La Mondotte Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

This was ready to go as soon as I popped it. I allowed it to sit for an hour but it didn’t “need” it Dense dark fruit — cassis, black cherry and more. Has some earthiness and other tertiary flavors, but still plenty of fruit. Well integrated tannins. A bit modern, perhaps a bit Napa-like, but St. Emilion without a doubt. Paired with a perfectly grilled filet and it was outstanding. WA gave it 100 points. I don’t know about …

90-minute decant. Deep dark ruby garnet color, with modest rim fade. Cassis, raspberry, plum, walnut, white truffle, and subtle dark chocolate. The palate is super smooth and very dry, with fine acidity. Firm, full tannins on the long finish. This is simultaneously rich fruited and earthy. Not necessarily my style, but very well made. I was especially impressed by the very long finish. I stole the white truffle note from Jeb Dunnuck.

50x Bordeaux 2005 : All wines tasted blind, not decanted. Left bank is quite good, right bank is a disaster waiting to happen. A few observations: 1) Left bank 2005s are good to very good, with ripe yet fresh fruit, real substance, and the classic structure that defines the vintage. 2) Most are just entering their first drinking window but remain youthful, with no tertiary development yet. 3) Top wines were Lafite (98), Mouton (97), Margaux (96), and Branon (95). …

Bordeaux 2005 horizontal; 6/1/2025-6/2/2025 (Fribourg) : Limited expression. Mature and ripe fruit, leather and toasted wood. Maybe dried herbs with imagination, but not adding much more. The palate much fresher with juicy features. Rather mouthcoating tannins and lacks a finish to speak of.

Decanted two hours. I approached this wine with some trepidation knowing the reputation of many St Emilion wines from this era being over the top. Rated 99 points by Parker. But this won me over. It is a bit decadent but there is also enough acidity and freshness. Black currant, licorice, earth and spice come through. Layered and concentrated this can be a bit brooding at first but it develops quite nicely with decanting. Overall while not a perfect wine …

Salon Focofi Paris walkabout and dinner, so no detailed tasting notes. Like so many 2005 St.Emilion, this was also over extracted, stemming from the Parker era. Stick to Medoc in 2005.

Better than 01, behind 09.

Full bodied, rich and intense, this concentrated, silky, sensuous, charismatic wine is packed with layers of velvety, black cherries, crushed stone, plum and earthy scents that are only made better when the wine hits your palate and stays there.

A clear step up in the range. Deep, intense dark fruit, spice, coffee chocolate. Excellent richness and purity. Quite a bit of structure. Impressive at this stage.

Smoke, cherry blossom, truffle and dark cherry aromas open the perfume. There is a good level of richness, minerality, depth of flavor, freshness and color that’s present from start to finish. Give this a few years and it should show better. From 100% Merlot, the wine was produced from yields of only 8 hectoliters per hectare. The wine reached 13.7% alcohol with a pH of 3.35 and is aging in 100% new French oak. 92-94 Pts

2013 UGCB En-Primeurs tasting opening evening & cocktail (Chateau Guiraud) : black fruits, coffee, chocolate, well balance, high acidity.

WGS: 2005 Bordeaux; 4/17/2010-4/18/2010 (Hilton Hotel Singapore) : Black licourice, anise, fennel seed...this has lots of spices on the nose but seemingly still very tight .,..you could feel greater potential lurking beneath. A breath of cool air seems to back up the nose too. Excellent fresh fruits and I really mean FRESH! with hints of spices . Absolutely gorgeous wine. Great potential.

A trip to Bordeaux's Right Bank (Very long); 10/22/2006-10/30/2006 (Bordeaux, France) : 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from a 2 hectare plot. Black ruby with a gourgeous nose of very ripe black fruits, vanilla and spice. This wine is boldly elegant with a blockbuster flavor profile of fruit and complexity. This could have been a Pride Reserve Claret from an elegant year. I absolutely love this wine. Too bad the price tag may prevent me from buying some.