Tag: bordeaux

Wine Review – John Duval Eligo 2008

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John Duval Eligo 2008

Country: Australia
Region: Barossa Valley, Eden Valley
Grape: 100% Shiraz
ABV: 14.5%

Colour: Deep purple, slight clear garnet on the edge

Nose:
Clean, medium+ intensity, fully developed. Plum, blackberry, blueberry, pepper, savoury smoke, oak, graphite, touch of leather

Palate:
Dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, medium+ alcohol, full body, medium+ flavour intensity.
Plum, saline, black cherry, blackberry, liquorice

Finish: Long finish, pepper, integrated oak, waves of dark fruits for a good 15-20 seconds.

Score: 88/100

A great wine from the legendary Australian wine maker – John Duval, and Eligo being their flagship wine. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Fully developed, with some structure to hold onto its prime for at least 2-4 more years, would highly recommend drinking in the near future if you still have a bottle.

The nose is rather intense, showing a great balance of fruit, matured notes, and the classic peppery spice. On the palate, abundant of mellow black fruits, liquorice, and pepper, with a touch of saltiness, followed by a long finish that lingers for 15-20 seconds.

This is a very good wine, riding right on its prime. Although not as complex as a I thought it would been, the wine as a whole is well composed, from the nose, flavour, mouthfeel, and finish. Not the typical fruit bomb of Barossa, but shows a nice balance of power and elegance.

Wine Review – Pierre Sparr Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve 2016

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Pierre Sparr Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve 2016

Country: France
Region: Alsace
Grape: Gewurztraminer
ABV: 13%

Colour: Medium- straw

Nose: Rose pedal, lychee, orange flower water, light honey, faint green tea

Palate: Touch of residual sugar, off-dry. Medium- body, medium- acidity. White flower, chalk, grapefruit

Finish: Medium finish, crushed stone, citrus zest, lemon

Score: 77/100

A rather textbook example of Alsace Gewurztraminer. The usual aromatic nose of rose pedal, lychee is definitely present, with orange flower water, light honey, and faint suggestion of green tea on the back end. The palate is off-dry, and simple, could do with more acidity, fresh notes of citrus and minerals all the way to the finish. I would drink this within a year or two.

Wine Review – Chateau La Fleur Pourret Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009

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Chateau La Fleur Pourret Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009

Country: France
Region: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC
Grape: Merlot based Red Bordeaux Blend
ABV: 13.5%

Colour: Dark purple core, light garnet on the edge, showing some sign of age

Nose: Potpourri, smoke, integrated oak, plum, black raspberry, blackberry

Palate: Full-bodied, dry, medium acidity, medium+ tannins. Plum, tobacco, integrated oak, raspberry

Finish: Long finish, plum, drying

Score: 83+/100

I rather nice Bordeaux at this price point, showing signs of maturity, but still have the structure to live on and further develop. The nose is very generous, potpourri, smoke, dark fruits, with a nice integrated oak aroma weaving in and out. Drinking very well now, similar to the nose on the palate, with a nice touch of tobacco giving it extra complexity, followed by a long, drying finish. Perfect paring to a nice prime rib roast. Drink now, or hold for 3-5 more years.

Wine Review – Clarendon Hills Liandra Syrah 2006

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Clarendon Hills “Liandra” Syrah 2006 [Clarendon Hills] [Wine-Searcher]

Country: Australia
Region: Clarendon
Grape: Syrah/Shiraz
ABV: 16%

Colour: Dark purple core, lighter on the rim.

Nose: Ripe black fruits (blueberry, blackberry, plum, blackcurrant jam), chocolate, raisin, bacon fat, touch of herbal, spice.

Palate: Full bodied, medium acidity, medium well-integrated smooth tannins. Plum, blackberry, metallic (iron), vanilla, clove, pepper.

Finish: Long finish, lingering metallic and spicy notes. Well-integrated alcohol.

Score: 87/100

The wine is showing very well, all the components fully integrated with one and other.

The nose was very intense, with concentrated black fruits, chocolate, raisin, bacon fat, a touch of herbal tone that I associate with aged Syrah/Shiraz, and touch of pepper. The nose overall is very balanced, allowing each component to shine through the waves of black fruits, showing a great deal of complexity.

Moving onto the taste, a wonderfully aged, full bodied Syrah. Despite the 16% alcohol, it is very well integrated, drinking more like a 14-14.5%. Aside from the abundance of black fruits, there is this metallic, iron note showing throughout the palate, with a touch of vanilla, clove, and pepper forming a long and lingering finish.

This is a very good wine, with some unusual note going on (the metallic note on the palate), overall a very pleasant tasting experience. The wine is ready, drink before 2020.

Wine Review – Chateau Latour Grand Vin 1990

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Chateau Latour Grand Vin 1990

Country: France
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux
Grape: Bordeaux Blend
ABV: 12.5

Decanted for 2 hours, evolving ever since.
Nosed on both Zwiesel Enoteca Bordeaux Premier Crus, and Zalto Burgundy glass.

Colour: Dark garnet core, brick rim.

Nose: Sweet tobacco, worn leather, red currants, dark cherry, dried rose pedals, floral perfume, Chinese sun-dried tangerine peel (Chenpi), wood spices.

