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 2001 Ausone has put on even more weight than I anticipated. The "wine of the vintage," this inky/purple-colored 2001 boasts a provocative, floral perfume of crushed stones, raspberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, licorice,... 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
This may be the biggest, richest, most intensely concentrated wine of the vintage in St.-Emilion (much like it was in 2000). Sadly, there are only 900 cases of this unfined/unfiltered 85% Merlot / 15% Cabernet Sauvignon blend... 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
There is only a tiny amount of the light gold/green-colored 2001 Doisy-Daene l'Extravagant (primarily Sauvignon Blanc). As the name suggests, it is extravagantly rich as well as very full-bodied with extraordinary purity and... 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
Leading off the vertical and coming from a year described as easy? by Jean-Louis, the 2001 Hermitage is a beautiful wine that possesses an elegant, perfumed and classical feel. Lavender, garrigue, violets and impressive dark fruit... 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