Deep, dark sensations of smoke, tar and scorched earth emerge from the powerful 2001 Solaia. This fresh, vibrant offering is packed with dense ripe fruit. This is an especially rich, heavy style of Solaia that lacks the subtlety... Read More
Knockout aromas of wonderfully intense black and red cherry fruit loaded with cassis and a touch of new oak introduce medium-bodied, sweet, harmonious, very expressive and long flavors all underpinned by racy minerality and firm... Read More
The dark plum/purple-colored 2001 Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard exhibits sweet aromas of cherry liqueur interwoven with mocha fudge. Firm, hard tannin in the finish closes the wine down on the palate. This is a structured, seriously-endowed... Read More
The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits the classic Bryant bouquet of melted creosote intermixed with blackberry liqueur and other black fruits. It is medium to full-bodied, opulent and sumptuous, but the finish is shorter, with... Read More
The Cuvee Centenaire is produced from ancient vine (planted in 1889) Grenache (80% of the blend, along with 8% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre). The 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire is superior to the 2000, but slightly behind... Read More
Beautiful aromas of chocolate, berries, cherries and earth. Very complex and classy. Medium- to full-bodied, with very refined tannins and a long, fresh finish. A delicious, balanced red. Canon is clearly back on top and making... Read More
A distinctive, structured, mineral-infused, medium-bodied effort, the 2001 Canon exhibits notes of damp earth, sweet cherries, and spice, a firm structure, and very good purity. This is clearly an estate on the rebound. Anticipated... Read More
Beautiful aromas of chocolate, berries, cherries and earth. Very complex and classy. Medium- to full-bodied, with very refined tannins and a long, fresh finish. A delicious, balanced red. Canon is clearly back on top and making... Read More
I was surprised by how soft, opulent, even voluptuous the 2001 Cheval Blanc performed out of bottle as this estate's wines tend to shut down when young. Its deep ruby/purple color was accompanied by sweet aromas of cranberries,... Read More
A beautiful effort, the 2001 Cos d'Estournel (65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot) exhibits a poised, noble bouquet of black currants, cedar, spice box, and licorice. A hint of truffles emerges as it sits in the glass. Medium-bodied... Read More
I tasted two bottles of the Coutet 2001. The first had a distinct, rather pungent aniseed element on the nose and a slight bitterness on the palate. Calling for a second example, this is much more representative. Here is a typical... Read More
A strong performance by Far Niente's 2001 revealed a wine with lots of incense, black currant, sweet cherry, plum sauce and loamy soil notes along with a hint of smoky oak. The sweet, broad, expansive mouthfeel, full-bodied... Read More
Incredible aromas of flowers, currants, blackberries, and minerals. Full-bodied, with a supersolid core of fruit, incredibly finely knit tannins and a finish that goes on and on. This is really superb. Much better than from barrel.... Read More
Concentrated as well as aromatic, the 2001 Cote Rotie offers up scents of wild game, roasted meats, animal fur, berry fruit, and mountain flowers. Full-bodied, thick, concentrated, and tannic, it cuts a broad swath across the... Read More
Perhaps one of the more overlooked vintages in recent years, the Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2001 is one of the finest wines of the vintage. Here, one is immediately taken aback by the precision exuded by the nose: small dark... Read More
Made in an elegant, surprisingly low key style for La Mondotte, the concentrated, delicious, opaque purple-colored 2001 builds incrementally on the palate. An impressive bouquet of black cherries, creme de cassis, toast, and minerals... Read More
The 2001 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a very refined, elegant bouquet that demonstates more mineralite than the previous vintages: great tension here with marmalade, quince and dried honey scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a... Read More
Consistent from bottle (I tasted it three times), this is an outstanding offering, although not quite at the prodigious level of the 2000. Civilized and approachable for a young Leoville-Barton, it exhibits a saturated plum/purple... Read More
Jean-Hubert Delon thinks the 2001 Leoville Las Cases could turn out to be as good as his 2000. I'm not sure I agree, but it may come close. A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the... Read More
Earthy, backward and relatively reserved aromas lead to dense, round and while this is not especially complex at the moment, it is quite showy and extremely long. In short, this is very much a baby that will take its sweet time... Read More
A brilliant Forts de Latour, the 2000 boasts a dense ruby/purple color along with a vibrant nose of black currants intermixed with minerals, tobacco, and spice box. Medium to full-bodied, with loads of glycerin and fat (that nearly... Read More
From barrel, this wine received a high rating, but in subsequent bottle tastings, this narrowly constructed, lean, muscular, moderate tannic Marcassin Pinot Noir continues to disappoint. It is still an outstanding Pinot, but in... Read More
Fragrant aromas of damp earth, fresh mushrooms, gravel, anise, plums, and cherries emerge from the 2001 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge, which reveals this vineyard's distinctive perfume and singular quality. An atypical notion... Read More
Montelena's backward, elegant, complex 2001 Estate reveals a dense ruby/purple color along with foresty, earthy notes intermixed with black currant characteristics as well as sweet tannin. Always a less ripe outlier (although... Read More
Extremely pretty, with flowers, berries, chocolate and spices. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and ripe, silky tannins; long and caressing. Beautiful. Palmer shows wonderful refinement. Best after 2009. -JS WS