Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Chateau Leoville-Barton 1996

Ratings By Robert Parker 92 Tasting Notes This impressive wine is a classic. Although backward, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to abundant black currant fruit intertwined with spicy oak and truffle-like scents. The wine is brilliantly made, full-bodied, and tightly-structured with plenty of muscle and outstanding concentration and purity. It should turn… Read More »

Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2004

Ratings By Robert Parker 90 Tasting Notes A beauty from the Margaux appellation, this savory, floral, plum, cherry, and black currant-scented 2004 exhibits wonderful sweetness, medium body, and enough fresh acids to provide definition. An ethereal quality results in a pure, seductive wine that should drink well for 12-15+ years. How good it is to… Read More »

Chateau Kirwan 1998

Ratings By Robert Parker 90 Tasting Notes This once moribund estate has totally reversed itself. A sleeper of the vintage, the opaque purple-colored 1998 boasts a smoky, licorice, cassis, and mineral-scented bouquet. Full-bodied, powerful, yet elegant, it successfully balances complexity with an unbridled richness and power. Very impressive, particularly in view of its exceptional concentration,… Read More »

Chateau Giscours 2006

Ratings By Robert Parker 88 Tasting Notes Herbaceous, earthy, truffle notes intermixed with sweet cherries, plums, and currants are present in this soft, medium garnet wine, which is surprisingly evolved and best drunk over the next 10-15 years. I like the wine??s plushness, and the concentration is certainly very good, but this is on a… Read More »

Chateau Duhart-Milon 2001

Ratings By Robert Parker 89 Tasting Notes The Rothschilds are making enormous investments in this estate, so I??m expecting a breakthrough effort to emerge (maybe the 2003 qualifies). The deep ruby-colored 2001 exhibits a moderately intense, noble bouquet of graphite, plums, and currants. Elegant (much in the style of Lafite) with medium body, sweet tannin,… Read More »

Chateau Pontet-Canet 1995

Ratings By Robert Parker 92 Tasting Notes An old style Pauillac, yet made with far more purity and richness than the estate’s ancient vintages, this broad-shouldered, muscular, classic wine exhibits a saturated purple color, and sensationally dense, rich, concentrated, cassis flavors that roll over the palate with impressive purity and depth. The wine is tannic… Read More »

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2003

Ratings by Robert Parker 88 Tasting Notes An atypically superficial effort from one of my favorite Pauillacs, the 2003 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is very good, but it does not stand up to some of the finest northern Medoc offerings. A deep ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a moderately intense bouquet of black currants and underbrush. It hits… Read More »

Chateau du Tertre 1997

Ratings By Robert Parker 85 Tasting Notes This pleasant, soft, moderately-endowed effort displays sweet berry fruit, Provencal herbs, and earth in its aromas and flavors. The wine lacks density, but it does not try to be more than it is. Medium-bodied, soft, and not excessively extracted, this delicate Margaux can be drunk over the next… Read More »