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Chateau Grand Tayac 2015, Margaux, France

27 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Really dark purple, very striking.  On the nose I get blackcurrant, nutmeg and tobacco.  The palate has some nice black fruits and an astringency that is a touch heavy.  It’s not tannic, perhaps from green stems left in contact with the juice for too long.  It takes a turn for the better on the mid palate- more Ribena and a touch of oak.  The finish is quite dry with the appearance of some nice tannins alongside a mineral tone that melds nicely with the currants.  Overall a decent wine that is slightly out of kilter at the beginning with the astringency but it comes around.  89 points= 3 stars for this $25 wine.  Drink till 2025 with hearty stews, or a lamb chop and mint.  Salut….

Domaine Lucien Lardy Fleurie Les Roches Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais, France

13 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Many moons ago Moxie and I went to Paris on one of several trips to that great city.  Drinking wine  in the cafe’s I noticed that sometimes they would serve a red wine slightly chilled.  Turns out, that’s how they enjoy their Beaujolais wines, which are made in a slightly different method and use the Gamay grape.  Many are designed to be drunk young, as in weeks old, while there are several Cru wines that have some aging capacity.  I bought a few bottles of this Fleurie to savor in the heat of the summer after they had a slight chill.

This one is quite dark purple and just barely see-through.  It gives off typical Gamay notes of black currants alongside oak, charcoal and violets.  On the palate I get definitive black currants and cedar shavings.  There is a surprising level of tannin alongside some black tea notes.  There is a nice level of acidity to balance and the wine leaves me wanting more.  The mid palate is really quite dry, bolstering the blackberry flavors and giving me a peak of Ribena as we go to the finish.  The wine has a long dry streak at the end but it does it with finesse and plenty of black fruits.  The pros were all over the scoring table with this one, ranging from 86-91.  I think it drinks nicely now and will cellar till 2024.  90 points and 4 stars for this $18 wine.  Pair with roasted birds, potato and leek rosti or with some soft, ripe Brie.  Salut….

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses 2010, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France

26 Friday Jul 2019

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The second tasting of the Les Vergelesses.  See-through reddish-purple with some hints of bricking.  On the nose I get fresh cherries, blackberry extract and nutmeg.  On the palate it is light, refreshing and young.  There is a red cherry component alongside strawberry coulis and pomegranate- which is adding some zesty acidity.  The mid palate is somewhat one dimensional with just strawberry and juicy acidity.  The back end finds those darker fruits again with black cherry dominating.  There’s a cedar note in there alongside some fruitcake.  This wine is still way too young and primal.  I foresee some great evolution in the next ten years, which is quite a stretch for a nine year old.  If you like refreshing, young Pinot- five in.  I’m holding my other bottle for a few years, looking for more secondary Burgundian flavors to emerge.  92 points and 4 stars for this $40 effort.  Salut….

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2012, Pauillac, France

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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Nearly black and opaque in the glass.  On the nose I get gorgeous blackberries and fruitcake with a touch of mint.  On the palate it is fresh, young, fruity and chock full of black fruits, cedar, scrumptious tannins and a slight hint of cassis.  Tobacco and leather are evident on the mid palate which totally excites me and hints at long term evolution in line with traditional Bordeaux.  The tannic structure is amazing, very lithe at the beginning with a steady rise to a crescendo of black tea dryness.  92 points and 4 stars for this $50 Fifth Growth.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Chateau Giscours 2014, Margaux, France

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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Dark purple with nice legs.  On the nose it’s quite bland.  Black currants, blueberry pie and rubber mat finally come out of the glass.  On the palate I’m getting a subdued dose of blueberry pie, cedar, breakfast tea and warm blackberry cobbler.  The tannins are of medium intensity and the finish has some dark fruits and tannins.  I think this wine is closed right now but it has potential.  I’m gonna go with 90 points for now.  The pro’s ranged greatly- from 91 to 95 points.  I’m not seeing it at this point in time, hopefully it will awaken from slumber as a real powerhouse 3rd Growth Margaux.  Drink from 2022/2030.  Available for around $50, making it a 3 star wine.  Salut….

