| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Tasted at The Ledbury at the Grand Puy Lacoste dinner. This bottle is much more unevolved and closed than others that I have tried. It has very good intensity on the nose with blackberry, iodine, cassis and a touch of violets that must have been picked down in Margaux. The palate has a real sappy texture matched with good acidity, but it is very backward and sultry towards the finish. Bold, dense and introspective, leave this for another 4- years. Tasted September 2011.
First bottle: Not the deepest ruby. Interesting mineral nose - relatively transparent to taste as well as look at. Not big. But lively and rewarding. Just very slightly chunky. Tannins a little crude. Very mineral. Got drier and drier in the glass. Second bottle: Richer fruit. Drink 2008-18
The 1996, however, is the finest example from this château since the 1982, even surpassing, in my mind, the magnificent 1990. It has an awesome, first growth quality nose that reveals noble scents of cassis, mineral, oil, salt, and smoky oak. Intensely rich, it dominates the palate with its deep blackcurrant, spice, lead, and blackberry flavors. I was surprised at how seemingly forward it was, yet could not help but notice how much dense fruit it kept in reserve. A wine of extraordinary purity, concentration, and depth, it displays enormous amounts of tannin in its extensive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035.
This is unquestionably a profound Grand-Puy-Lacoste, but it is excruciatingly backward. It reveals an essence of creme de cassis character which sets it apart from other Pauillacs. The wine is displaying plenty of tannin, huge body, and sweet black currant fruit intermixed with minerals and subtle oak. Massive, extremely structured, and with 25-30 or more years of longevity, this immensely-styled Grand-Puy-Lacoste will require 7-8 years of patience, perhaps longer. A superb, classic Pauillac. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030.
The 1996 displays an opaque purple color, as well as sweet, wonderfully pure, jammy blackberry, mineral, and intriguing floral aromas. Enormously rich and full-bodied, with massive intensity, this is a modern day tour de force in winemaking. In spite of being aged in a hefty percentage of new oak, the wine does not reveal any evidence of new oak casks because the fruit character is so pronounced. Statistically, this wine possesses huge amounts of tannin, but it comes across as a seamless giant with extraordinary richness and intensity. This may be even greater than the exceptional 1982, but it may take longer to become accessible than the later wine.
