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2015
The 2015 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the first vintage vinified with 100% infusion, including 55% whole bunches. This has a much more intense bouquet compared to the 2014: copious blackberries, blueberry and crushed violet scents, hints of blood orange and a light cassis touch with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine density and precision, good grip, edgy tannins with clearly more mineralité percolating through the finish. Excellent. Tasted at the Les Carmes Haut-Brion vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2022)
— a year ago
Château Angélus
St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 2012
The 2012 Angélus has a fragrant bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit, truffle, crushed stone and light wilted flower scents. Very pretty. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and good acidity, quite sappy with modest depth. Fairly structured with a dash of white pepper and peppermint on the finish. This Angélus has tons of personality and is drinking well now. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 2 years ago
Sbragia Family Vineyards
Neal Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Black cherry, raspberry, mocha, vanilla, eucalyptus, cassis and oak. Full-bodied and soft tannins. — 2 years ago
Château Calon-Ségur
Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
The 2016 Calon-Ségur has a very concentrated, multifaceted bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, cedar and wild mint. I adore this – so involving and so intoxicating! The palate is very well balanced with succulent tannins and a fine bead of acidity, full of tension and poise. Black cherry and blueberry emerge toward the satisfying, complete finish. A gorgeous Saint-Estèphe. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2020)
— 4 years ago
Château La Violette
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
The 2010 La Violette has a well-defined bouquet with predominantly red fruit laced with scorched earth, leather and just a touch of cassis in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a grippy entry. This has fine backbone, perhaps a good deal of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Very expressive towards the finish and extremely persistent. A class act that is just beginning to show what it is capable of. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2020)
— 4 years ago
Château Canon
Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2015
The 2015 Canon has a tightly wound bouquet with mineral rich black fruit, raspberry coulis, rose
petal and desiccated orange peel. It takes time to come together, but it does. The palate is well defined, very focused with fine minerality. This is discreet but beautifully balanced, clean and precise with a sense of energy and precision on the finish. It is less showy than its peers at the moment, which
explains why I am more parsimonious with my score. Yet the potential is locked inside this wine and it will aspire toward perfection with a decade in bottle.Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Neal Family Vineyards
Napa Valley Zinfandel
Wine and cheese night!!.. — 7 years ago
Neal Family Vineyards
Rutherford Dust Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Below the Radar #MarkNeal. Does it right — 11 years ago
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The 2015 Durfort-Vivens has a perfumed bouquet with more ripeness and perfume than the previous vintage. Buoyant red berry fruit, blueberry and a touch of violet, there is perhaps more Margaux-like than the 2014. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy with a fine acidity, a touch of white pepper and clove towards the finish and a hint of espresso on the aftertaste. This is a superb Durfort Vivens, arguably the finest up to that point. Tasted twice, both at the château and at Jascott's Bordeaux tasting in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 8 months ago