Delectable Wine

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9.9

The 1948 Cheval Blanc may well constitute the most unheralded legendary wine of the 20th century, in no small part because it precedes the 1947. However, after years of several mavens lionizing this vintage and after one impressive but not convincing bottle, I encountered a 1948 Cheval Blanc that frankly, blew me away. This third bottle originates from the same source as that and mirrors its performance. Deep and lucid in color, it has a quite astonishing bouquet that is high-toned and decadent: kirsch, blueberry and a hint of liquorice, all beautifully defined. But it is the power that knocks you sideways. The palate is exquisitely balanced with supple tannin, velvety in texture with a multi-layered smorgasbord of glistening red fruit towards the finish – wild strawberry, Morello cherry, and cranberry all mixed with subtle ferrous and tobacco notes. It is a wondrous Saint-Émilion that I would dearly love to compare with the 1947 one day! Tasted at a private dinner in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2018) — 8 years ago

Yoko Yamada

9.3

$15.99 @wine365. Very good cost performance. Taste remains good if you use Vacu Vin Wine Saver. I may get it again. — 9 years ago

Rob Moose

9.3

Aromatically awesome. Super Chenin. I love this. Kept coming back throughout the night and this wine held its own between sips of Foillard, Rayas, Vogue. Very strong performance for a value wine. Will enjoy drinking one annually until they run out. — 9 years ago

Hideyuki Oogami

9.1

High cost performance.
Good job ( ￣▽￣)b — 10 years ago

Eri

9.2

Another charming gift from Naito San. An elegant, gentle rose matches dishes from apertivo through first dish. Good cost performance. Trust me⭐️ — 10 years ago

Eric Guido

9.3

Now fully assured that the first time I was wow'd by this wine wasn't a fluke. The Kuhling Gillot Pettenthal is some serious juice. An incredibly ripe yet intense nose of mineral, fruit and funk is then contrasted by a bonedry and textural performance on the palate. Don't even get me started on the length of the finish. — 11 years ago

Alex Alan

Wine Director Hotel Delmano

9.7

Like a Chenin bomb went off in your mouth. So damn sexy. Lush, silky & honeyed. Freshly balanced by vibrant acidity. High performance juice. — 11 years ago

Andrew Benn

9.1

2008
Enjoyed at Postino at GHC Xmas party
Roasted meats, black fruit
Really drank well at the opening bell and endured the whole night
Always think Neal is a great price-performance play — 11 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.7

What an excellent performance! — 12 years ago

Ernesto Aguilar

9.1

Never fails this wine . Widely available at restaurant in the US. Good price performance. Great dinner with my brother JL — 13 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 2014 La Violette put in quite a brilliant performance. It has a clean and precise bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, bay leaf and clove-like aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, very well balanced and price with a harmonious, poised and sustained finish. This is a very classy Pomerol although it will require several years in bottle. This is one to watch. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago

Masayoshi Kaneko

9.0

Smooth but has certain impact. Good balance of tanning, sour and savory. High cost and performance. — 9 years ago

Yuri

9.1

Flowery. Good cost performance:-) — 9 years ago

John Chis

9.0

Great price performance. Lots of berry, vanilla, with an excellent finish — 10 years ago

Ray

9.1

One of three Lokoya wines we enjoyed following our performance on New Year's eve in the casino ballroom in Catalina — 10 years ago

Keith Levenberg

9.6

Opens up with busy, detailed aromatics though also with quite a beastly amount of tannin that puts this probably about a decade away from primetime, for my tastes. Even so, it delivers quite an engaging and dynamic performance today. It has deep, black-pitched flavors with a touch of cedar and gravel, but not so much like the famous 'lead pencil' of the northern end of Pauillac - for some reason this feels almost more like a St.-Julien to me, kind of reminiscent of a Leoville-Barton with a bit more sinewy muscle. And then, about three hours in, it announces, "Hey, by the way, this is what a first growth can do," and those muscular tannins almost in an instant turn exquisitely refined, liquid cashmere. — 11 years ago

Michael DiNapoli

9.4

Velvety, amazing performance in a tough vintage. — 11 years ago

with Bea

Carlos Mata

9.2

Nice golden yellow. Quite profound and complex nose. Petrol, fine herbs, vidalia onion, goat cheese, and sea shell. Amazing grany texture, with great development and performance on the palate. Quite long and exotic, with phenomenal acidity, sulphur minerality, and palatable finish. Very dry and elegant, seductive and delicious. Quite luring. Huge finish. 92 pts. — 11 years ago

Carlos Mata

9.1

Old cherry red color of medium density and good brilliancy. I could not decant it properly, thus it is tight, and some cherry liquour and sawdust aromas come through, and also a little bit of heat. Really beautiful performance of this wine in the palate, the way it unfolds. It shows incredible complexity and harmony among its many flavors. I am loving this wine. A jewel! 94 pts. — 12 years ago

jki

9.0

Parliecinoša izvēle, ja negribas pārsteigumus - pgrognozējams, mīksts zinfadels, labs price/performance. — 13 years ago

Troy Givens

9.1

Tasted 3/26/2017
Price per performance is fantastic! — 9 years ago

Eric Guido

9.5

The bouquet on the '07 Court de Mautens was remarkably fresher than my previous experience with masses of blue violet florals, currants, dusty black earth, sweet exotic spice, crushed olive, and savory-saline minerality. On the palate it was wonderfully silky and refined, boosting incredible depth and richness to it's fruit, as crushed stone gave way to violet flowers with a center-focused layer of dry extract that coated the senses, before balancing acidity revealed layers of ripe black fruit, plum and hints of white pepper. Sweet tannin saturated the senses throughout the finish, with notes of blackberry, dried plum, and spice lingering. A wonderful performance and just hitting it's optimal drinking window. — 9 years ago

Atsushi Kamitani

9.0

super cost for performance.
fruity but not so straight forward. soft tannin and berry. — 9 years ago

Marc On

Writer Originalverkorkt, Lobenbergs Gute Weine

9.4

A massive step up compared to the Kirchspiel. All the same striking attitudes but more of them. Lean, precise and long. An incredible performance for a debut vintage. Although the price point is relatively high I would say that its worth every penny. Go for it if you can find a bottle. — 10 years ago

Bryan Garcia

Sales Grand Cru Selections

9.3

Gone in 60 seconds! Delicious performance. — 10 years ago

with Patrick and Michael

markus gould

9.5

piemont, mon amour.

WHAT, this is a 1999?
seems as playing in another league - red cherries, underbrush, violets, tea leafs, graphite, tabacco and bright leather presenting a most powerful yet elegant performance, tannin structure on the spot!
still many years of pleasure ahead! — 11 years ago

markus albert

8.9

Excellent cost-performance ratio! — 11 years ago

Sage Shimoda

9.1

Drinkable & enjoyable now. It opened up beautifully after an hour or so. A great cost performance wine. — 11 years ago

Carlos Mata

9.8

Pedro Ximenez grape. Very thick and syrupy, molasses in color and also almost molasses consistency, with very thick legs. Like the color of coca cola. Very good presence on the nose giving off aromas of dry prunes in brandy. Quite heavy on the palate; clearly the thicker wine that I have ever had. The performance of this wine in the palate is really admirable, with great entrance and very long, tasty and complex passage. Molasses, cane sugar honey, thick raisings syrup flavor, explosive acidity and finish, with black pepper notes. Very peppery, very amazing, very, very long. 98 pts. — 12 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.4

A textbook performance balancing precision with opulence. — 13 years ago