10 Great Years of Bordeaux
Here is a fairly complete list of IN STOCK Bordeaux from the 4 best vintages over the past 10 years - 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2003. Given the higher prices of today's newly released Bordeaux wines, here's a nice opportunity to pick up some great wines at reasonable prices, some of which are even less than lower rated current releases!
1996 Arrosee, L' Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $29.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 87 points: "A tightly-knit, closed wine, the 1996 l'Arrosee has not yet begun to put on weight, or reveal its true character. It possesses a medium dark ruby color, and muted aromatics which, with airing, offer notes of dusty minerals mixed with black cherries and raspberries. Subtle high quality toasty oak makes an appearance along with black raspberry and cherry fruit. This firmly-knit, sinewy, austere, elegant wine displays some positive potential, but I would appear to have over-rated it based on cask tastings. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2016."
2003 Arrosee, L' Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $33.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 91 points: "The significant investments that have been made by l'Arrosee's new owner are reflected in the outstanding 2003, which represents a return to form for this formidable St.-Emilion. Behaving like the Sophie Marceau of Bordeaux, this vintage exhibits beautiful aromas of sweet cherries, plums, figs, subtle toasty oak, and abundant black currant characteristics. Velvety textured, voluptuous, pure, and sensual, this dark ruby-colored wine is meant to be consumed over the next 12-15 years. Its beauty, equilibrium, and purity are stunning."
1996 Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes Blend 375ml - $24.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1999, 87 points: "This wine is made in a light style with a little fat, as well as the tell-tale apricot/pineapple and lanolin characteristics of Semillon (which dominates the blend). Medium-bodied and refreshing, this mid-weight Sauternes is easily appreciated. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2012."
2003 Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $13.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 89 points: "Situated northwest of Libourne, this 37-acre vineyard, planted with 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, has fashioned a sleepers of the vintage. Produced from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the dense ruby/purple-hued 2003 exhibits an opulent black raspberry and cherry-scented bouquet offering hints of cedar, vanilla, and roasted herbs. Beautifully-textured, medium to full-bodied, with silky tannin, it can be enjoyed now and over the next 5-7 years."
1998 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $49.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2001, 92 points: "Slinky. Loads of milk chocolate and berry aromas, with hints of stone and earth. Full-bodied, with superpolished tannins and a long, silky finish. A beauty..."
2000 Bellevue Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $79.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 95 points: "Bellevue's debut vintage...is a whopper...a glorious perfume of blackberries and blueberries underlaid with a striking minerality, full body, high tannin, abundant glycerin, concentration, and muscle, and a 40-second finish...A tour de force!..."
2003 Bouscaut Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $27.99
1998 Calon Segur Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $39.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2001, 89 points: "Although austere tannin may keep this wine from obtaining an outstanding score, it exhibits plenty of complexity in its earthy, truffle, black cherry, currant, plum, and herb-scented bouquet as well as flavors. Moderately tannic, with good weight, it is a classically-styled 1998. Despite the fact that Calon-Segur tends to utilize about 35% Merlot in the final blend, it is not one of the more precocious efforts of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030."
1996 Cantemerle Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $41.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1999, 91 points: "The best Cantemerle in years, beautiful and rich, with a wonderful core of fruit. Pretty plum and berry aromas, with hints of tobacco and chocolate, lead to a full-bodied wine with loads of chocolate and berry character. Long, long aftertaste..."
1998 Cantemerle Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $27.99
2000 Certan Marzelle Merlot 1500ml - $129.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2003, 91 points: "Complex, yet subtle, with blackberries, minerals and berries. Full-bodied and very velvety, with lovely rich fruit, with chocolate and berry character. Very long and refined. A joy to taste..."
2003 Chateau d'Aiguilhe Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $24.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 91 points: "Aromas of blackberry, spices, chocolate and meat follow through to a full-bodied palate, with lots of juicy fruit. Luscious finish. Gorgeous. This has a new winery, but the clay soil of the vineyards really helped. Best after 2009. 7,000 cases made. (JS)"
2003 Clos de Sarpe Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $64.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 88 points: "Production is less than 1,000 cases at this 9-acre garagiste estate whose consultant is Michel Rolland's foremost assistant, Jean-Philippe Fort. Situated on St.-Emilion's limestone plateau, the vineyard is planted with 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. This offering is meant for those with 19th-century tastes as the proprietor believes in full extraction, huge tannin, and wines meant to be drunk decades after their release. Most vintages experience 40- to 50-day macerations, and tiny yields of 13-25 hectoliters per hectare result in extremely concentrated wines. Made from extremely tiny yields (only 400 cases produced), the 2003 offers up aromas of chocolate-covered cherries and espresso roast followed by a wine with good freshness, medium body, but not the power, density, or enormous extract of other vintages. No doubt the summer's heat and drought forced the proprietor's hand. Although it does not possess the power of the finest Clos des Sarpes, if the wine adds weight in the bottle, it may turn out to be an outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020?"
