3 | Wine | Saint Julien | Page 5

"Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure crème de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid."

"Currant, mineral, plum and light toasty oak follow through to a full body, with ultrasilky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is thoroughly beautiful. Superbalanced and very pretty."

"This fabulous 1996 was tasted three times from bottle, and it is unquestionably the finest wine produced by this estate since their blockbuster 1990. Medium to full-bodied, with a saturated black/purple color, the nose offers notes of cedar, jammy black fruits, smoke, truffles, and subtle new oak. In the mouth, there is impressive fruit extraction, a tannic, full-bodied structure, and a classic display of power and finesse. The longer it sat in the glass, the more impressive the wine became. Backward, and massive in terms of its extract and richness, this should prove to be a sensational Leoville-Poyferre for drinking over the next three decades." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A stunning wine from Ducru Beaucaillou which showcases its great terroir, this elegant but substantial 2000 has a dense purple color that has hardly budged since it was first bottled. Displaying a floral note, with hints of boysenberries, black raspberries, black currants and a touch of background oak, the wine has superb concentration and density, but still has some substantial tannins that are not yet fully resolved." Reviewed by Robert Parker, Jun 2010.

"A colossal success and a potential legend in the making. Its saturated, dense inky/blue/purple color offers up notes of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, and creme de cassis. A synthesis of power and elegance, this multi-layered wine has spectacular concentration, sweet but high tannin, and low acidity A stunning effort that showcases this legendary terroir, it is a brilliant, brilliant success."

"Displays a solid core of plum, blackberry and cassis, lined with roasted apple wood and backed by a hint of ganache and briar. Shows excellent integration overall, with a serious iron note buried on the finish. A rock-solid version for this vintage."
Reviewed by: Wine Spectator - 93 to 96 pts

"The seriously endowed 2012 Las Cases exhibits a dense purple color as well as surprisingly sweet tannin and a forwardness that one does not normally find at this address. Medium to full-bodied with beautiful black currant, graphite, crushed rock and subtle oaky notes, it possesses lots of minerality and precision, impressive power, a rich mid-palate (which sets it apart from other St.-Juliens), and a long finish. It appears this beauty will be drinkable in 5-6 years, and last for 25 or more." -Robert Parker

"A blockbuster effort for the vintage, the 2012 Saint-Pierre exhibits a dense purple color along with a big, sweet nose of blackberries, coffee, forest floor and camphor. This is a seriously endowed, surprisingly full-bodied effort that is atypically rich and textured for the vintage. Kudos to Saint-Pierre, one of the smallest but finest and most consistent of the St.-Julien chateaux. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15+ years." -Robert Parker

"A strong effort from Talbot, this sexy, medium to full-bodied, richly fruity 2012 exhibits lots of creme de cassis, licorice, roasted herb and spice box characteristics in an evolved yet elegant, round, lush style that was surprisingly seductive and disarming. This offering stood out as one of the stars of St.-Julien. Drink it over the next 12-15 years." -Robert Parker

"Intense aromas of blackberry, currant and cherry. Full-bodied, with masses of big, velvety tannins and a finish that lasts for minutes. A blockbuster. A classic big, juicy claret."

"Aromas of blackberry, toasted oak, sweet tobacco and espresso. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, fruity finish. I like the texture."