Superior Estates Winery
Villa Oeiras
Superior Carcavelos Ramisco
Nutty, butterscotch tones. Brandy notes. — a year ago
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1975
The 1975 La Mission Haut-Brion has been hailed in some quarters as a high point for the estate in the Seventies. My own experience has been one of inconsistency, especially compared to the reliable and, in my mind, superior 1978. According to a half-dozen or so tasting notes from 2000 onward, the 1975 was always robust, dense and nearly impenetrable. One bottle at the vertical in 2008 finally lived up to high expectations, but a follow-up two years later felt charmless. This bottle is conspicuously deep in hue. The nose is backward at first, eventually revealing blackberry, iodine and light licorice scents; later, a touch of gaminess creeps in. The palate is full-bodied and full of sinew, with thick tannins framing the multilayered, ferrous black fruit. This is huge in terms of grip, and almost brutish toward the finish. It’s impressive in stature, but the 1978 possesses greater nuance and more panache. Tasted at a private dinner in Hong Kong. Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2021)
— 3 years ago
Quinta do Crasto
Superior Douro White Blend 2016
Delicious — 6 months ago
St. Andrea
Merengő Egri Bikavér Superior Red Blend
Had it in Budapest — 9 months ago
Quinta Do Orgal
Vallado Organic Vineyards Douro Superior Red Blend 2017
Very good everyday wine on a chilly evening would purchase again — 4 years ago
J. Bouchon
Superior Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
At $14.99 New Jersey retail, what a QPR steal. Med/med+acidity, red and black fruit, pepper, subtle tannins, absent any overloaded oak notes. 12.5% abv. (This is Bouchon Winery, healdsburg, CA) — 9 months ago
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1995
1995 vintage. Great fill, foil and label. Perfect cork. From a top-notch cellar. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Volcanic ash-styled sed vs chunky-style. Big funk on the nose that resolved after 7-8 minutes. Wine was showing decently (in the 69-72 degree range) but lacking any tannic structure. Placed the decanter atop an ice bucket bath to drop the temp down to 60 degrees or so. Took about 20 minutes but the tannins kicked in the door to say hello. Fruit components stayed constant. Pauillac tendencies were all there. As is the case often with older BDX, the decaying matter/leaves at the onset transitioned to graphite/lead pencil and espresso flavors. This was a superior bottle in great shape. Top of this wine’s specific bell curve. Comparable bottles would look to be drinking this well for the next 5-7 years without dropoff. Out of larger format…could possibly push this into 9.4 status. 2.5.24. — a year ago
Benoit Valérie Calvet
Toro Loco Superior Utiel-Requena Tempranillo 2019
Cor intensa mas não vibrante. Corpo médio. Aroma de frutas e um pouco de álcool. O sabor é de vinho maduro e com amadeirado bem evidente. — 4 years ago
Delectable Wine
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The 2018 Vieux Château Certan, which contains 30% Cabernet Franc, has a commendable bouquet given the heat of that season. Blackberry, a touch of damson, scorched earth and light violet scents emerge with aeration. That said, it doesn't fully have the delineation of the previous vintage. The palate is powerful and typically burly for VCC, yet it has a lovely powdery texture (less silky than before) with a vibrant, peppery and persistent finish. Maybe not as opulent as it once was, but it is unquestionably one of the superior Pomerols. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
— 5 months ago