Jakub Kalinowski

9.3

Opens up very slowly, keeping a very youthful appearance. Shy black currant leaf, fresh black currants, a bit tobacco leaf, a smoky, earthy note, a faint whiff of orange peel. All interwoven, subtle, and yet, a bit underwhelming.
The wow happens on the palate - smooth and so polished… more silk than velvet.
Cool black currant, a touch of 100% cocoa chocolate, a bit of espresso savouriness
Not really rich nor broad… but the precision & depth are amazing. Harmonious, self assured, elegant. A finish that goes on forever
If only the nose would be as magical as the palate - what a grand wine this would be — 22 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby core and medium ruby , garnet rim . Quite closed and complex , dark fruits , touch of spice , mineral hints . On the palate intense red fruit focused , cranberry , red cherry , earthy , wet stone touches . Touch saline on the good length finish , balanced acidity and quite refined but present tannins . Mineral , sea spray notes on the finish . Needs time, will improve over the next 5-10 years and last well a further 5-10. The most successful wine in the tasting , without a doubt — a month ago

CailenRachel

9.0

Low acid, red currant, pretty tame. Oaky on the nose, easy drinking, medium bodied, ashy, tannings. Good! — a month ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2009 vintage. Dark red colour, rather unevolved for this age. Black fruit and spices. A good wine indeed, but this estate tends to slightly overextract.Abv. 13 %. — 16 days ago

Peter Isacksen

9.0

Big, rich and perfect pair with a rib eye! — 5 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

So, I am reposting this with realtime notes because I couldn’t a few weeks ago. I had it again tonight only with a Wagyu NY steak. While it went well with the steak, I think it shows even better on its own it’s that soft & elegant. I slightly over peppered my steak tonight and that could have contributed to that thought. I bought six more bottles last week for a ridiculous $39.99. For under $40, you’d be hard pressed to find a a better quality, drinkable Bordeaux at that pricepoint. I know if anyone researched the reviews on the bottling there would no scores 90 or above. Most or all I believe would be slightly below 90.

The thing that time & experience has taught me is trust in Clyde Beffa the owner of K&L Wine Merchants. He brings in older Bordeaux’s directly from Chateaux’s or Negotiants well after the fact as he has here and done very successfully for over 40 years. I have bought these kinds of older Bordeaux bottling’s to avoid drinking my wines that need cellaring too soon. Again, he has brought in a lesser Bordeaux regions and or Bordeaux producers that through long bottle evolution yielded magic after young critical reviews.

The nose reveals; older, musty funk on well aged, beautiful, ripe fruits of; soft blackberries, black raspberries, dark sweet cherry kirsch, stewy black plums, baked strawberries, dry rhubarb & cranberries. Baking soda, red fruit cola, steeped tea leaves, aged, dryish tobacco, well used leather, soft cedar to sandalwood, sandstone powder, mix of dry & fresh herbs, moist volcanic clay, limestone marl, dry river stone, well evolved and smoothed out lead pencil shavings, caramel hues, melted, warm, dark chocolate cake w/ frosting, classic older Bordeaux funk, withering to withering to dryish flowers that are dark & red.

The color isn’t even very brickish. Some barnyard, funk on well aged, beautiful, ripe fruits that are; soft blackberries, black raspberries, dark sweet cherry kirsch, stewy black plums, baked strawberries, dry rhubarb & cranberries. Baking soda, red fruit cola, steeped tea leaves, aged, dryish tobacco, well used leather, soft cedar to sandalwood, sandstone powder, mix of dry & fresh herbs, moist volcanic clay, limestone marl, dry river stone, well evolved classic, older, softened lead pencil shavings, caramel hues, melted, warm, dark chocolate cake w/ frosting, classic older Bordeaux funk, fresh to withering dryish flowers that are dark & red. Spring rainfall acidity with a well evolved, elegant, balanced, still nicely structured/tensioned, soft elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and falls on dry, well resolved tannins and perfect earthiness. Soft & complex as all get out! A steal at this price!

Photos of; the Chateau, stainless steel tanks, barrel room and Estate vineyards. — 2 months ago

Jim Lockard

8.9

A nice representation of Haut-Médoc. Red fruits, moderate tannin. The 2016 drinking nicely in 2024. — 25 days ago

David Hakanson

9.1

Excellent — 22 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

The quintessential St Estephe - savoury black fruit, earthy, slightly leathery/smoky. Firm yet juicy tannins, fresh acidity, v. nice depth & length. Lacks maybe some elegance but makes it up with authenticity. Not so much for sipping, and yet a perfect food wine. — a month ago

Bill Morgan

9.0

Decanted but still needs time to open Smooth tannins muted red berries. An hour after decanting the wine was delicious. — a month ago