First one of these in about 3 years. Still young, but it’s drinking well with an hour in the decanter. The dusty, smoky nose is followed by dark fruit, leather, forest floor, and some wood spice. The tannins are still perky, so it works best with food for now. Wish I had more to drink over the next 10 years. 92 pts.
Thanks for the note - love this wine!
I just pulled a case of this out of storage a couple weeks ago and the first one I had was fantastic. No notes taken but I recall the dark fruit/spice notes mingling very well.
Me, too!
CT shows I have two bottles left, but I suspect it is only one, but every time I opened a bottle of this, since 2010, I’ve liked it, in all its various stages. One of many great QPRs in Bordeaux, to be sure.
I had four of these. I popped two of them this year and both went down the drain. They were horrid messes. One was badly, badly corked. The other was corked (I think) with also something else going on. I have had this wine in other vintages and like it, so I hope my other two bottles are much, much better than the first two.
Just had 2011 a few weeks ago, solid wine for the price point
all 2005?
Ian -
If those were the two you got from me, I’ll trade you back something. Sorry about that. I got these all from Max M. I liked it immediately on release, then checked in at 5 and then 10 years, and did not like how oak-dominant these remained after the fruit started to recede. Not a fan of this wine at all. None of the bottles I popped were bad though, just a modern, unbalanced wine IMHO (yes, for my narrow palate preference). You grabbed my 09s too. Try one of those and report back.
I had the 05 and 09 with in the last 6 months. Here’s my 2 cents:
2009 Château La Vieille Cure - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (10/17/2015)
Fantastic QPR here. Definitely a modern Bordeaux but with plenty of gravitas to keep it real. This has toned down and tightened up since I last had it, with lots of very ripe tannin in lock step with lovely cherry fruit. Moments of candied fruit on the nose. Drinkable now, but better in 5+ years. (92 pts.)
2005 Château La Vieille Cure - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (4/17/2015)
PnP. This smells good from the word go, but primary. