Varietal - Cabernet Sauvignon
* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Sweet and ripe nose, rich, smoky, lots of cedar, tobacco, touch of lanolin, oriental spices, floral and perfumed later, classic first growth with complexity to spare; sweet and ripe in the mouth, lots of earthen tannins and spices; lighter than it should be, with a thinner body than the fruit can support; but at the same time there is an intensity and focus to this wine that signals its pedigree; later a strong presence of black cherries; the wine is not balanced, however, and shows too much dry earthen tannins at the finish; I suspect that in the next few years this wine is going to begin to dry out more and will lose its internal structure. (15.5/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
There is a continuing debate about whether the ’82 or the ’83 is the better wine from this château, this bottle favors the ’82 vintage; sweet and perfumed nose, as always, quite floral and aromatic with hints of violets and field grasses, but also with caramel and chocolate that has arrived as this wine has gained some age, sweet and soft nose, feminine; sweet and smooth in the mouth; the wine has incredible richness and fat; there is a fullness of flavor that is unique to Bordeaux; at the same time, there is backbone in the sharper flavors of pomegranate and red currants that round out the palate; long finish; still young. (19.5/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
The nose on this wine is quite appealing with perfumed black plums, earth, smoke, and cedar in a nice softly textured set of aromas; smooth and sweet in the mouth, soft fruit flavors, but there is an overabundance of tannins that is suppressing the fruit and producing a hard wooden wine; the wine lacks balance and depth and is quickly drying out now. (14.5/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Served at the Finkel/Elvin Café Grey dinner, this is always a unique wine as there is not much of it available; I have this in my cellar and have enjoyed it over the years, although this bottle was not mine; sweet and aromatic nose, classic “old vine” sweetness and richness; ripe fruit, chocolate, caramel, earthen; sweet and dense in the mouth with a compressed texture of smooth fruit extract, now well aged; typical for the vintage, the wine produces an abundance of powerful tannins that are beginning to take over; tobacco and tea flavors mix with the ripe fruit and earth at the end. (17/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Funky nose, grassy and herbal, the aromas are pretty much gone now, leaving some earthen and smoky hints; grassy and with light citrus fruit flavors, but pretty much dead now. (NR)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Sweet and rich nose, intensely dark and ripe with spicy fruit aromas, caramel and earth; sweet, rich fruit, quite intense in the mouth; earth and citrus fruit, olives, balanced; overripe fruit at the finish; surprisingly good from an overlooked vintage. (17/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Perfumed and sweet nose, lots of perfumed aromas, but never losing sight of the terroir, producing aromas of leather, cedar, earth and black pepper; sweet and smooth in the mouth with that wonderful richness that ’61 can produce; very pronounced cacao flavors; still with powerful acidity that focus the flavors; finish has more dusty tannins that create an earthen and somewhat spicy finish; no sign of fatigue in this wine. (19/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
ag.) – Wonderful nose, sweet and perfumed, chocolate and caramel, peppery, touch of sour mash, ripe and rich, deep and intense aromas; sweet and focused on the entry; becomes a bit more diffuse in the mid-mouth, but keeps its sweetness and suppleness; gains moiré strength as the tannins emerge and bring the elements of the wine back together at the finish; long elegant flavors at the end, clean and fresh, excellent. (18.5/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Often viewed as the wine of the vintage, this bottle served to reinforce that conclusion; powerful and sophisticated nose with deep and complex aromas bringing together chocolate, tar, licorice, earth, spiced apples, and cassis; sweet and rich in the front of the mouth, almost unctuous; layered with flavors of ripe plums and quince, ripe figs; the tannic underbody of the vintage asserts itself at the finish, but it still cannot override the fullness of the wine. (19/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
A typically big and robust nose, loaded with cedar, minerals, gravel, and black fruits, smoke, aggressive aromas with an edgy feel; big and powerful in the mouth, this is a wine with big-boned structure and powerful fruit, big tannins, a somewhat dry finish, but this is because of unresolved tannins, not faded fruit; probably needs to have more time to show its full potential. (18/20) Another bottle served at the annual Tuft wine dinner proved to be quite similar, with perhaps more sweet fruit than the initial bottle tasted this year; the finish remains a bit rough though and may improve with more time; no need to change the rating.
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