2003 Clos l'Eglise Cotes de Castillon Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $24.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 88 points: "Fresh and fruity with lovely berry, grapes and flowers. Full-bodied, round and delicious. Long. Best after 2006. 3,500 cases made. JS"
2000 Conseillante, La Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $179.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 96 points: "...this deep ruby/plum/purple-colored wine offers up notes of blackberries and kirsch liqueur intermixed with licorice, incense, spice box, and copious amounts of toasty oak...As the wine sits in the glass, black raspberries, blueberries, smoke along with floral notes emerge. There is tremendous purity, medium to full body, great precision and concentration..."
1996 Cos d'Estournel Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $274.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1999, 95 points: "A classy and impressive young Bordeaux...plenty of currant and spice aromas, the wine is full-bodied, with very velvety tannins and allspice, berry and currant flavors. Long, long finish. One of the wines of the vintage, it's a beauty..."
2000 Cos d'Estournel Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $123.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2003, 96 points: "Absolutely gorgeous on the nose, with currants, blackberries and freshly cut flowers. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a solid core of fruit. This goes on and on on the palate... No better Cos since 1989..."
2003 Cos d'Estournel Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $199.99
Wine Advocate, May 2007, 99 points: "From Robert Parker's Hedonist's Gazette, May 2007. Please note, although scored 99 points by Robert Parker himself, this is NOT an official score. It was given at an informal tasting of 13 different 2003 Bordeaux wines he participated in at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, PA. "The unbelievable 2003 Montrose (rated 100) and Cos d'Estournel (rated 99) are two of the greatest St.-Estèphes I have ever tasted. Montrose is the more backward, and the Cos is more precocious, but both wines will benefit from 8-10 years of cellaring, and should last for 30-40 years.""
1998 Croix de Labrie Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2001, 93 points: "...This is terrific stuff! An opaque purple color is accompanied by aromas of roasted meat, black fruits, spicy oak, and coffee. The wine displays supple tannin, explosive richness, immense body, and beautifully integrated acidity as well as tannin...blockbuster effort..."
1996 Dauzac Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $44.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1999, 88 points: "A polished, well-made wine with lovely tannins, and berry and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Medium- to full-bodied. Slightly hollow midpalate but still very good. Best after 2000. JS"
2003 De Suduiraut Sauternes Blend 375ml - $31.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 95 points: "No tasting note was given."
2003 De Suduiraut Sauternes Blend 750ml - $56.99
1996 Ducru Beaucaillou Bordeaux Blend 6000ml - $1,799.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 96 points: "I tasted the 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou on four separate occasions from bottle in January. The 1996 is long, with a deep mid-palate. It also reveals tannin in the finish. This wine is remarkable. It is muscular, concentrated, and classic. Bottled in late June, 1998, it exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color, as well as a knock-out nose of minerals, licorice, cassis, and an unmistakable lead pencil smell that I often associate with top vintages of Lafite-Rothschild. It is sweet and full-bodied, yet unbelievably rich with no sense of heaviness or flabbiness. The wine possesses high tannin, but it is extremely ripe, and the sweetness of the black currant, spice-tinged Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is pronounced. This profound, backward Ducru-Beaucaillou is a must purchase. It will be fascinating for readers who own the 1996 to follow the evolution of this exceptional vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035."
2003 Eglise Clinet, L' Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $99.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 93 points: "Blackberry, mineral and chocolate aromas galore. Full-bodied, chewy and rich. This is tightly wound with loads of fruit and ripe tannins. Needs time. Best after 2012. 1,100 cases made. JS"
2000 Evangile, L' Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $519.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 96 points: "...the thick, unctuous, saturated purple color is followed by scents of blueberries, blackberries, truffles, acacia flowers, tar, and graphite. Full-bodied, with tremendous opulence, intensity, and purity as well as silky tannin and a long, powerful, concentrated finish, with a hint of cocoa/chocolate..."
2003 Faugeres Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $149.99
2000 Ferrand-Lartigue Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $34.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 91 points: "...the 2000 Ferrand Lartigue has weight, expansiveness, structure as well as tannin, suggesting 1-2 years of cellaring is warranted. Cassis, licorice, tobacco smoke, and sweet fruit provide an expressive, medium to full-bodied personality. Long, pure, and impressively built, it will be drinkable between 2005-2015. This is accessible enough to drink young, but it has more structure than previous vintages."
2000 Figeac Bordeaux Blend 375ml - $49.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 93 points: "...A profound effort, the surprisingly full-bodied 2000 Figeac has an opaque purple color accompanied by a terrific bouquet of camphor, graphite, black currants, licorice, and smoked herbs. With well-balanced, powerful tannin, concentration, and pinpoint precision, finesse, and purity, this expressive as well as textured effort...This is undeniably the estate's finest effort since 1996."
