Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Ch?teau L?oville Las Cases from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure creme de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid. Best after 2011. Wine Spectator 97 Points

Red Wine by Ch?teau L?oville Las Cases from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Number 6 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2007! Bordeaux's wet, cool 2004 vintage got lost between the exceptional 2003 and 2005, but Jean-Hubert Delon's St.-Julien estate consistently delivers excellent wines in both great and difficult years. Half of the Chateau's 250 acres are planted in the famous Clos Leoville Las Cases, a gravelly vineyard that gently slopes down to the Gironde river. The wine was fermented in a mix of stainless-steel tanks, oak vats and cement tanks, then aged for about 18 months in oak barriques. Wine Spectator 95 Points Performing better from bottle than it did from cask, this blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc has put on weight over the last year. It exhibits the classic style of both Las Cases and St.-Julien in its deep black currant notes interwoven with sweet cherries, wet stones, and toasty vanillin. Made in a structured, medium to full-bodied style with superb concentration, beautiful purity, and admirable symmetry, this beauty is one of the strongest efforts of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028. -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate This super second lives up to its billing. It is rich and concentrated with dark tannins that lie over the ripe, jammy fruit and black, rich chocolate flavors. Acidity and wood are there, but only just hints after the richness of the fruit. A real, magnificent aging wine. -Wine Enthusiast

Red Wine by Ch?teau Ducru Beaucaillou from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. One can't say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien. An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate 93 points

Red Wine by Ch?teau Gruaud Larose from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Well done. Good, dark color to this '99, with lots of plummy, berry and cassis character. It's medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Best after 2004. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Ch?teau Gruaud Larose from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. This has the plump richness typical of Gruaud, its potent extract fragrant with blueberry and tobacco in a standoff between the green and black. The tannins are hidden behind all that fruit, not at all obvious, softed to chocolate scents. This shoud be at its best around 10 years from the vintage. -Wines & Spirits Plummy aromas, with leaf and tobacco undertones. Medium-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a medium finish. Balanced and delightful already... -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Ch. Talbot from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Aromas of blackberry, currant and mineral follow through to a full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a chocolate and light vanilla aftertaste. Subtle and long. Caressing texture. Hard not to drink now. Best after 2010. -Wine Spectator From bottle the 2003 is showing as well as can be expected. A soft, sexy, near-term style of claret with a deep plum/ruby/purple-tinged color, a big, sweet nose of anise, creme de cassis, smoke, Provencal herbs, and some spice box, it is opulent, fleshy, not profoundly concentrated, but rich enough. Everything is nicely balanced with silky tannin and low acidity. Drink it over the next 12-14 years as this is a seductive wine. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Larose de Gruaud from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Dark yet brilliant ruby, between purple and black. The complex nose at first suggests notes of light tobacco and cigar box, and then opens up to notes of roasted coffee, red fruits, spices, and prunes. Ample and fleshy in the mouth, with plenty of body and density. Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot.