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dmcker's Review:

Drank at dinner in Tokyo, September 2009, with a Sardinian lamb and chestnut stew, and a cheese plate. The Masseto, which we had second after an excellent Chianti earlier in the meal, was my first experience with the wine. A truly, massively rich and deep merlot, with lots of oak showing. Tuscany does the Right Bank, in spades. Just in process of being released to market. Still has a greenish aspect. Wildflowers, licorice, cherries, hints of leather, rubber, earth and mint. Great balance, clarity, long finish but the oak needs more time to integrate. Very ripe, though with an acidity high enough to counterbalance. I have a lot more I could say about this eye-opening wine, and was most glad to make its acquaintance, but personally would prefer to drink it after it had considerably more age. When I buy some of it (after a careful search for the cheapest, most reliable vendor, since it is very pricey), I fully intend to discipline myself to let it lay for five, ten, fifteen years or more. A very different statement from the winery than their Ornellaia cab blend, which I've had several times before.

dmcker's Review:

At Italian dinner in Tokyo, September 2009. Color thick, dense garnet. Hints of spice, tobacco, flowers on the nose, Extremely well balanced, with very good length, acidity and well-knit tannins. Minerality was surprisingly elegant, as were its dark fruit characteristics. Almost a feminine nature. I hadn't remembered having the wine before, but when it entered my glass, and I smelled and tasted it, I flashed back to a time in Florence at the beginning of this decade when I had an earlier vintage.

dmcker's Review:

A bit of a disappointment considering the vintage. Also suffered from being served with '59 La Mission Haut Brion, '59 Latour and '61 Mouton Rothschild. This was the least of the four, by far.

dmcker's Review:

Last night I had a relatively cheap red from the Priorat region of Spain, Barranc dels Closos 2004, bottled by Igneus, that was a blend with a lot of garnacha tinta (80% with 20% carignan, I believe) in it. Unfortunately this was slightly damaged somewhere between Barcelona and my house in Western Tokyo, but I still could detect a far more sophisticatedly layered and tasty wine than I expected. Hints of chocolate licorice, hillside herbs and peppery spice, with lush fruit (especially roasted cherries). If I'd had this blind I might have guessed it was a pinot noir from an iconoclastic French winemaker I hadn't yet tasted.That a-typical for the Spanish grenache I've drunk so far. Pinot noir heading towards Port? And a great value for its price. The damage affected its balance (tannins vs. acids) a bit so I'll be looking for bottles from other shipping lots (or at least liquor stores), to see if I can find a healthier one.

dmcker's Review:

In spring '08 from privately held 750ml bottle, was an excellent example of its vintage and the work building it at Chateau Margaux.

dmcker's Review:

Last drank from magnum in 2008. Still maturing, not yet peaked.

dmcker's Review:

Excellent wine from a great vintage--smiles to everyone's faces at the table (even before serving, but more after)

dmcker's Review:

Best of the '59s I've had, and one of my favorites of all vintages everywhere

dmcker's Review:

Second best of all the '59s I've had, after the La Mission Haut Brion