1996 Fleur de Gay, La Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $68.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2007, 89 points: "Wonderfully ripe and decadent on the nose, with dark chocolate, blackberry, brown sugar and strawberry tart. Full-bodied, with soft and silky tannins and a medium finish. Gives you it all on the nose, but lets you down a bit on the palate. But what a nose.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. JS"
1996 Giscours Bordeaux Blend 375ml - $24.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1999, 85 points: "Aromas of black cherry and fresh mushroom. Medium-bodied, with some chocolate character, but a bit lean. Best after 2000. 29,000 cases made. JS"
1998 Grand-Puy-Lacoste Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $44.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2001, 90 points: "The 1998 reveals a classic creme de cassis-scented nose along with powerful, tight, firmly-structured flavors. While moderate tannin is present, there is more than enough extract and depth behind the tannin to support the enthusiastic rating..."
2003 Haut Bages Liberal Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $28.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 91 points: "Dark in color, with intense aromas of crème de cassis, mineral and light vanilla. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Best after 2010. 10,665 cases made. JS"
2000 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend 6000ml - $6,000.00
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 98 points: "...a wine of intensity, authority, and measured restraint. A supremely elegant offering, its dense ruby/purple color, and burgeoning perfume of scorched earth, liquid minerals, plums, black currants, cherries, lead pencil, and subtle spicy oak are followed by a delicate yet powerfully flavorful, multi-layered, highly nuanced, and extraordinarily pure and seamless wine...a prodigious wine of dazzling persistence, length, and complexity..should prove to be uncommonly long-lived..."
2000 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $549.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 98 points: "...a wine of intensity, authority, and measured restraint. A supremely elegant offering, its dense ruby/purple color, and burgeoning perfume of scorched earth, liquid minerals, plums, black currants, cherries, lead pencil, and subtle spicy oak are followed by a delicate yet powerfully flavorful, multi-layered, highly nuanced, and extraordinarily pure and seamless wine...a prodigious wine of dazzling persistence, length, and complexity..should prove to be uncommonly long-lived..."
2003 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $799.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 96 points: "Complex aromas of black licorice, tobacco and cedar with red fruits. Full-bodied, with superseductive, silky tannins, loads of fruit and a finish that lasts for minutes. A beauty in all the sense of the word. Best after 2012. 10,000 cases made. (JS)"
2000 Karolus Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $39.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2003, 90 points: "Black licorice aromas, with very ripe fruit. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a Christmas pudding and dark chocolate aftertaste...."
2003 La Tour Blanche Sauternes Blend 750ml - $49.49
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 97 points: "Dark gold in color already, with intense aromas of dried apricots, citrus, honey and maple syrup with lots of spice. Full-bodied, with lovely sweetness and a long, creamy peach tart, tobacco, honey aftertaste. This is pure botrytis. Best ever from here. Has an incredible finish. Best after 2010. 2,915 cases made."
2000 La Vieille Cure Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $25.99
Wine Advocate 90 Points:"Wow, what a sexy wine! Deep ruby/purple, with a glorious nose of kirsch liqueur, caramel, and toast, this sweet, expansive, medium to full-bodied wine marries elegance and power brilliantly. The acidity is low, the fruit ripe, the tannins integrated, and the impression one of sumptuous, concentrated fruit. Drink it over the next decade. This is the best La Vieille Cure made to date."
2003 Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes Blend 375ml - $32.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 97 points: "Very, very intense aromas of dried apricot and lemon. Honey, syrup and Golden Delicious. Full-bodied, viscous and very sweet. Pour it on pancakes. Love it. And drink it. Who can wait? Best after 2010. 6,250 cases made."
1996 Lafite-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $899.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 100 points: "...This massive wine may be the biggest, largest-scaled Lafite...exhibits a thick-looking, ruby/purple color, and a knock-out nose of lead pencil, minerals, flowers, and black currant scents. Extremely powerful and full-bodied, with remarkable complexity for such a young wine, this huge Lafite is oozing with extract and richness, yet has managed to preserve its quintessentially elegant personality..."
1998 Lagrange St Julien Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $35.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2001, 88 points: "This dark ruby-colored, elegant, attractive effort offers spicy new oak, medium body, excellent concentration as well as depth, surprising softness, and early appeal. As with many Medocs, Lagrange's tannins are much friendlier since bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2015."
1998 Larcis-Ducasse Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $39.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2001, 88 points: "Lots of wet earth, berry and leather aromas in this lovely red. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Best after 2006. 4,165 cases made. JS"
2003 Larcis-Ducasse Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $37.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 90 points: "This noble terroir is finally exploiting its full potential. Situated near Pavie on a clay/limestone base topped with pure limestone, the brilliant team of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt has completely resurrected this great estate from the depths of mediocrity in less than two years. Fashioned from 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (2,500 cases produced), the beautifully elegant 2003 reveals sweet cedar, fruitcake, and aristocratic cassis and tobacco notes reminiscent of an exceptional Medoc. Complexity and nobility continue in the mouth with wonderfully fresh, lively, black currant and plum-like characteristics interwoven with kirsch. Expansive, round, and generous, with low acidity and superb fruit ripeness, it is a candidate for drinking during its first 12-15 years of life. It is undeniably disarming at present, but will it close down? Anticipated maturity: now-2016."
