Posts Tagged ‘chateau’
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Oct 2008
Dark purple core with a violet rim. Spicy vanilla aromas surround milk chocolate, candied raspberry, fresh blueberry and a touch of licorice. The front palate is lush and bold with sweet blueberries leading to a juicy mid-palate. Full bodied with chewy yet approachable tannins. Dark roasted coffee, smoke and toasted oak linger on the finish.
Tons of flavor and complexity for the price. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (about 50%) and old vine Grenache and Syrah. Great for anyone just getting in to reds, yet it still has enough power and body to impress even the staunchest of Cabernet collectors. This wine also has enough tannin that it will continue to age well, and the oak should integrate into the wine over the next couple of years making it more lush and velvety. The toasted oak gets a little weighty on the back end but will be no problem enjoyed with some good rich foods. This is a unique wine and not imported to many places in the US, but it is worth seeking out and purchasing online!
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Tags: 2006, aix, anges, blueberry, cabernet, candy, chateau, chocolate, coffee, Coteaux, d'aix, des, en, france, grenache, licorice, milk, oak, paradis, provence, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, roast, sauvignon, smoke, spice, Syrah, terre, toast, vanilla, violet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Jan 2009
Black/purple core with a ruby rim. Rich aromas with warm, toasty oak and vanilla surrounding ripe blueberry, sweet eucalyptus, plum and grape Big League Chew Gum. Great entry on the palate with dark black cherry, blackberry and blueberry leading the charge. Full bodied with full, chalky tannins. Toasty, charred oak and blackberry on the finish with a touch of minerality.
This wine is a second label of the famous Bordeaux estate Pichon-Longueville Baron. A blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.
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Tags: 2005, Baron, big, black, blackberry, blueberry, bordeaux, cabernet, chalk, char, charred, chateau, cherry, chew, de, eucalyptus, france, grape, gum, league, les, Longueville, merlot, mineral, oak, Pauillac, Pichon, plum, purple, red, red wine, ruby, sauvign, tast, tourelles, vanilla, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Jan 2009
Pale lemon yellow core with a clear rim. Candied lemon zest aromas surrounded by jasmine, sweet herbs, wet stone and a touch of cantaloupe. Soft entry on the palate with sweet white peach balanced by a zesty core of lemon. Medium acidity with tons of minerals under the fruit. Medium length with a clean, crisp finish.
100% Sauvignon Blanc (somewhat rare for this region as you often fine Semillon blended with it). Delicious right now, but enough acid and body to hold for a little while. Drink over the next 2 - 3 years.
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Tags: 2005, blanc, bordeaux, candy, cantaloupe, chateau, de, france, herb, jasmine, lemon, Leognan, mineral, peach, Pessac, rochemorin, sauvignon, stone, wet, white, White wine, wine, yellow, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Dark ruby and purple core with a bright ruby rim. Chocolate and fresh oak over rich dark fruit, crushed violets and a hint of spice and game. Orange zest and ripe red cherries on the front palate. Full-bodied with round tannins. Just a hint of black truffle and pepper spice over plum, dark cherry and a baker’s chocolate finish.
Incredibly complex for a Cotes du Rhone. Approachable now and will continue to improve for another 3-5 years.
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Tags: 2005, baker, baker's, beaucastel, black, chateau, cherry, chocolate, Cotes, coudoulet, crushed, de, du, france, game, oak, orange, pepper, plum, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, ruby, Southern, spice, truffle, violet, wine, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
93 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 23 Dec 2008
Deep ruby core with a touch of garnet on the rim. Lots of rich earth, coffee and cedar spice in the aromas, surrounded by sweet plum, cassis, dried tobacco, dusty minerality and toasty oak. Beautifully silky entry on the palate. Medium to full bodied. Great to drink now, but still has nice supporting tannins through the back. Blackberry, plum, cassis, cedar, leather and tobacco flavors are all balanced very well. Medium length finish with mocha and black truffle joining the fruit.
I let the wine sit in my glass for a good 45 minutes, and it kept opening up. This is delicious now, and will continue to be at peak drinking for another 10 years.
