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Vinous Table: Elystan Street, London, United Kingdom (Sep 2020)

The second bottle, from an estate I know like the back of my hand, was the 1996 Pontet Canet. One or two people had suggested that this might be past its best; after all, it predates the innovations and application of biodynamics overseen by Alfred Tesseron by several years. On the contrary, it has aged…

1998, 1997 and 1996 Bordeaux (May 1999)

Deep ruby-red. Blackcurrant, plum, tobacco and black olive nose is more complex and serious than that of either of the foregoing vintages. Thick, grapey and concentrated; still quite primary. This shows the fat and depth of the ’96 vintage in the northern Medoc. Finishes long, with substantial tannins. Impressive.

2007, 2006 and 2005 Bordeaux (May 2008)

Medium red. Very ripe aromas of plum and musky brown spices; redder in character and less precise than the 2006. Then big, sweet and plump on the palate, with full, mellow flavors of red berries, tobacco and mocha, plus a light smoked meat note. Finishes with sweet tannins and lingering, fully ripe fruit. This is…

2017 Bordeaux – Mirror, Mirror on The Wall… (Mar 2020)

Just as it was en primeur, the 2017 Vieux Château Certan is regal and soaring right out of the glass. Inky blue and purplish fruit, chocolate, licorice, lavender, spice and mint come together in a dense, dark and powerful Pomerol. The 2017 is an explosive, vivid wine of monastic beauty. In this vintage, VCC is…

Vintage Seeks Home: Bordeaux 2017 In Bottle (Jan 2020)

The 2017 Vieux Château Certan was bottled at the end of May. It has a perfumed, slightly tertiary bouquet with blackberry, wild heather and just a touch of menthol. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe tannins on the entry, mainly dark black fruit, rather introverted at the moment that just needs bottle age to…

2016 Bordeaux…It’s All In The Bottle (Jan 2019)

The 2016 Malescot Saint Exupéry is fabulous. Powerful and explosive on the palate, the 2016 offers serious intensity, but it also appears to be holding back quite a bit of its potential. Moreover, what impresses me most is that in 2016, intensity is delivered more with finesse than with the brutish power that is such…