 

Chateau Lieujean 2014, Haut-Medoc, France

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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Very dark purple in the glass with medium opacity.  On the nose I get a definitive old oak meets rustic plums and evergreen.  On the palate there is not much fruit, but lots of tertiary flavors including mushrooms, leather, cedar and black olive.  Tannins are plentiful right off the bat and there’s a hint of acidity.  The mid palate and finish continue with the earthy, dry profile and add a touch of blue fruit.  The tannic finish runs for a while. This wine has matured very quickly, losing fruit yet the tannins are still fresh and young.  87 points and 2 stars for this $15 Cru Bourgeois.  Drink till 2022.  Salut….

Château Vieux Barrail Bordeaux Supérieur 2015, France

09 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Very thick purple color.  On the nose it’s all blackberries with a hint of nutmeg.  A strange one for sure but I like it.  On the palate it is a touch thin but tasty.  Blackberries and black currant make me think this wine will develop into a cassis laden beaut if cellared for a few years.  There is a delightful tannic grip that builds as I transition to the mid palate.  An oak component that hits me on the mid to back end, adding depth to the black fruits that are still prominent.  However, a touch of black tea alongside some astringency on the finish that makes me wonder.  Overall this is a nice wine with potential.  It’s drinking young right now unless you fancy a pretty dry drop.  Cellar till 2022 then drink for seven more years with steaks, pot roast or even moussakka.  88  points and 3 stars for this $15 wine.  Salut….

La Croix-Barton 2015, Bordeaux, France

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Pale purple and seethrough in the glass.  The nose is black kirsch and charcoal.  On the palate it has a definitive woodsy note that opens up the initial palate.  Black berries appear alongside rooibos tea, but it’s a little thin.  On the midpalate I get some juicy acidity alongside some dark fruits.  The finish has some tannic bite, albeit slightly green.  Overall I’m quite disappointed in this vintage.  84 points and 1 star for this $15 wine, a major pass I’m afraid.  Salut….

Chateau Garraud 2015, Lalande-de-Pomerol, France

19 Wednesday Jun 2019

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I have drunk tons of the 95 and 96 Garraud vintages and when I saw this I got excited.  It is of medium darkness and opacity, with nice legs showing.  On the nose I get plum, charcoal and currants.  The palate is young and slightly corky, not in the ‘corked’ way, it just tastes like cork.  Iodine is also present as are black plums and licorice.  The mid palate is really where this wine opens up- black fruits melding with a tannic dryness that builds slowly.  The tannins are still a little green, I hope they soften a touch.  There is a black olive note and more of that iodine on the finish that make this a brooding wine that I hope will mature like it’s predecessors.  With a bit of bottle age this winery has turned out some great Bordeaux beauties that drink well for 10-15 years.  I think this one has the stuffing, it comes from a great vintage- I just think it needs cellaring for a while.  Drink from 2022 till 2030.  Pairings will change as the wine matures, for now- if you pop and pour, stick with red meats and hearty cheeses to pair.  I’m going with 89 points for now, with a possible upgrade in the future depending on the tannins and how they assimilate. 3 stars for this $30 Bordeaux wine.  Salut….

Margaux de Brane 2014, Margaux, France

18 Monday Mar 2019

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A slightly dull purple in the glass, gives me concern.  On the nose however- violets, black currants, a touch of oak.  On the palate it is much darker- blackberry, cherry extract, graphite and singed oak.  There is a leather component too, it just comes along later, towards the mid palate.  The wine transitions very nicely with good tannic structure that is not obtrusive and acidic enough to balance. This is the third wine of Brane Cantenac, a Second Growth Margaux.  They use the young plots for source fruit, giving us an approachable young wine that drinks very nicely with good mouthfeel and medium term cellaring potential.  90 points from me for this $29 effort that gets 3 stars.  Drink now till 2024.  Salut….