3 | Wine | Red, Pessac-leognan / Graves | Page 2

"This broad, mouthfilling red delivers linzer torte, blackberry preserves and mulled fig notes laced with black tea, bittersweet cocoa and anise accents. The long, fleshy finish has a mouthwatering peppery hint. Approachable, but will cellar well enough."
-Wine Spectator - 91 pts

"A sensational wine from this Pessac-Leognan estate, the 2009 possesses notes of charcoal, graphite, roasted herbs, truffles, spice box, and luxurious quantities of black currant and black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, impressively endowed. and well under the radar for most consumers, this outstanding wine is a sleeper of the vintage and well worth buying. It should drink well for 15 or more years."-Robert Parker

"This has good flesh, with a lilac note giving way to dark mulled plum and linzer torte flavors, studded with black tea and roasted spice hints. Shows nice drive on the finish."

"A blend of just over 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot (last year I mistakenly wrote that the balance was Cabernet Franc), the opaque ruby/purple-colored 2009 reveals notes of scorched earth/burning embers/charcoal, black currants, ripe cherries and lead pencil shavings. Full-bodied and pure with sweet tannin, this is an under-the-radar, high quality claret to drink over the next 20-25 years." -Robert Parker

"Classic tobacco leaf and smoky barbecue notes along with rich black currants and crushed rocks in a medium to full-bodied, seductive, attractively up-front style. Some Asian plum sauce is also noticeable in this complex, evolved and delicious wine, which can be drunk over the next 10-15 years. It is a sleeper of the vintage."

"A sleeper of the vintage and better than its 2010 sibling. ...the plum/garnet-hued 2008 possesses a smoky barbecue, charcoal/burning ember character intermixed with ripe, sweet cherry and black currant fruit. Medium-bodied and beautifully concentrated with silky tannins as well as a long finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"One of the stars of the vintage, this elegant, smoky wine has hints of barbecue pit intermixed with sweet black currants and cherries. Dark purple and medium to full-bodied, its impressive finesse and wonderful purity make for a surprisingly forward style of Smith-Haut-Lafitte to drink over the next 15 or so years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"This glorious offering possesses sweet tobacco leaf, black currant, mocha, white chocolate, scorched earth and burning ember-like characteristics. Full-bodied, stunningly rich and exceptionally well-endowed, this blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc demands 2-3 years of additional bottle age. It should age gracefully for 35-40 years."

"A top-notch success. ...Aromas of smoky, juicy black currants, graphite, earth, truffles, and forest floor. Full-bodied with superb purity, noticeable but sweet tannins, this round, generous, long wine should drink nicely for 15-20+ years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

Limit 6 bottles per customer.
"This is incredible on the nose, showing coffee cake, blackberry, floral, coffee bean and vanilla bean, with Chinese spices. A very complex, full-bodied red, with seamless, hyperpolished tannins that caress every millimeter of the palate. Lasts for minutes. So beautifully balanced, I'm left speechless."

"This is dense and still quite tight, with lots of lemon verbena, chamomile, quinine, green plum and mineral notes supported by superracy yet well-embedded acidity. The finish has rapier cut, with the quinine note reverberating."