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Juxtapose With You: Pétrus, Lafleur & Le Pin (Feb 2018)

Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 2005 Le Pin has never quite lived up to the billing when compared to other vintages from Jacques Thienpont’s iconic Pomerol estate, yet that is begrudging what is still a gorgeous wine. It remains very youthful and limpid in colour. The bouquet is much more…

2006, 2005 and 2004 Bordeaux (May 2007)

Good deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, licorice, tobacco, iron, minerals and flowers. Densely packed, juicy and floral if a bit youthfully musclebound; lovely minerality here. Finishes tight and long, with some oak yet to be absorbed. Today I don’t find this wine’s normal exuberance but then it’s in cuve today and in a…

Looking Backward/Looking Forward: 2000 vs 2001 Bordeaux (Sep 2021)

The 2000 Le Pin is a vintage that I have not tasted for a decade or so. It has an exotic bouquet of vivacious red fruit, kirsch, black truffle, rose petals and orange blossoms. It just feels a little smudged against the 2001. The medium-bodied palate delivers sweet, ripe tannins, fleshy, orange-peel-infused red fruit, a…

2001, 2000 and 1999 Bordeaux (May 2002)

(tasted from cuve, on its finings) Good medium ruby. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of exotic framboise and kirsch Rich and concentrated, with very sweet fruit flavors complemented by a torrefaction note of coffee. Very hard to assess accurately today but appears to be riper and denser than the 2001. Judgment deferred.

2011 Bordeaux from the Bottle (Jul 2014)

Good deep ruby. Aromas of blackberry, black tea, bitter chocolate and tobacco are somewhat dominated by the oak presently. Dense and very firmly built, with peppery acidity providing lift to the slightly high-toned black fruit syrup and spice flavors. The long, peppery, serious finish features dusty tannins and very good grip, but I wonder if…

The Comedown: Bordeaux 2011 Ten-Years-On (Apr 2022)

The 2011 Saint-Pierre is well-defined on the nose, quite open, veins of blue fruit here with a more floral, Margaux-like personality. This seems to gain complexity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with blackcurrant and bilberry on the entry. The oak comes on a bit "thick" here, and governs the finish more than the…