2000 Latour, Chateau Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $3,000.00
Wine Spectator, Mar 2003, 100 points: "A young wine that electrifies every taste bud in your mouth. Compacted aromas of crushed currants and minerals, with roses and lilacs. Full-bodied, with masses of silky, refined tannins and a finish that lasts for minutes. Stunning...."
2003 Latour, Chateau Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $2,500.00
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 100 points: "There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+."
2003 Latour, Chateau Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $1,099.99
2003 Le Dome Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $174.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 93 points: "An impressive combination of 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot from a vineyard adjacent to Angelus, the 2003 Le Dome is fashioned by the passionate, conscientious proprietor, Jonathan Malthus. While quintessentially elegant, it is surprisingly powerful with an ethereal perfume of blue, red, and black fruits intermixed with notes of violets and spice box. Savory, expansive, round, deep, and richly fruity, it is a medium-bodied, long, supple, evolved St.-Emilion to consume over the next 10-15 years."
1996 Leoville-Las Cases Bordeaux Blend 375ml - $129.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 98 points: "...one of the great modern day wines of Bordeaux. This wine's hallmark remains a sur-maturite (over-ripeness) of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Yet the wine has retained its intrinsic classicism, symmetry, and profound potential for complexity and elegance...a spectacular nose of cassis, cherry liqueur, pain grille, and minerals. It is powerful and rich on the attack, with beautifully integrated tannin, massive concentration, yet no hint of heaviness or disjointedness. As this wine sits in the glass it grows in stature and richness. It is a remarkable, seamless, palate-staining, and extraordinarily elegant wine - the quintessential St.-Julien..."
1996 Leoville-Las Cases Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $249.99
2000 Leoville-Las Cases Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $399.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2003, 100 points: "Absolutely fantastic. This is one of the most exciting young reds I have tasted in a long, long time. It shows intense aromas of berries, currants and minerals, with hints of mint. Full-bodied and packed with fruit and tannins, its long finish is refined and silky. A benchmark for the vintage. Las Cases has always wanted to make first-growth quality in a top notch vintage, and it certainly did in 2000. Best after 2012. 15,000 cases made. (JS)"
2000 Magrez Fombrauge Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2003, 98 points: "This is sheer nectar of the vine from proprietor Bernard Magrez's Chateau Fombrauge. One of the vintage's superstars, this prodigious effort continues to put on weight and richness. From the bottle, it may be even more impressive than it was from cask. An unctuously-textured blockbuster, with a wealth of fruit, and a sumptuous bouquet of spring flowers, espresso, blackberry liqueur, minerals, and toasty oak, it is full-bodied and seamless with extraordinary intensity, purity, and symmetry. It is rare to find a wine this fat and concentrated, particularly from Bordeaux. As it sat in the glass, an intense note of graphite emerged, but the oak (it was aged and went through malolactic in 100% new oak) has nearly disappeared! Where did it go? Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020."
1996 Margaux, Chateau Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $1,399.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 99 points: "... In many respects, it is the quintessential Chateau Margaux, as well as the paradigm for this estate, combining measured power, extraordinary elegance, and admirable complexit...The color is opaque purple. The wine offers extraordinarily pure notes of blackberries, cassis, pain grille, and flowers, gorgeous sweetness, a seamless personality, and full body, with nothing out of place...It tastes complete and long, although backward. My instincts suggest this wine will shut down, but at present it is open-knit, tasting like a recently bottled wine. The fruit is exceptionally sweet and pure, and there are layers of flavor in the mouth..."
1996 Margaux, Chateau Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $589.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 99 points: "... In many respects, it is the quintessential Chateau Margaux, as well as the paradigm for this estate, combining measured power, extraordinary elegance, and admirable complexit...The color is opaque purple. The wine offers extraordinarily pure notes of blackberries, cassis, pain grille, and flowers, gorgeous sweetness, a seamless personality, and full body, with nothing out of place...It tastes complete and long, although backward. My instincts suggest this wine will shut down, but at present it is open-knit, tasting like a recently bottled wine. The fruit is exceptionally sweet and pure, and there are layers of flavor in the mouth..."
2000 Margaux, Chateau Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $949.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 100 points: "...an extraordinarily promising nose of creme de cassis intermixed with white flowers, licorice, and hints of espresso and toasty oak. There is great intensity, compelling purity, a multi-layered, full-bodied palate, and a finish that goes on for nearly 70+ seconds. Bottled naturally, with no filtration, it is a monumental example of the elegance and power that symbolize this extraordinary vineyard. A tour de force in winemaking, many of my colleagues predicted, far earlier than me, that it would be the "wine of the vintage."..."
Wine Spectator, Jul 2003, 100 points: "Muscular yet classy. Breathtaking aromas of black licorice, violets, berry and cherry, with light hints of spices and minerals. It's all there in the nose. Full-bodied, with an ultrafine tannin structure and a finish that goes on for minutes..."
