Dame De Montrose, 2008

tasted 10/22/2015
AOC: Second wine of Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Color: dark ruby to violet
Aroma: medium intensity, elegant in style, cassis, classic bordeaux left bank aroma
Palate: a little raspberry, pretty dry(almost bone dry), light thickness, a little bit austere, not the type I like, I still feel like it worth to try second wine only for better vintage.
   

ECHO de Lynch Bages, 2010

AOC: Second wine of Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Color: Dark Ruby, Inky

Aroma: cedar wood from cab! intensity is not very high but still good black currant and some red fruit aroma. 

Palete: everything balanced, black currant and cedar wood, acidity is there, tannin and body is moderate, can also taste merlot. A good second wine that shows the chateaux characteristic. Easily enjoyable, a good left bank bordeaux(Cedar wood + black currant). Price is a little bit high.     

Reserve Speciale Pauillac, Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), 2011

AOC: Pauillac, Bordeaux

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 30%

Color: dark ruby

Aroma: intense, classic bordeaux left bank aroma, tobacco, red fruit, very good!  

Palate: high body but still elegant in style, very fine tannin, concentrated red and black fruit, totally open up after one hour of decanting, a very good everyday bordeaux. 

Chateau Leoville Barton, 1990

For Dad's birthday, Got it from Sotheby, NYC

Heitz Cellar, Trailside Vineyard, 2005

感謝 Chunpi 從 Heitz Cellar 直接酒莊直送這支酒！

Aroma: 強力, 紅黑果實各半

Palate: 喝得出濃縮的果實味, 殘留的糖稍微多了一點, 稍微偏甜, 特色在於微辣, 和些微的苦味, 通常這兩個味道和口感都是負面的, 但這支卻以不討厭的方式表現,  其他算是很有代表性的Napa Cab, 沒有新世界我比較不喜歡的那種味道和round的口感, 感覺 Heitz Cellar 的 cab 依然是很有力道的走向, 單寧覺得已經融合了, 剩餘些微的澀感, 十年果然是紅酒的黃金期嗎？  

Chambolle-Musigny Village, Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, 2011

Pice: $60-70
AOC: Chambolle-Musigny Village, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy
Variety: Pinot Noir

Aroma: Clear red fruit, black tea leaf and a touch of yeast

Palate: after 1 hr of decanting, very good red fruitness, concentrated, body is more than expected, different from what I expect from a "Chambolle-Musigny", but still a fine wine,  a little bit spicy and bitterness at the beginning, flavor complexity is not high but very focus (red fruit), a very good pinot!  

Chateau Franc Couplet, 2010

Price: $10-20
AOC: Bordeaux Superieur, Bordeaux
Variety: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Color: Dark Ruby red to purple

Aroma: black currant, licorice, clear black fruit aroma, ripe red fruit aroma comes in after proper decanting, a touch of vanilla, fragrant! 

Palate: black fruit dominant, clear licorice, tobacco, very little mineral, adequate red fruit, well-balanced, firm tannin, a good example of Bordeaux blend, perfect for a wine under $15!     

Poggio il Castellare, Brunello di Montalcino, 2010

AOC: Brunello di Montalcino, Montalcino, Tuscany

Variety: Sangiovese Grosso

Color: Ruby and surprisingly with a little orange at the rim.  

Aroma: Intense red fruit with a little black tea leaf and spice(?), very good aroma right after opening. 

Palate: Powerful, almost full body, a lot of leather palate (black fruit dominant), didn't get much red fruit after 3 hours of decanting. Sometimes feel a little bit austere (tannin is somehow edgy).  

Chateau Grand Village, 2009

(based on memory)

The same owner as Chateau Lafleur. The same techniques making wine and managing vineyard are applied here.

AOC: Bordeaux Superieur, Bordeaux

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Aroma: powerful, can tell the wine is from a very good vintage, clear earthy and licorice(?) aroma

Palate: both earthy and fruity, very clear licorice(?) palate. Although the fruitness and acidity is there, the wine is a little too thick for me, it is more on the earthy side. A quality wine but not a favorite one.   

Napa Tour - Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Sarget de Gruaud Larose, 2009

AOC: second wine of Chateau Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux 

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Color: Ruby

Aroma: there is some creamy and meaty nose upon opening, can easily tell the wine is from a powerful vintage, classic black currant, cedar wood, some perfume and tobacco show up after decanting, strong aroma

Palate: a classic bordeaux left bank, more on the elegant side, medium thickness with round tannin, taste black currant, cedar wood and a little tobacco, a little juicy acidity, a little red fruit, feel like Cab dominant, easy drinking style

          

Lopez de Haro, Reserva, 2005

AOC: Reserva, Rioja, Spain
Variety: 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 5% Garnacha

Aroma: not particularly impressive right after opening, after proper decanting, clear vanilla from american oak, sour cherry from tempranillo show up, red fruit aroma.

Palate: the first impression makes me think of a new world syrah, very little black pepper, clear vanilla, not much sour cherry palate which you would usually get from Tempranillo. After decanting, some sour cherry shows up, medium + body and thickness, savory, clear acidity, clear vanilla, tannin is more than expected, not a classic Tempranillo.

         

Chateau Larose-Trintaudon, 2009

AOC: Cru Bourgeois, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Palate: Cab black fruit with some merlot perfume, tobacco with a little mineral, bright acidity, light thickness for a bordeaux, easy drinking style 

Poggio il Castellare, Rosso di Montalcino, 2012

AOC: Rosso di Montalcino, Montalcino, Tuscany
Variety: Sangiovese

Color: Ruby Red

Aroma: intense, fresh, red fruit with musk, a little spring flower

Palate: medium boy, light thickness, a little mineral, ripe sweet red fruit with juicy acidity, taste somehow similar to pinot noir, an easy drinking wine that is almost ready upon opening, totally fine drinking young. Maybe a good and cheap alternative to pinot noir? 

   

Chateau Brane-Cantenac, 2011

AOC: Second Growths 1855, Margaux, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Aroma: very refined, penetrating red fruit aroma, with some spring flower.
Palate: elegant in style, medium+ body, a 50-50 feel of Cabernet-Merlot blend, soft, fresh, juicy acidity, concentrated fruit, more on the elegant side of a bordeaux, refined and balanced.  

Chateau de la Riviere, 2010

AOC: Fronsac, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Aroma: 有點混雜不清, 果實味夾帶著earthy, 不是特別strong
Palate: 明顯的earthy merlot, 加上cabernet franc 那種herbal, tobacco的感覺, 明顯的minieral, 讓這支酒在味覺上蠻厚, 蠻雜的感覺, medium+ to full body, 果實甜味有但不是特別集中, 帶有一點苦味(黑巧克力?) 這支酒要讓我暫時跟fronsac說掰掰了嗎？