Domaine Julien Besse
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)
St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2020
Blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits, floral spice and smoky cedar notes, aged 12 months in 60% new barrels. On the palate flavors of fresh blackberry, plum and black cherry with cacao, tobacco, licorice and smoky spice. Fine grainy tannins, well balanced on long finish, ending with fruit, cedar, smoke and earthy mineral character. Very nice, but needs a few more years of bottle age to really enjoy! — a month ago
Château Léoville Barton
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1996
Opened and double-decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 1996 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core. On the nose, the wine is developing and loaded with currants, pencil lead, earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and super grippy; slightly bitter and earthy. A lovely, classic expression of Bordeaux and drinking well in its prime. Drink now through 2046. — 7 days ago
Château Beychevelle
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2014
Medium ruby with a ruby garnet rim . Quite spicy and aromatic cassis , blackberry and grafite touches . Quite a lot more mineral on the palate , tobacco , ripe blackberry and cassis , good density , touch of mint . Nice length and richness , rounded but still pretty grippy tannins , balanced acidity . Nice grafite and tobacco tinged length . This is beginning to drink quite well but will continue to improve over the next 10 years and last well a further 10. Successful for the vintage — a month ago
Château La Grange
Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2021
Dark cherry red. Black currant and fruits. Good concentration. Powerful. Robust structure. Earthy. But keep gentle taste. 2 hours in-glass decanting. Chateau Lagrange 21 @18000, Txin, 241127 — 24 days ago
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)
St. Julien- Beychevelle Red Bordeaux Blend 1989
Just beautiful old, left bank BDX... But drink now — 7 days ago
Jay Kline
Opened earlier in the day and double-decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 1982 pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) and slightly green compared to the ’82 Mouton that was poured alongside. Cassis, purple Chewy SweeTarts, green bell pepper, old wood, some earth and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry and has massive structure still. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly bitter. Drink now with a long decant but there are decades of life left. — 7 days ago