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Tags: 1995, black, blackberry, Blend, bordeaux, cassis, cedar, chateau, coffee, dried, dry, dust, earth, estephe, france, garnet, leather, mineral, mocha, montrose, oak, plum, red, red wine, ruby, saint, silk, spice, sweet, toast, tobacco, truffle, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a lighter fuchsia rim. Oak and vanilla aromas float over rich black cherry, cassis and raspberry with dark charcoal, spicy cinnamon and a hint of eucalyptus. Smooth entry on the palate, quickly building to a full bodied wine. Lots of tannins, yet very well integrated and balanced. Cedar and cinnamon are layered over plum and cassis leading to a chocolate, spice and fruit finish. Decant a couple hours and enjoy it now or put some in the cellar and let it keep getting better for several years.
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Tags: 2005, black, california, cassis, cedar, cepages, charcoal, chateau, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, cinq, Coast, eucalyptus, fuchsia, jean, North, oak, plum, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, saint, sonoma, spice, st, vanilla, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
93 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Dark ruby core with a bright rim. Smells like hot caramel dripped over wet slate with dark red cherry and cassis fruit, spicy anise and a touch of oak. Smooth entry on the palate. Medium to full bodied with big, round tannins. Dark cherries and roasted earth flavors on the mid-palate. Very smooth and elegant in the mouth with a long, silky finish accented by orange zest and cocoa powder. Better to let it age for a few more years, but starting to be approachable now. Will last another 15 years easily.
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Tags: 2005, anise, bordeaux, caramel, cassis, chateau, cherry, cocoa, earth, france, julien, oak, orange, pierre, powder, red, red wine, roast, ruby, saint, slate, spice, st-julien, wet, wine, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Glass coating dark ruby from core to rim. Spicy plum aromas are backed by spicy fresh ginger, black cherry and a hint of earth. Smooth, juicy entry on to palate making it very approachable for such a young Bordeaux. Black cherry and cassis dominate the palate with a nice touch of roasted coffee in the lingering finish.
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Tags: 2005, aurilhac, black, bordeaux, cassis, chateau, cherry, coffee, d'aurilhac, earth, france, ginger, Haut, juice, medoc, plum, red, red wine, roast, ruby, spice, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Medium lemon-green core with a bright, clear rim. Huge aromatics in the glass. Lots of ripe green and yellow pear with a tropical pineapple hint are all surrounded by plenty of toast, nutmeg and wet slate. Toasty on the front palate with new oak around yellow apple and pear with a core of creamy lemon. Rich and full bodied with great acidity and a spicy nutmeg and cream finish.
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Tags: 2007, alexander, apple, california, chardonnay, chateau, Coast, cream, green, lemon, North, nutmeg, oak, pear, pineapple, ripe, slate, sonoma, souverain, toast, tropical, valley, white, White wine, wine, yellow
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 01 Jun 2008
Opaque purple core with a ruby rim. Pretty floral aromas over dark plum, cassis and cherry fruits with a toasted biscuit note, all accented by fresh anise. The palate is rich with cherry and orange zest flavors backed by a touch of earth underneath and just a hint of toasty oak lingering in the finish. The tannins are very ripe and approachable and are balanced by a good hit of acidity. This wine is approachable now if decanted for a few hours - it will be at its best in the next 3 years or so.
Some of the best wines ever made in Bordeaux were produced in 2005. This wine more than lives up to the challenge of providing outstanding drinking during a time when the Euro is so strong against the dollar. The wine is made of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard team takes immeasurable care to grow the best quality grapes while using a minimum of fertilizers and pesticides. The grapes are all sorted by hand to ensure only the top berries make it into the vats for fermentation. Many 2005s are still too young to drink, but this wine is starting to show itself beautifully, particularly if you shake it up and expose it to some air (or decant it for a few hours). Very fruity and approachable with great structure and mouthfeel. A fantastic value for 2005 Bordeaux. [Note: this is NOT to be confused with this winery's other wine, Chateau Reignac, which is also from Bordeaux Superieur, and made from a similar blend of grapes. This wine costs a few dollars more (~$28) and is more tannic.]
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Tags: 2005, anise, biscuit, bordeaux, cabernet, cassis, chateau, cherry, earth, floral, Franc, france, merlot, oak, orange, plum, purple, red, red wine, reignac, ruby, sauvignon, Superieur, toast, wine, zest
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