Petit-Figeac, 2015

Price: $40-$50
AOC: Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux
Varietal: 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc 

Second wine of Chateau Figeac

Color: Dark Ruby, a little amber at rim
Aroma: Matured right bank! some perfume, focused sweet red fruit, a little flower   
Palate: concentrated red fruit, cedar wood, tobacco, a little perfume, very fine and a little astringent tannin adds structure and suggests the wine will improve if given more cellaring time. Proper acidity, savory, intoxicating and powerful, enjoyed it a lot but have opened the bottle too early!

      

E. GUIGAL, Cotes du Rhone, 2015

Price: $10-$20

AOC: Cotes du Rhone, Rhone

Varietal: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre

Color: Ruby 

Aroma: round and full, joyful and manifest red fruit and berries, a little earthy note, a little spice, mineral and floral aroma    

Palate: medium-full body, juicy acidity, very little mineral, sweet red fruit, sense some alcohol, fine and little tannin, balanced, an incredible value
added: on the following day, there are more floral aroma and black pepper palate coming out

Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard, 2010

Special thanks to Chunpi!

Price: $90-$100
AOC: Napa Valley, United States
Varietal: 82% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

Color: half violet and half orange at rim

Aroma: Penetrating, powerful, sweet and perfumed

Palate: medium body and tannin, slightly matured, tobacco, silky, sweet and concentrated fruit, a little perception of alcohol, very little spicy. Oaking added structure to the wine. A round, powerful yet enjoyable, sophisticated wine. Consider the price, I personally prefer regular Merlot label. 

Chateau La Vieille Cure, 2004

Price: $30-40

AOC: Fronsac, Bordeaux

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Color: Opaque, dark purple, little orange at the rim

Aroma: It definitely needs time to aerate~Sweet! a "medium to full body" aroma, not an elegant, light bodied, and penetrating aroma like pinot, but a typical aroma from matured merlot. stewed red fruit jam, seductive, very good

Palate: 13 years of aging, flavor is concentrated and bold, matured, medium to full body, medium+, fine tannin (still shows some potential for cellaring for few more years, but totally fine to drink now) , tea leaf, earthy, sweet stewed red fruit dominant, a typical, matured right bank Bordeaux, irresistible for me, can't beat the value for the price. (needs time to aerate).  

Vina Real, Crianza, 2012

Price: $10-20

AOC: Crianza, Rioja, Spain

Variety: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, Mazuela y Graciano

Color: Ruby and orange hue

Aroma: medium intensity but has a penetrating red fruit aroma, good!

Palate: medium- body, clear ripe red fruit and juicy acidity, tannin is little, there is some perception of alcohol so sometimes taste very little bitterness, the best part of this wine is the sweet vanilla oak which combines very well with the light body and acidity and makes the wine balanced. A good quality crianza. 

Chateau Puygueraud, 2012

Price: $10-20
AOC: Francs - Côtes-de-Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Variety: 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec

Color: Dark ruby, a little deep violet
Aroma: pretty opened already right after opening, red fruit and vanilla, sense some alcohol, intensity is not particularly high
Palate: can taste firm red fruit and a little black fruit right after opening, however the sweetness faded pretty quickly, so do not decant this wine for too long (<30 mins), even just enjoy it from the pour without decanting is fine. Firm and clear acidity, some tobacco, some vanilla from oak and on the palate it somehow shows a buttery feeling which I am not a fan of, feel like this wine has too much oak in it, medium+ body,  little and fine tannin, and still can sense the alcohol, feel like 2012 is not a powerful vintage, the 14% alcohol and oak is too much for this wine. It needs more fruit and sweetness to balance the wine. Have tasted the 2009 vintage before which is much more enjoyable. 
Second day tasting: Half bottle of the wine was stored in the fridge with vacuvin pump, surprisingly on the second day, the wine becomes round and soft, the buttery mouth feeling is gone, tannin shows up and can taste red fruit from Merlot! There is even some fragrant(perfume) shows up in the aroma, starting to feel confused regarding how long to decant the wine.

Chateau Loirac, 2010

Price: $20-30
AOC: Cru Bourgeois, Medoc, Bordeaux

Variety: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot

Color: Dark violet

Aroma: quite nice actually, tobacco, wood, black fruit, some flower, some perfume and some vanilla from oak

Palate: medium+ body, tannin is integrated and fine (not too much tannin left), savory but can taste firm black fruit, tobacco, a touch of mineral, can sense cab perfume and flower while tasting, a little bit big (structure) and bold, fruitness concentration is medium+, very clear and standard characteristics of cab from left bank Bordeaux, a good introduction wine. quite enjoyable for the price range! ps: Aroma is a little bit more impressive than the palate. 

La Parde De Haut-Bailly, 2010

Price: $30-40
AOC: Pessac-Leognan, Graves, Bordeaux

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Second Wine of Chateau Haut-Bailly

Color: Dark Ruby, very little orange at the rim

Aroma: Black Currant, tobacco, can smell alcohol (never use a burgundy glass for a full body wine!), black fruit aroma came out after decanting(good intensity)

Palate: Clear black currant, some tobacco and tea leaf, very little mineral, tannin is moderate and fine, body is high, medium+ thickness, acidity is there, with slightly sweet finish. Fruitness concentration is not particular high, feel a little big although it is a second wine. Not the type I like.

Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne, 2004

AOC: Grand Cru Classes, Sanit-Emilion, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Color: Ruby, very little amber color at the rim, early maturing
Aroma: The part I enjoy most, some merlot perfume, a little mineral feel, sweet red fruit, a little wood and smoke, Aroma is good, medium intensity
Palate: pretty standard Bordeaux, need decanting, definitely not a big structure wine,  a little red fruit sweetness(concentrated fruitness), wood, a little mineral feel , a little acidity, a little bit dry, medium+ tannin, medium+ body, elegant side, not my favorite, not a big wine but an easy drinking one. A wine more enjoyable smelling than tasting.    

Chateau Barde-Haut, 2004

Price: $40-50
AOC: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux
Variety: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Color: orange, amber color at the rim, its almost matured, can drink now

Aorma: very clear, quite mature bordeaux merlot aroma, merlot perfume, a little meaty hint, ripe red fruit!

Palate: the mid palate is almost empty right after opening, after two hours of decanting, ripe merlot fruitness came out (the fruitness concentration is very good consider that 2004 is not a powerful vintage, longer decanting is also ok), red fruit, tea leaf and some tobacco, tannin is integrated and moderate, acidity is integrated and balanced. just a little of every thing in harmony. This is a balanced and matured right bank bordeaux I enjoyed a lot!

   

Chateau du Tertre, 1996

AOC: Fifth growths 1855 classification, Margaux, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Color: Doesn't look like an old wine by color, Ruby, very little orange at the rim
Aroma: very strong graphite right after opening, earthy smell, medium intensity, cedar wood and red fruit coming out after two hours of decanting
Palate: strong graphite right after opening, flat flavor, need around 2 hours of decanting, tannin is almost all integrated, light body, pretty earthy, some mineral, medium+ thickness(not on the elegant side to me), fruitness concentration is there, a good wine that shows chateau's characteristics, however feel like a little bit over the peak.  

    

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. 

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.   

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