The Magnificent Wine Company
Bond
Quella Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Bond
Pluribus Napa Valley Red Wine 2008
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)
Échézeaux Pinot Noir 2005
The Legendary 1990 and 2005 Vintages, and the 'Rouge' Aroma They Revealed!
I was meeting friends for a tasting, and I said I would bring a wine with a "rouge aroma" (*Yānzhī xiāng*). My friend also promised to open one with the same scent. If it's a cool vintage, a DRC might not reveal that distinctive rouge scent, but it's more common in warmer vintages, especially older ones from hot years. Of course, 2005 is a legendary vintage—it was warm but with significant diurnal temperature variation, resulting in balanced acidity and concentration, which also creates a very strong structure.
Thankfully, the 1990 Clos de Tart, despite having a very low fill level, wasn't spoiled. Its condition wasn't as potent as a previous bottle I had opened. This one took about 1.5 hours to fully open up in the glass. When it did, it revealed that signature Jiangnan "rouge" scent—very soft, enchanting, and feminine—along with some notes of dried longan. The fruit was balanced, though the acidity was relatively weak.
Today, I'll mainly write about this DRC. Its structure is incredibly powerful. For the first two hours, it was very closed. I believe this wine needed at least four hours of decanting, primarily because the 2005s, despite being a warm year, aren't that easy to open up. The aromas only started to slowly emerge around the third hour, and we were using large decanters and glasses, waiting for a long time. Initially, for the first half-hour after opening, there was a reductive note that was a bit funky. Later, after it opened up, the nose was primarily an interplay of cypress pine, violets, and that rouge scent intertwined. Honestly, this wine felt androgynous to me—it evokes an image of a knight and a princess playing in a forest. It wasn't overly soft, and its layers were incredibly complex.
On the palate, it was abundant: primarily black fruit, sour plum, sandalwood, coffee beans, a hint of dark chocolate, and a touch of earthy notes. The tannins weren't very soft—but then again, I'm so accustomed to drinking old wines. I feel this wine will need another 10 years to truly reach its peak. Its structure is exceptionally strong, unfolding layer by layer, with beautifully balanced acidity.
Comparing these two wines, their styles are completely different. One could say it's a contrast between an iconic Eastern beauty and a Western princess. I personally adore the soft and elegant style, but the 2005 is a wine with immense structure—it possesses a feminine power that is very potent, almost like the vision of a woman holding authority in a man's world.
Drinking such magnificent wines brings me great joy! — a month ago
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017
The 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar. (Antonio Galloi, Vinous, February 2022)
— 4 years ago
Château Léoville-Las Cases
Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
Even more fantastic than the previous bottle of 2010 I enjoyed a year ago. Decanted and enjoyed over 7 hours. This was good from first pour but became great and then magnificent over the next 3.5 and 7 hours. It was still full of verve on the last sip! Early only it was more dark fruit but over time the wines softened and became a bit sweeter and rounder. Tremendous length and complexity. — 5 months ago
Château Simon
Cuvee Prestige Barsac 2015
Exotic fruits, pineapple, passion fruit. On the grassy side, hay, peach in syrup, apricot... superbly in place for this 2015 with a potential for evolution over the next 25 years, potential evolution towards notes of dried fruit and nuts. Sweet without saturated sugar. Digestible and light. A real wine in the refined sense of the term. Magnificent on a Roquefort cheese.
Notes fruits exotiques, ananas, fruits de la passion. Côté herbeux, foins, pêche en sirop, abricot… superbement en place pour ce 2015 avec un potentiel d’évolution sur les 25 prochaines années, évolution potentiels vers des notes de fruits secs. Doux sans sucre saturé. Digeste et léger. Un vrai vin au sens raffiné du terme. Magnifique sur un Roquefort. — 3 years ago
Taittinger
Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 2008
Happy New Year! A great bottle, just epic. Obviously very a young, but still magnificent! — 5 years ago
Thijs Hendriks
Magnum. Magnificent experience! — a month ago