2000 Mission Haut Brion, La Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $699.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 100 points: "A superstar of this great vintage, the 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is as profound as the 1989, 1982, and 1975. It is more structured and tannic than the 1989, more civilized and refined, but not as thick as the 1982, and sweeter as well as purer than the 1975. The 2000 is neither flamboyant nor accessible, but what upside potential it possesses! In time, one might have to return to the prodigious duo of 1959 and 1961 to find a La Mission with this much potential. While still tight from bottling, its inky purple color is accompanied by extravagantly sweet aromas of blackberries, blueberries, toast, scorched earth, coffee, asphalt, graphite, and smoke. Super-intense and unctuously-textured, with a sumptuous mid-palate and finish, this is an explosively rich, layered effort that possesses everything I could ever want from a terroir that has given me as much hedonistic and intellectual pleasure as any other wine in the world. It is an amazing achievement for administrator Jean-Bernard Delmas, his son, Jean-Phillipe, and the entire winemaking team. The phenomenal aftertaste goes on for over a minute. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2045."
1996 Monbousquet Bordeaux Blend 3000ml - $274.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 90 points: "...slightly tannic, but it exhibits an exotic nose of kirsch liqueur, cassis, roasted herbs, espresso, and mocha. It possesses excellent texture, impressive depth and richness, and sweet toasty oak. The saturated dark ruby/purple color suggests a dense wine. The finish is both long and well-delineated, with moderate tannin..."
2000 Monbousquet Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $89.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2000, 95 points: "...bottled unfined and unfiltered, it exemplifies proprietor Perse's enormous efforts. Black and blue to the rim, this wine represents the essence of this terroir. Its saturated black/purple color is accompanied by extraordinary aromatics of sweet blackberries, chocolate, coffee, incense, new saddle leather, and vanilla. Remarkable intensity, lively acidity, and abundant tannin provide definition and grip. This is the most intense, muscular, and "biggest" Monbousquet made to date..."
2003 Monbousquet Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $43.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2005, 91 - 94 points: "An elegant effort, with impressive delicacy and delineation, I do not believe it will ultimately possess the stuffing of the 2000, 1999, or 1998. Despite the vintage's heat and drought, it comes closer stylistically to the 2001. The deep ruby/purple-tinged 2003 displays aromas of sweet toasty oak, grilled meats, dried herbs, and sweet currant and plum-like fruit. Rich, concentrated, soft, and supple, it should be consumed over the next 12+ years."
1996 Mondotte, La Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 97 points: "An amazing wine...a super-star...amazing for both its appellation and the vintage, revealing a remarkable level of richness, profound concentration, and integrated tannin. The thick purple color suggests a wine of extraordinary extract and richness. This super-concentrated wine offers a spectacular nose of roasted coffee, licorice, blueberries, and black currants intermixed with smoky new oak. It possesses full body, a multidimensional, layered personality with extraordinary depth of fruit, a seamless texture, amazing viscosity, and a long, 45-second finish. The tannin is sweet and well-integrated..."
1998 Mondotte, La Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2001, 96 points: "An amazing tour de force in winemaking, this massive, opaque black/purple-colored offering boasts an extraordinarily pure nose of black fruits intermixed with cedar, vanillin, fudge, and espresso. It is unctuously-textured, with exhilarating levels of blackberry/cassis fruit and extract, as well as multiple dimensions that unfold on the palate. The 50-second finish reveals moderately high tannin. Despite its similarity to dry vintage port, it is not a wine to drink early. It is a colossal wine! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035. The ultimate garage wine, La Mondotte is ultra-concentrated, frightfully expensive, yet worth every cent."
2003 Montrose Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $229.99
Wine Advocate, May 2007, 100 points: "From Robert Parker's Hedonist's Gazette, May 2007. Please note, although scored 100 points by Robert Parker himself, this is NOT an official score. It was given at an informal tasting of 13 different 2003 Bordeaux wines he participated in at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, PA. "The unbelievable 2003 Montrose (rated 100) and Cos d'Estournel (rated 99) are two of the greatest St.-Estèphes I have ever tasted. Montrose is the more backward, and the Cos is more precocious, but both wines will benefit from 8-10 years of cellaring, and should last for 30-40 years.""
1996 Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $799.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 94 points: "...It possesses an exuberant, flamboyant bouquet of roasted coffee, cassis, smoky oak, and soy sauce. The impressive 1996 Mouton-Rothschild offers impressive aromas of black currants, framboise, coffee, and new saddle leather. This full-bodied, ripe, rich, concentrated, superbly balanced wine is paradoxical in the sense that the aromatics suggest a far more evolved wine than the flavors reveal..."
1996 Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $319.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 94 points: "...It possesses an exuberant, flamboyant bouquet of roasted coffee, cassis, smoky oak, and soy sauce. The impressive 1996 Mouton-Rothschild offers impressive aromas of black currants, framboise, coffee, and new saddle leather. This full-bodied, ripe, rich, concentrated, superbly balanced wine is paradoxical in the sense that the aromatics suggest a far more evolved wine than the flavors reveal..."
2000 Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $1,499.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 97 points: "...the wine offers a saturated ruby/purple color in addition to reticent but promising aromas of toast, coffee, licorice, creme de cassis, and roasted nuts. Dense, chewy, and backward, with tremendous purity and density in addition to obvious toasty oak, it is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and backward...."
