Le Relais de Durfort-Vivens, Margaux

Tasted after 2hr decant. Opaque ruby maroon no bricking but there is edge variation Nose is blackberry, pencil shavings, wet leaves, lightly floral Med body, indistinct dark fruit. Acid punch, then another wave before slightly gritty tannin. Alcohol well integrated. Finish is long, after one minute still picking up oak and blackberry. Hell of a second wine. Good now, better later.

Relais de durfort-vivens 2nd vin 2012 Dunkles rubin, beerig, gute balance, passt gut zu entrecote, feine struktur Intensität 22 Komplexität 21 Balance 23 Länge 22 Total 88

Graphite, pencil shavings galore. Loved it.

This is the 2nd wine of Château Durfort-Vivens from a less-than-stellar vintage. Nevertheless, it's really attractive. Certainly Cabernet Sauvignon dominant. Great color, appropriate nose combining Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with oak. Finish is just a wee bit short with modest tannins. Terrific Margaux to drink now. Bought at at Pavilions Market in Newport Beach, CA, for just $11 — 75% off! Perhaps the best deal of the century as far as it has come.

This felt very over-oaked on the first day. Not much character showing through. Different story on the second day though. Lovely Margaux violets, plenty of freshness, delicious burnt ash component. Nice mouthfeel, but the finish isn't quite good enough for a higher score. Much more interesting at the moment than the Grand Vin, although I'm going to have to try them side by side to be sure. Give it plenty of air though.

Merlot Cabernet