Pomerol, Bordeaux A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this is the Cheval Blanc of Pomerol. A wine of admirable complexity, elegance, and purity, it possesses a deep ruby/purple color as well as wonderful notes of blueberries, mint, acacia flowers, espresso, and white chocolate. Opulent, rich, and pure, with...
Chateau Clinet 2000 - Bordeaux
Pomerol, Bordeaux Tasted four times from bottle (two were corked), this wine is somewhat monolithic, but there is a lot going on, hence the high score. Its youthful disjointedness is certainly a thing of the past, as the wine now exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color and a pure nose of Asian spices intermixed with smoky black currant, raspberry, and blueberry notes with some wood in the background. The wine is full-bodied, pure, sweet, and dense, with a multi-layered texture. There is plenty of tannin in the finish, but it is largely concealed by impressive quantities of extract and fruit. Certainly this is the finest Clinet made under the relatively new administration of Jean-Louis Laborde. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+. - Rated 92, Robert Parker Chocolate and berry, with mineral and cream. Full-bodied, with a wonderful velvety, caressing texture and a long, long finish. Wonderfully balanced and generous. Best Clinet I have ever tasted. Best after 2010. 2,330 cases made. –JS - Rated 96, Wine Spectator
Pomerol Bordeaux This wine has turned out exceptionally well, and to my thinking, is the finest Nenin yet made under the Delon administration. A blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, the opaque purple-colored 2000 boasts corpulent, thick, juicy, jammy black fruits redolent with flavors of blackberries, cherries, and plums. Hints of licorice, truffles, and subtle wood are present as well. There is also tremendous opulence, thickness, and structure. A comparison with the best 1975s from Pomerol could be made, but the 2000 is sweeter and fleshier. It is a brilliant success for Nenin. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2023. - Rated 93, Robert Parker It shows a serious amount of subtle aromas and flavors of tobacco, cherry and chocolate character. Full-bodied, with velvety, ripe tannins and a long and caressing finish. Yummy already. Hard to hold back. This is one of the best Nenins I have tasted in decades. Best after 2010. 2,500 cases made. –JS - Rated 92, Wine Spectator
Pomerol, Bordeaux Dense ruby/purple-colored with a spicy, sweet nose of jammy cherries, mocha, and a hint of resin, the plump, fleshy 2003 Hosanna reveals light to moderate tannin. It is an impressively constituted blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. This stylish effort is exceptionally successful in such a challenging vintage for Pomerol. Give it 1-3 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 14+ years. - Rated 90, Robert Parker Aromas of blackberry, forest fruits and licorice with just a hint of spice. Full-bodied, with loads of ripe fruit and velvety tannins. Raisins, toasted oak and just a hint of dark chocolate. Best after 2010. –JS - Rated 93, Wine Spectator
Chateau Certan de May 2000 - Bordeaux
Pomerol, Bordeaux After several less than stellar performances, the 2000 has turned out well. Aromas of sweet kirsch liqueur intermixed with blackberries, underbrush, and plums jump from the glass of this opaque ruby/purple-colored 2000. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, dense, and structured, with a certain kinky/exotic earthiness, this is the finest Certan de...
Chateau La Conseillante 2000 - Bordeaux
Pomerol, Bordeaux A tremendous effort, and certainly the best La Conseillante since the marvelous duo of 1989 and 1990, this deep ruby/plum/purple-colored wine offers up notes of blackberries and kirsch liqueur intermixed with licorice, incense, spice box, and copious amounts of toasty oak. It is a relatively powerful effort for La Conseillante, with more tannin and structure than most vintages possess. As the wine sits in the glass, black raspberries, blueberries, smoke along with floral notes emerge. There is tremendous purity, medium to full body, great precision and concentration. Unlike most vintages of La Conseillante, the 2000 will require patience. A bottle kept open refused to oxidize until day six! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. - Rated 96, Robert Parker Vivid aromas of berries, flowers and minerals follow through to a medium-bodied palate, with silky tannins and fresh, clean finish. Not the biggest Conseillante I have tasted, but refined and harmonious. This is getting expensive. Best after 2008. 5,000 cases made. –JS - Rated 90, Wine Spectator
Dense ruby/purple, with a glorious nose of blackberries, cassis, white flowers, licorice, and a hint of sweet oak, this seamless wine is a classic example of purity and symmetry. Combining power with charm and finesse in a deeply textured, rich, elegant, yet authoritatively flavorful style, this is a brilliant effort as well as a compliment to proprietor Christian Moueix. Sadly, there are only 1,500 cases of this fabulous offering. It displays a singular style reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of Cheval Blanc and L'Evangile, the famous St.-Emilion and equally renowned Pomerol situated across from each other. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.” – Rated 96, Robert Parker “Fabulous aromas of pure cassis and crushed raspberry. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. A sensual, fantastic wine. Sorry I haven't tasted it until now. Best after 2010. 1,500 cases made. –JS” – Rated 95, Wine Spectator
Chateau Petrus 2002 - Bordeaux
Pomerol, Bordeaux A relatively strong effort for this vintage, but hardly one of the profound examples of Petrus, this wine exhibits a dark plum color and a somewhat monolithic, foursquare personality with notes of plums, black cherries, licorice, and some herbs and damp earth. Medium-bodied, muscular, and tannic, but lacking some charm and sweetness, it should age nicely for 12-15 more years and possibly be even better than my score. Readers who buy it should not even attempt opening a bottle for at least 4-5 years. - Rated 90, Robert Parker Gorgeous subtle aromas of crushed raspberries and light vanilla, with hints of spices. Medium- to full-bodied, with wonderfully seductive, silky tannins. Beautiful slinky finish. Pétrus is very fine indeed in this vintage. Not overdone, all in the right place. Best after 2009. 1,665 cases made. –JS - Rated 93, Wine Spectator