2003 Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend 3000ml - $1,449.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 95 points: "Backward, powerful, and extremely tannic, the dense purple-colored 2003 Mouton-Rothschild, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, fashioned from yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare, with a finished alcohol of 12.9%, improves dramatically with aeration. With full-bodied, meaty, powerful, dry flavors as well as a huge finish, this high class wine should be at its finest between 2012-2040+. During its sojourn in barrel, it reminded me of a hypothetical blend of the 1982 and 1986 Moutons, but since bottling, it appears different, and even more tannic than those two vintages. I still believe the finest recent Mouton-Rothschild is the 2000."
2000 Palmer Alter Ego Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $59.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2003, 92 points: "This is super for a second wine. Fantastic aromas of chocolate, berry and coffee. Yet very classy and subtle. Full-bodied, with a reserved rich and caressing texture. Loads of ripe and wonderful fruit in this. Second wine of Château Palmer. Best after 2006. JS"
1998 Pape Clement Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $119.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2001, 93 points: "A prodigious effort from Pape Clement, this wine is smokin'!...a terrific nose of charcoal, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, minerals, and spice. This brilliantly-focused, medium to full-bodied 1998 already reveals a boatload of complexity as well as a remarkably long finish. A large-sized effort for this estate, it exhibits a sweet mid-palate and ripe tannin...Bravo!"
2000 Pape Clement Blanc Bordeaux Blanc 750ml - $54.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2003, 90 points: "One of the finest efforts of this mediocre vintage for white Graves, this 2000 offers up fruit cocktail-like aromas intermixed with scents of passion fruit, orange peel, lemon zest, and vanilla. Medium-bodied, with copious fruit, a fleshy mid-palate, and a dry, crisp, well-balanced finish, it will provide immense enjoyment over the next 7-8 years."
2003 Pavie Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $499.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 98 points: "This 92-acre vineyard, which enjoys an impeccable southern orientation, is composed of limestone on the upper slopes, clay and limestone in the middle, and sand and clay at the base. Proprietor Gerard Perse, who has done a brilliant job since acquiring the estate in 1998, continues to push the envelope of quality to higher and higher heights. Planted with 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes receives kid glove treatment with hand-harvesting into small plastic lugs, two triage tables, and aging for 28 months in 100% new oak that is purchased in advance, then air-dried and coopered according to Perse's specifications. In short, the man is a perfectionist, and the quality of all the estates he owns has soared dramatically."
2000 Pavie-Decesse Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 96 points: "...This wine, for about one-half the price of Pavie, is well-worth checking out ... to state it mildly! A brilliant effort, the wine has an opaque bluish/purple color and a gorgeous nose of sweet blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, and mineral. The wine is full-bodied, rich, with striking purity, fabulous delineation, immense body and extract, and sweet but high levels of tannin in the finish, which goes on for nearly one minute. This is undoubtedly the greatest Pavie Decesse ever produced and a modern-day Bordeaux legend..."
2003 Pavie-Decesse Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 96 points: "This 9-acre vineyard, situated on the limestone plateau above Pavie, is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 43 years. Pavie-Decesse has become a limited production cuvee since part of the vineyard was incorporated into the larger Pavie site. Production currently averages around 400 cases, depending on the vintage."
2000 Peby Faugeres Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $159.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 96 points: "...as one of the superstars of the vintage, the spectacular 2000 represents the essence of Bordeaux with an inky black/purple color, profound richness, and massive concentration. The provocative bouquet of smoke, liquified minerals, cocoa, blackberries, blueberries, and vanilla is accompanied by a multiple-tiered wine with sweet tannin and dry vintage port-like richness. It is full-bodied, yet remarkably well-delineated as well as light on its feet. With high tannin and extract as well as a whoppingly long finish..."
2003 Petit Bocq Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $18.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2004, 87 - 89 points: "A sleeper of the vintage, this impeccably well run St.-Estephe has produced a dark ruby/purple-colored 2003 with a sweet nose of cassis and blackberries intertwined with hints of licorice and earth. Medium-bodied, concentrated, and plump, it is a tasty effort to drink during its first decade of life."
1996 Petrus Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $899.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 92 points: "Proprietor Christian Moueix's 1996s have turned out well in the bottle. The 1996 Petrus is a big, monolithic, foursquare wine with an impressively opaque purple color, and sweet berry fruit intermixed with earth, pain grille, and coffee scents. Full-bodied and muscular, with high levels of tannin, and a backward style, this wine (less than 50% of the production was bottled as Petrus) will require patience. It is a mammoth example. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035"
1998 Petrus Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $3,400.00
Wine Advocate, 98 Points: "The 1998 Petrus is unquestionably a fabulous effort boasting a dense plum/purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of black fruits intermixed with caramel, mocha, and vanilla. Exceptionally pure, super-concentrated, and extremely full-bodied, with admirable underlying acidity as well as sweet tannin, it reveals a superb mid-palate in addition to the luxurious richness for which this great property is known. The finish lasts for 40-45 seconds. Patience will definitely be required. Production was 2,400 cases, about 1,600 cases less than normal. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040"
2000 Pibran Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $34.99
Wine Advocate, 87 Points:"Readers looking for a generous, full-flavored, uncomplicated, supple-textured, reasonably priced 2000 Pauillac should check out this wine. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by copious quantities of black currant fruit, low acidity, and some viscosity. This is a hedonistic, full-throttle Pauillac that should drink well for 10 to 12 years. If it develops more complexity, it will merit an even higher score."
