Chateau Leoville-Las Cases 'Grand Vin de Leoville', Saint-Julien, France 2000
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 3% Petit verdot, 13% Cabernet
"The 2000 Léoville Las Cases takes time to unwind in the decanter and glass, but when it begins to show all its cards, the display is spectacular. Mingling aromas of dark berries and red fruits with aromas of pencil shavings, loamy soil, cedar box, bitter chocolate, dried rose petals and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, complete mid-palate that's rare in this vintage, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. An uncompromising classic, even as it closes in on its 22nd birthday, the 2000 Las Cases remains an infant in terms of evolution." - Robert Parkers Wine Advocate
"Reifes Rubinrot. Offene, schön gereifte Nase, so mag ich Bordeaux am liebsten, viele Kräuter, Cassis, Minze, Tee, Veilchen, Leder, hochkomplex. Im Gaumen zugänglich, weich, rund, packt dann zu, zeigt Struktur und einiges an Körper, die feine Säure belebt, markante Gerbstoffe halten die Frucht in SchaChâteau Charaktervoll, energiegeladen, mit einem ausgezeichnet langen Abgang. Ein Las Case wie aus dem Bilderbuch Château Jetzt bis 2040+" - Adrian van Velsen - vvWine.ch
"Kräftiges Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Saftig, fruchtsüß und einladend, reife Pflaumenfrucht, feines Goudron, ein Hauch von Nougat. Stoffig, komplex, angenehme Extraktsüße, seidige Tannine, wunderbare Balance und Frische, bereits zugänglich, mineralischer Nachhall, große Klasse." - Falstaff
"(2004) Opaque. Nose is beginning to close. Amazing purity - black fruits and cassis. Supreme balance. Dark choc notes. Multi-layered with stunning definition akin to Lafite. Stunning wine - better than Barton. 25+ yrs." - Tom Canavan
Chateau Palmer, Margaux, Frankreich 2005
Merlot 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 53% und Petit Verdot 7%
"Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 2005 Château Palmer is a legend in the making. Apparently the vines received 57% less rain than average, yet the 2005 shrugs off any water deficiency and has nurtured a wondrously pixelated bouquet, whereby mineralité shines through the black cherry and blueberry fruit. Search deeper and you discover veins of graphite that impart a Pauillac-like allure. The palate is medium-bodied and intense, but it is not overwhelming, a Margaux that is galvanized with a firm backbone thereby ensuring this will age over the long term. The symmetry here is enthralling - a 2005 that is destined for greatness. The only question is whether it will surpass the 2009 or 2010 Palmer? It will be fun finding out. Tasted May 2015." - Robert Parkers Wine Advocate
"Kräftiges Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feine balsamische Nuancen, tabakig, ein Hauch von Veilchen, Nuancen von Brombeeren, zart nach schwarzen Trüffeln. Kraftvoll, saftig, feine Herzkirschen, feste Tannine, extraktsüßer Nachhall, feines Säurespiel, zarter Nougat, gute Mineralik, ein Hauch von Valrhôna-Schokolade im Finale.(Trinken/Lagern +30)" - Falstaff
"Aromas of black tar, chocolate and berries lead to a wine that is so effortlessly delicious that it's easy to forget the power the Merlot gives it. The center is round, but dark, filled with sweetness; the outer layers are full of red jelly and toast. There are tannins, but they, too, are sweet." - Wine Enthusiast
"(2007) Fascinating to see Thomas Ducroux very much in charge here, as I'd previously met him conducting a blind tasting of Ornellaia, where he made the wines until 2004. Palmer is spicy, tightly wound and meaty on the nose, with lovely fragrance and a superb density and plushness of fruit. The palate has beautiful purity, with a really fine, silky texture and terrifically plush and mouth-filling fruit. Huge structure ere too, with chocolaty, ripe tannins and a backbone of acidity, yet that opulence and already harmonious, integrated fruit makes this a real star of Margaux." - Tom Canavan
Chateau Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Frankreich 2010
34% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon
"Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Figeac bursts from the glass with gregarious scents of baked blueberries, black cherry compote and chocolate box with hints of camphor, pencil lead and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has beautifully ripe, velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and layered." - Robert Parkers Wine Advocate
"Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zartes Ockerrandaufhellung. Attraktive dunkle Beerenfrucht, tabakig-kräuterwürzig unterlegt, Nuancen von Pflaumen und Brombeeren, edle Hölzer, etwas Velour, noch immer sehr zurückhaltend im Bukett. Kraftvoll, komplex, süße Textur, gut integrierte tragende Tannine, etwas Nougat und schwarze Kirschen im Abgang, schokoladiger Touch, zeigt sehr gute Länge, ein Vin de Garde, der immer noch darauf zu warten scheint, dass irgendjemand den Startknopf drückt." - Falstaff
"Wonderful dense garnet. Extremely rich nose with elegant toasted oak framed by ripe fruit. Mouth-coating, generous palate with a fine-grained texture, lace-like tannins, huge fruit presence and velvety oak. Empyreumatic finish. A consummate wine." - Gilbert & Gaillard
"Wie immer sehr zurückhaltend in diesem Stadium; saftige Textur, grosse Dichte und Frische, perfekt ausbalancierter, fester Bau, ungemein langes, mineralisches Finale; einmal mehr ausgezeichnet gelungen, alle Proportionen stimmen: Kann eine Ewigkeit reifen!" - Vinum Wine Magazine
"This Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine always stands out as a powerhouse of impressive tannins. In 2010, it is complex with a dense structure, tight mineral texture and dense wood. Underneath, the ripe black fruits bring the promise for the long-term future. Give this wine at least 10 years." - Wine Enthusiast
"(2011) There's a plummy, deep, meaty and bold character here, with cedary oak and plenty of depth. The palate has a silky smoothness and concentration. Although the tannins are big and the fruit perhaps slightly less bright and expressive than some, it does have a svelte, balanced mouth-feel and huge length." - Tom Canavan
"Very dark and inky colour. Fine oak on the nose, roasted coffee, blackcurrant, dark plum, spices and tobacco. The palate is really dense and full but with soft extraction and excellent quality of tannin, persistent and lingering with attractive, juicy dark plum, blackcurrant, leather, tobacco and fine spices; very long finish; superb potential." - Andreas Larsson - Tasted
"The nose is fresh, elegant, finely tight, racy and offers a very beautiful definition, a small racy richness and a beautiful aromatic. This wine needs to be decanted. It reveals notes of crushed cassis, pulpy/crushed blackberry, small notes of violet, small ripe wild blue fruits associated with fine touches of black plum, small wild black berries as well as fine hints of liquorice, Cuben pepper, cornflower, underwood, a very discreet hint of cardamom and camphor. The palate is elegant, racy, very discreetly tight/on the hold and offers a beautiful freshness, a good definition, suavity as well as a beautiful acidulous/saline frais, a beautiful finesse/precision of the grain and a racy deepness. On the palate this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy cassis, crushed small black fruits, small notes of small juicy/ripe blue fruits, juicy violet plum associated with small touches of melted chocolate, liquorice stick as well as hints of cardamom, nutmeg, camphor, saline (bring appetence/gourmandize) and a hint of underwood. Tannins are elegant, racy, precise and a fine straightness. Good length." - VertdeVin
