I can’t remember the exact details of when or where I bought this 3 Liter Double Magnum but it has been many years. This is a really nice Bordeaux wine which hailed from the amazing 2000 vintage.  I have saved it for the right moment and hoped it had matured nicely and was not over the hill or premature.  My first concern was the crumbling cork.  I ended up with it inside the bottle and my shirt getting the first tastes before my Thanksgiving guests arrived.  I was pleasantly surprised and thankful for my patience.

Still beautifully purple with no signs of bricking.  The nose is sublime.  Leather, plums, tobacco.  The initial taste is very smooth, refined and balanced.  More creamy purple fruits and leather show up as the wine works its way along. The tannins show up on the mid palate in a very subdued way.  The finish has vanilla, plum torte and cassis berries.  The tannins really kick in after a while and are gripping on the finish.  91 points and drinking nicely till 2023 at the least.  I found it online for $30 but it got terrible ratings from the pros.  I disagree but maybe that is because mine was in a large format bottle.  I love aged Bordeaux and this one hit it on all cylinders for me.  5 stars if you are looking for a good deal on something that offers freshness with old world charm and some secondary flavors of maturity starting to emerge.  Salut….

A see-through purple hue in the glass with some damson and leather on the nose.  The initial taste is super smooth with plum, tobacco, a touch of oak and very well balanced tannins.  The acidity is present, but only just showing itself.  The mid palate is interesting, with the tannins and acidity swirling around, mixing it up with more dark fruits and what appears to be the beginnings of secondary flavors.  I also get a telltale hint of violets.  When Bordeaux wines mature, the better made ones will start to lose the fruit and gain tertiary flavors that most claret drinkers love.  I am hoping this wine will evolve more as I have another 10 bottles and am going to enjoy the journey.  The finish is what I would consider ‘normal’.  Not long, not persistent but still showing off some of the fruit and tannins.  2010 was an exceptional year for Bordeaux, this wine is making the most of it.  The fruit is still ever present and the structure is great, holding the wine together and giving it a cellaring potential of another 7-8 years. In that timeframe I imagine some interesting things may happen.  I am going with 91 points and 5 stars for this $22 effort that is 30% Merlot, 60% Cab Sav and 10% Cabernet Franc (Which is probably why I like it so much!)  Salut….