Palate: Dry, medium acidity, medium+ silky tannins. Dried plum, red currants, chenpi, mineral, blackberry.

Finish: Long finish, tobacco, sweetness.

Score: 89+/100

One of the legendary vintages of Bordeaux, 1990, from one of the top winery – Chateau Latour. Decanted for three hours. The 1990 Grand Vin opens up with a powerful bouquet of dried rose pedals, sweet tobacco, and worn leather. Followed by waves of matured dark and red fruits, and a distinctive sun-dried tangerine peel aroma (Chenpi), and a faint suggestion of spice.

The palate is silky, still packs abundant of fruits, the Chenpi note from the nose carries over, touch of minerals, with a lingering finish of sweetness that almost massages your throat.

To be honest, this was actually a rather “underwhelming” wine, after having the 1982 previously, this is a few notches down on the power and layers of complexity of the 1982. The wine is still holding strong after 8 hours since the initial decanting. Hopefully 10 more years this wine will develop more complexity, as I still have another half-bottle lying in the cellar.

Château Laniote Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé 1993

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Château Laniote Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé 1993

Colour: Medium garnet core, light ruby-brown rim.

Nose: Plum, worn leather, cherry, blackberry, cedar, floral, meat, hint of bell pepper, Chinese medicinal herb.

Palate: Dry, medium+ bodied, medium+ acidity, full grainy tannins. Plum, sour cherry, tobacco, cedar, leather.

Finish: Medium finish, red pepper, mineral.

Score: 83/100

For a 1993 Saint-Emilion that is not even First Growth, it’s still holding up well. A lot better on day 2 and 3.

Holding onto some nice complexity, very nice and complex nose, but the palate is on the simpler side with some tobacco and leathery notes, and interesting red pepper note on the finish. No reason to hold up, if you got a bottle, better drink it soon.

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac Grand Cru Classe 2013

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Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac Grand Cru Classe 2013

Colour: Clear Medium Ruby

Nose: Ripe black currant, plum, violet, graphite, tobacco, faint smoke.

Palate: Dry, full bodied, medium+ acidity, full tannins. Black currant, plum, blackberry, liquorice.

Finish: Long finish, mineral, cedar.

Score: 81+/100

 

Really young at the moment, and the 2013 vintage isn’t exactly helping. Black fruit driven on the nose and palate, with nice tobacco and graphite minerality to add to the complexity. At roughly the same youthful age(3-4 years old), the 2005 and 2010 I had previously were completely different beast. I would hold off this one for at least 5-10 more years, got potential, but expecting a shorter drinking window.

0-49 = Terrible

50-59 = Bad

60-79 = Ok-Good

80-84 = Good

85-89 = Very Good

90-95 = Excellent

96-99 = Magnificent

100 = Legendary

Gets exponentially harder to score higher, only the exceptional ones deserves 90+. Price does not affect my scores.

Chateau Bel-Air Lussac-St-Emilion 1999

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Chateau Bel-Air Lussac-St-Emilion 1999

Colour: Dark ruby core, light ruby-brown rim.

Nose: Concentrated red and dark fruits, notes of plum, blackcurrant, raspberry, leather, dust, oak, and a hint of violet.

Palate: Dry, full-bodied, medium+ acidity, medium soft and smooth tannins. Plum, cedar, raspberry, leather, light tobacco note.

Finish: Medium finish+ finish, mocha, herbal, wood smoke.

Score:84/100

 

What a pleasant surprise! I believe this is a cheap bottle of wine originally, but look what it turned out to be after 18 years! Decanted for 2 hours, but closely monitored how it’s opening up.

Nice complexity on the nose and palate, still holding onto a lot of fruit, nice leather and floral on the nose. Great balance between fruit and wood influence, the tannins are resolved and I believe which contributed to the leather on the nose. Interesting note suggesting mocha and herbal on the finish. Drink now!!

Chateau Tour Baladoz Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998

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Chateau Tour Baladoz Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998

Colour: Dark ruby core, clear ruby rim.

Nose: Old leather, red cherry, blackberry, liquorice, rice candy undertone, touch of floral note.

Palate: Dry, medium bodied, medium acidity, medium silky tannins. Red cherry, red currants, cocoa powder, liquorice, earthy.

Finish: Medium+ finish, liquorice, touch of menthol, and a touch of oak.

Score: 78/100

The wine is still alive, shown from its acidity. The nose is very typical of ordinary old Bordeaux, showing leather, liquorice, and some fruits. The palate is quite juicy, but rather single dimensional, still alive but not for much longer. Drink now.

Chateau Le Crock St. Estephe 1995

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Château Le Crock St. Estèphe 1995

Colour: Dark purple core, clear light red rim.

Nose: Still alive, leather, cigar box, blackberries, raspberries, musty oak.

Palate: Dry, medium+ acidity, medium tannins, blackberry, red raspberry, mineral.

Finish: Medium finish, plum.

Score: 70/100

Surprisingly still holding up, perhaps on its very last stage of life, past its prime. Got some fruit left, the tannins are well integrated, with some mineral notes to make it a touch more interesting. Still have two bottles, wonder how those developed. Drink up!