| Best Reds |
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1999 Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache
Pinot Noir; Burgundy; | $3960.00 | |
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" Full ruby-red. Impressively pure nose of raspberry, strawberry, minerals, oriental spices and sexy oak. Superripe, lush and highly concentrated; already very expressive in the mouth, thanks to its utterly silky texture and wonderfully fine tannins. Explosively long and youthful on the back end. Consistently pure and fine from start to finish." -- Steve Tanzer (97 points)
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1996 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $1199.00 | |
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" Full, deep ruby, by far the darkest of these vintages. Knockout nose of great precision: cassis, black cherry, lead pencil, licorice, dried herbs and mint. Densely packed and extremely unevolved; a powerfully structured wine with uncanny precision and penetration. Finishes with powerful, firm tannins and exceptional mounting persistence. An infant, but a great Northern Medoc '96 in the making." -- Steve Tanzer (96 points)
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2000 Chateau Petrus Pomerol
Merlot; Bordeaux; | $2999.00 | |
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" Bright ruby-red. Knockout nose combines mulberry, raspberry liqueur, toffee, iron and minerals. Silky and thick on entry, then extremely dense and backward in the middle palate, with superripe notes of liqueur, game and truffle. A remarkably impressive, rather wild Petrus in an almost late-harvest style. Finishes with big, thoroughly ripe tannins and gamey merlot flavors of roasted meats, truffle and red berry liqueur." -- Steve Tanzer (96 points)
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2000 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $555.00 | |
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" Full red-ruby. Roasted plum, currant, tobacco and minerals on the nose. Compellingly dense and thick but almost miraculously lively and light on its feet. Has a texture like liquid velvet, coating the entire palate. Wonderfully unmanipulated wine, with perfectly integrated acids giving it superb subtle vinosity and thrust. Finishes with outstanding building persistence, with the substantial tannins perfectly supported by the wine's fat middle." -- Steve Tanzer (96 points)
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1996 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $379.99 | |
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" Saturated bright, dark ruby. Perfumed, vibrant, very youthful aromas of cassis, violet and bitter chocolate. Dense and powerful, with great clarity of flavor thanks to a terrific spine of acidity. Almost painfully structured wine but not at all hard. Finishes very long and gripping, with a note of bitter chocolate. Drink 2012 through 2040." -- Steve Tanzer (96 points)
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1989 Chateau Petrus Pomerol
Merlot; Bordeaux; | $3399.00 | |
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" Full, deep red. Flamboyant aromas of red berry liqueur, earth, truffle and exotic woodsmoke. Hugely sweet and fat, with great ripeness and opulence and marvelous chewy depth. Finishes with huge but ripe tongue-dusting tannins and fabulous persistence. Drink 2005 to 2025." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
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1982 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $2199.00 | |
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" Full medium ruby. Aromas of currant, black cherry, licorice, minerals and flowers. Thick, sweet and deep; still young but in a gentler, lower-acid style than either the '86 or '96. Still, this boasts sneaky intensity and wonderful persistence. Tannins are substantial but thoroughly ripe. Drink 2004 through 2025." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
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1996 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $659.00 | |
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"Deep ruby-red. Vibrant, pure aromas of cassis, blueberry, licorice and flowers. A distinct step up from the above in sheer extract. Great sweetness allied with strong backbone. This has taken on more structure in barrel. Powerful, extremely persistent fruit really stains the palate. Very impressive." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
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