Category Archives: Tasting Notes
Chateau Margaux 2003
Ratings By Robert Parker 99 Tasting Notes Am I being too stingy with the 2003 Chateau Margaux? A wine of extraordinary complexity and intensity, it reveals a deep purple color, a style not unlike the 1990 Margaux (possibly even more concentrated), a velvety texture, and notes of spring flowers interwoven with camphor, melted licorice, creme… Read More »
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases 1997
Ratings By Robert Parker 90 Tasting Notes A star of the vintage, this classy, cedary, black currant, and sweet cherry-scented, dense ruby-colored Las Cases exhibits a beautiful dosage of new oak, medium body, expansive, ripe, concentrated flavors, plenty of glycerin, and exceptional purity. It is low in acidity, and already delicious. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.(Wine Advocate… Read More »
Chateau Montrose 2005
Ratings By Robert Parker 95 Tasting Notes The 2005 Montrose is an exceptionally tannic, broodingly backward offering displaying a dense ruby/purple color along with a provocative perfume of crushed rocks, flowers, cassis, black raspberries, and blueberries. It continues to add weight and richness, good traits considering the substantial, forbiddingly high tannin levels and zesty acidity.… Read More »
Chateau Rauzan-Gassies 1999
Ratings By Robert Parker 87 Tasting Notes Licorice, black fruit, herb, earth, and wood aromas emerge from this moderately perfumed, medium-bodied Margaux. The wine displays fruit and ripeness as well as some tannin. It is a good effort from this under performer, who appears to be getting its act together. Drink it over the next… Read More »
Chateau Langoa-Barton 2007
Ratings By Robert Parker 87 Tasting Notes The dark-colored 2007 Langoa Barton may be too angular, austere, and excessively extracted. This masculine, hard wine may or may not settle down, but it is not a style of wine that??s conducive to the lightness and charm of a vintage such as 2007. Time will tell. Forget… Read More »
Chateau Palmer 2001
Ratings By Robert Parker 90 Tasting Notes A virile, muscular effort for this estate, the 2001 Palmer (a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot) exhibits a saturated purple color to the rim. Although closed and backward, it is surprisingly powerful, layered, and formidably endowed, revealing hints of charcoal, black fruits,… Read More »
Chateau Ferriere 1995
Ratings By Robert Parker 87 Tasting Notes If it were not for the 1996, the 1995 would be the best Ferriere I have ever tasted. The wine exhibits an impressively saturated ruby/purple color, and an attractive nose of sweet toasty oak, licorice, and jammy black fruits. In the mouth, the attack begins well, with good… Read More »
Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2003
Ratings By Robert Parker 95 Tasting Notes Proprietor Patrick Maroteaux, president of Unions des Grands Crus Classes, is pulling out all the stops to make Branaire as alluring as several of the Leovilles and Ducru Beaucaillou. 2003 and 2004 may be the finest back-to-back vintages ever produced at Branaire. Even better than the 1982, the… Read More »