Beautifully inky in color, it kicks off with rich black plum and blackberry on the nose, overlaid with graphite, crushed stone minerality, violet florals, and a whisper of tobacco leaf. It’s full-bodied with intense fruit concentration, plush mid-palate energy, and fine-grained, ripe tannins that give it a velvety yet powerful grip. On the palate, expect layers of cocoa, roasted almond, and dusty minerality, all held together by a saline, linear backbone. The finish is long and precise, echoing dark fruit, smoke, and a fresh mint-kissed lift. Though approachable now with decanting, its tannic structure suggests it shines better with a few more years in the cellar.

While some wines taste young for their age, this one really turns it around the other way, tasting far older than it is, in a really good way. The nose at first open shines with a little oil cured olive, but after some time to open up there's still that olive, but also a loamy mushroom, and some welcome pyrazines. There's some really soft and ripe red and black fruit, along with just a pleasant little hint of the barn. This just smells like it's going to taste structured, there's an elegance to it that surprised me at first, along with tertiary notes not often found in wine just a few years old. The palate is a little dusty both from the barn and from the tannins. The fruit is brighter than I expected, with a tart cherry, cranberry, violets, and then a lingering earthy finish. This has a lot going for it, and tastes like it has about 5-10 more years of age on it than it does. I would highly recommend this for anyone who thinks I must be goofy and wants to prove me wrong, or anyone who believes me and wants to get a really nice, structured, and tertiary showing Bordeaux for $45.

Wow! Lovely aromatic nose with hints of menthol and violets, with a soft fruity palate and long finish. The legendary "cailloux" or pebbles, in the property's soil really come through in the glass. This is an elegant, classic St-Julien and, considering its provenance, a killer value.