2000 Pichon-Longueville Baron Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $314.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 96 points: "...offers up notes of barbecue spices intermixed with new saddle leather, creme de cassis, melted licorice, creosote, and a hint of vanilla. The wine is full-bodied, tremendously concentrated, with sweet tannin and a seamless finish that goes on for close to one minute. This wine has great purity, tremendous texture, and fabulous upside potential..."
2003 Pichon-Longueville Baron Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $189.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 95 points: "Wow. This shows so much ripe fruit and berry character with just the right hint of lead pencil and spice. Full-bodied and very chewy. Big and powerful. Beautiful wine. Superb. Best after 2012"
1996 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $174.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 96 points: "The 1996 Pichon-Lalande is just as awesome from bottle as it was from multiple cask tastings. For Pichon-Lalande, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is atypically high. This wine normally contains 35-50% Merlot in the blend, but the 1996 is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Only 50% of the estate's production made it into the grand vin. The color is a saturated ruby/purple. The nose suggests sweet, nearly overripe Cabernet Sauvignon, with its blueberry/blackberry/cassis scents intermixed with high quality, subtle, toasty new oak. Deep and full-bodied, with fabulous concentration and a sweet, opulent texture, this wine was singing in full harmony when I tasted it in January. Given the wine's abnormally high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, I would suspect it will close down. It possesses plenty of tannin, but the wine's overwhelming fruit richness dominates its personality. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025."
2000 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Bordeaux Blend 3000ml - $849.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 97 points: "...a singular/distinctive yet possibly controversial aromatic smorgasbord existing of creme de cassis, vanilla, and violets, but also tapenade and tree bark...a wine of extraordinary density, opulence, great presence, and richness. As the 2000 sits in the glass, notes of lavender and melted licorice emerge along with the distinctive tapenade aromas interwoven with creme de cassis, espresso roast, and cedar. The wine is full-bodied, with extraordinary purity and a tremendous texture. I suspect this wine will be relatively approachable young but evolve effortlessly. This is a dramatic, almost flamboyant style that is not classic Pauillac in one sense, but a classic wine..."
1998 Pin, Le Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $1,899.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2001, 100 points: "Incredibly rich, wild and exotic. Dark ruby in color, decadent with aromas of aged game, wild fruits and grilled meat. Full-bodied, with big, velvety, voluptuous tannins. It goes on and on. Don't share this with anyone; it's too wonderful. The best young Le Pin I have ever tasted. Seductive now, but wait. Best after 2010. 450 cases made. JS"
1996 Pontet-Canet Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1999, 92 points: "I was shocked by how backward the 1996 Pontet-Canet was on the three occasions I tasted it in January. This wine possesses superb potential, but it appears a decade's worth of patience will be necessary. The color is a saturated dark purple. With coaxing, the wine offers aromas of black currant jam intertwined with minerals, sweet oak, and spice. A full-bodied wine, it possesses layered, concentrated, sweet fruit, with an elevated level of ripe tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035."
2003 Pontet-Canet Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $74.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 95 points: "One cannot say enough about the labors of proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who has personally overseen the dramatic increase in quality of the wines at Pontet-Canet which started in a significant manner with 1994. This is a classic Pauillac-styled wine (meaning oodles of cassis flavors), as one might expect from a vineyard on the plateau of Pauillac, across the street from Mouton-Rothschild."
2003 Potensac Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $20.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 89 points: "The dark plum/purple-tinged 2003 Potensac is a sleeper of the vintage. Sweet, exotic scents of mincemeat, black currants, cherries, and crushed rocks are followed by an elegant, fleshy, forward, delicious claret to enjoy over the next 5-7 years, although this wine has a tendency to last longer. It is one of the finest Potensacs produced in several years."
2000 Quinault l'Enclos Bordeaux Blend 3000ml - $369.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 94 points: "...The powerful, multi-layered 2000 should rival 1998 as the finest Quinault produced. It boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous concoction of crushed blackberries, blueberries, and black currants intermixed with violets, licorice, and subtle smoky oak. It cuts a broad swath across the palate with an expansive chewiness in addition to terrific concentration, purity, and overall equilibrium..."
1996 Rieussec Sauternes Blend 750ml - $59.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 1999, 89 points: "This wine offers an orange, caramel, and honeyed nose with intriguing quince/kumquat fruit flavors, a complex personality, and a low level of glycerin in the mouth. This medium to full-bodied, long wine will be at its peak between 2000-2020."
