Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium deep ruby garnet , with quite wide garnet rim . Slightly smoky , earthy nose , mint , some spicy cigar , red currant , raspberry , dried cherry . On the palate this is quite lean in style , with fresh acidity , cherry , raspberry , red currant , some smoky blackberry , tobacco , cigar box. Quite good length and fine tannins herbal , mineral tinged finish . This is ready, just at peak still, now and over the next 5-10 years , don’t think this will improve much from here , but is still showing very well — 8 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium lemon yellow . Slight waxy note at first, then herbal tinged yellow fruits , with some citrus , and chalky notes . On the palate this is lightly creamy , with good weight but well balanced with decent quite grippy acidity . More of the citrus , white peach , honied ripe apple . Good length, light herbal tinged finish . Drinking well now and probably over the next 5 years or so . — 19 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Tasted blind , my wine … after having the other two this was easy ! Medium deep ruby touch of garnet with quite a thin ruby garnet rim . Quite spice tinged nose with , deep cherry , plum and some blackberry . Quite young and reserved , with quite a bit of vanilla , grafite . On the palate this is again quite spiced with dark fruits , plum , cherry, some blackberry , grafite , earthy , coffee touches . Balanced fresh acidity and quite grippy , dry tannins. Good mineral tinged spiced cherry finish . Pretty young still , needs a bit of time but good length and balance. Wait another 5-10 years and will drink well a further 10 . Quite promising. — 19 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium straw lemon colour . This is quite rich on the nose with lemon pith , touch of smoke , ginger and creamy , honeysuckle notes . On the palate this shows more yellow fruits, peach , apricot and lemon , good acidity and balance. Quite intense and long with chalky touches. Drinking well now but still quite fruit dominated. A really good bottle , completely another experience than the overly advanced bottle last year , this one showing youth and freshness , ripeness and intensity . Lovely now but will continue and probably improve over the next 5-10 years . — 23 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium deep ruby with a thin garnet ruby rim . Quite closed with some grafite, hickory , cedar and crème de cassis , dark cherry , red plum , quite dense but with quite a classic , dusty profile . On the palate this is again quite classic , with crème de cassis , cedar , blackberry, plum . Good acidity and fine , gritty tannin , well balanced . Pretty good length with a saline, grafite touch. With time
in the glass this is drinking quite well , still showing dark fruit and youthfulness but at the same time quite classic and serious. Probably will improve over the next 5 years or so and last well a further 5-10 — 9 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

8.4

Tasted blind . More terracotta , garnet core and terracotta , amber rim . Medicinal , herbal nose , a bit musty, swimming pool notes . Not attractive on the nose at least , I did actually wonder if this was slightly corked but in the end didn’t think it was . On the palate , dusty with some spice and orange rind , earthy tobacco and iodine, though this is rounder and sweeter than wine 3 . Touch of camphor and herbal tinged dried red fruits . Though rounder on the palate but still pretty high acidity and lightly gritty tannins . Black tea and dusty herbal tinged finish , of ok length . Should have been drunk by now, in fact probably a decade or two ago would have been better . Passable , yes , though you probably could expect more from a 1978. Drink now . — 19 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

8.7

Medium , ruby garnet core , lightly cloudy appearance with medium wide watery garnet rim . On the nose this has a spicy herbal tinge to the earthy dark fruits , touches of dusty cherry , sous bois and smoky blackberry . On the palate this has some deep cherry , blackberry, spicy herbal hints , it certainly appears in style of ‘low intervention’ wine making , but this has good balance and isn’t too funky (at least not this bottle !) . Lightly grippy but ripe tannins , balanced alcohol , fresh acidity . Reasonable earthy length , dried cherry and spicy blackberry finish . I would drink this now , it is certainly mature , though there is ok depth in the mid palate it needs to be drunk before the fruit completely disappears. Now and perhaps the next 3-5 years . Quite unique , serious , and thought provoking for a Brazilian Pinot Noir. Certainly commendable — 21 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Lighter in colour than the GPL, with ruby , garnet core and wider ruby garnet rim . Quite open , cool , lightly herbal nose with redder fruit , red currant , touch of red plum , cedar , grafite and tobacco . Quite light and elegant on the palate , cool , mineral, earthy tobacco . Quite good mouthfeel but certainly more focused and reserved , nothing showy . Quite ‘Lafite lite’ in style, doesn’t have the complexity or depth of the 1st wine obviously, but gives a good impression as to the style of the Chateau . Resolved tannins , balanced acidity , reasonable length . Grafite and tobacco tinged finish. Drink now and over the next 5 years or so — 9 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

8.2

Tasted blind. Medium garnet with quite watery garnet terracotta rim . This has a really quite mature nose with touches of coffee , dry spice , sweet , slightly dried cassis and blackberry , leather . On the palate this is again mature , slightly hollow mid palate , with dusty cassis , sois bois and herbal , leather notes , tobacco . Quite high , slightly angular acidity and tannins . Quite light on the finish , ok length . Tobacco, herbal tinged finish . Pretty old and venerable , it is at the end of its life , but still drinkable. Would have been in its prime drinking window in the 1980s I would imagine , so this is actually a (relatively) pleasant surprise . Commendable for the vintage. Drink now … don’t wait as this goes down hill pretty rapidly. — 19 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium lemon core . Some ripe pear , citrus, white flowers , light white peach and red apple notes also with just a touch of toastiness. Quite ripe and generous on the nose . On the palate this is also generous in style , creamy ripe pear and lightly honied apple , white peach , though there are some more chalky , seashell elements that turn up on the finish . This is quite rounded but has enough energy and acidity to balance well, alcohol is also balanced , and there is a light saline hint also on the moderate length finish . This is drinking well now and I don’t see it being particularly long lived , so best over the next 5 years or so — 21 days ago