2001 Château Haut Baradieu Cru Bourgeois

Good Cru Bourgeois from St. Estèphe , although it does taste much more of red fruit with herbs. Tasted more like a burgundy for this one as the spices and complexity was missing. Still very enjoyable and classy with good structure and enough power that feels just right. Tastes better than most of the 2nd wines of St. Estèphe Cru Classe.

Drank with lamb shank at Le Bistrot, Macau

1996 Château Montrose

Drank so much of this wine during the wedding. This is what you would expect from a Saint Estèphe wine, although it does have the modern touch of being softer and being more spicy. Black fruit, cedar, earthy, tobacco and still lots of tannin. I remember that it drank well even after 2 hours but this time finished it within 1.5 hours. Excellent nose, well structured, good acidity. Always so much more better than the 2nd wine! Very good length and aftertaste. Among the St. Estèphe we have drunk in the past few months, simpler and more straight forward among the wines tasted from the region.

1990 Château Calon-Ségur

Thank you Alex for my first taste of this most romantic wine. Medium purple with fantastic nose of licorice, tobacco, spices, dark berries, plums. Chocolate, minerals, coffee, mushrooms and cedar. Medium to long finish, minty, sweet, where tannins well dissolved after the 18 years. Wonderful year and probably at a very good time to drink. Most impressive wine of the night.

1986 Château Cos d'Estournel

A day of spiritual "advancement" or rather a day marking the beginning of the spiritual pilgrimage. Thank you Emilio, Vanessa and the others who contributed to beginning of his long journey.

Opened the Cos D'Estournel 1986 to mark this day. The first hour, was with medium tannins, high acidity and mediocre. However, it does not feel like a wine that is from 1986, more like one from the 90s.

2 hours later after decanting waiting, dark ruby color, red and black berries, minerals and medium tannins. Fantastic structure and straight forward fruits. Was looking for the earthy tones but somehow it was missing. 2 more to go, will try in a few years again.

1999 La Dame de Montrose

Bought a 2 of these recently and decided to try it out tonight. Typical deep dark color Montrose. Strong nose, dark fruits. However, light for a Montrose, even though it is still lighter than expected for a 2nd wine.

http://www.chateau-montrose.com/