2003 Rieussec Sauternes Blend 375ml - $35.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2006, 96 points: "No tasting note was given."
2000 Rol Valentin Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $159.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 93 points: "...most impressive vintage to date. The wine has developed beautifully in cask, and out of bottle is a gorgeously seductive, full-bodied, heady, perfumed style of wine, with a dense purple color and a sweet nose of blackberries, cassis, licorice, coffee, and toast. Layered, deep, and chewy, with considerable body, noticeable structure, and both muscle and delineation, this is a large-scaled Rol Valentin that should age effortlessly, yet be approachable in two to three years..."
2003 Sansonnet Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $27.99
Wine Advocate 87-90 Points: "A sleeper of the vintage as well as the finest offering I have tasted from this estate, this 2003 reveals a 1990-like opulence and ripe, heady character with low acidity, a sweet mid-palate, abundant fruit, and a broad, intoxicating finish. Letâs hope that an excessive fining and filtration prior to bottling does not rob it of character or texture. It should drink well for 7-10 years."
2003 Sarget de Gruaud Larose Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $17.99
2003 Smith-Haut-Lafitte Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $109.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 93 points: "Loads of blackberry and licorice with hints of meat and smoked oak. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and lots of very ripe and exotic fruit. Very exotic and wild. Rich finish. Best after 2009. 8,330 cases made. (JS)"
2003 Tour Haut-Brion, La Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $45.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 89 points: "Intense aromas of blackberry, spices, chocolate and raw meat. Loads of Graves character on the nose. Full-bodied, with soft, round tannins and a ripe fruit finish. Much softer than normal. Best after 2011. JS"
2000 Troplong-Mondot Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $99.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 95 points: "Combining remarkable elegance allied to considerable power and depth...Its saturated purple color is followed by aromas of ink, creme de cassis, graphite, and toasty oak. Full-bodied and powerful, with excellent balance, this is a wine of extraordinary richness and massiveness yet surreal freshness as well as vibrancy. The finish lasts for over 45 seconds and nearly conceals some hefty tannins. With fabulous definition, richness, and intensity, this is a compelling 2000..."
2003 Trotanoy Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $124.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2006, 93 points: "Lovely floral, blackberry, jam and cherry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate with velvety yet firm tannins and a long finish. Very tight and chewy yet balanced and fresh. Best after 2010. 2,000 cases made. JS"
2000 Valandraud Bordeaux Blend 1500ml - $549.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 93 points: "...it is a spectacular wine, and having tasted it three times from bottle, I am in love with it. Dense purple-colored, with a glorious nose of espresso, cocoa, chocolate, plum, black currant, and cherry, offering a true smorgasbord of heavenly delights, this medium to full-bodied wine still shows some relatively firm tannin, but the low acidity, layered, multi-textured mouthfeel, and tremendous purity are hallmarks of the Thunevin winemaking style..."
2000 Valandraud Bordeaux Blend 6000ml - $2,499.99
2003 Valandraud Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $238.99
2000 Vieux Chateau Certan Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 95 points: "...reveals notes of oak, tapenade, blackberries, spice box, licorice, and vanilla. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and powerful, with superb purity, low acidity, and high tannin..."
2003 Vrai Canon Bouche Bordeaux Blend 750ml - $17.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2004, 88 - 90 points: "This noble effort, displaying terrific purity, power, and richness, provides further evidence that Canon-Fronsacâs cool terroirs were beneficial in the torridly hot, dry summer of 2003. An inky/ruby/purple color accompanies aromas of violets, blueberries, and crushed stones. Powerful, rich, and generous, this sleeper of the vintage should be at its finest between 2006-2014."
1996 Yquem, Chateau d' Sauternes Blend 3000ml - $1,199.99
Wine Advocate, Apr 2003, 95 points: "...Light gold with a tight but promising nose of roasted hazelnuts intermixed with creme brulee, vanilla beans, honey, orange marmalade, and peaches, this medium to full-bodied offering reveals loads of power in its restrained, measured personality. There is admirable acidity, weight, texture, and purity in this impeccably made Yquem..."
1998 Yquem, Chateau d' Sauternes Blend 1500ml - $479.99
Stephen Tanzer, Aug 1998, 95 points: "Pale gold. Knockout aromas of creme brulee, coconut, vanilla bean, honey and orange peel. Lush and seductively silky in the mouth; its creamy, seamless texture makes it seem deceptively accessible today but sound acid structure should keep it going for 20 years or more. Not hugely sweet or tropical but very complex and fine. Firm, hazelnutty finish offers great length, if not quite the grip of the '89. 95 points"
2000 Yquem, Chateau d' Sauternes Blend 750ml - $299.99
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JJ Buckley/WineCommune | 7305 Edgewater Drive | Suite D | Oakland | CA | 94621 |
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It's the end of summer and the weather is beginning to cool off (at least in our part of the country), which means that our prices are too. Half of our inventory is ON SALE at 10% off, but the only way to receive this discount is by clicking on the link to our site here. Sale prices will not be reflected on the site unless you navigate to it by clicking the link in this e-mail.
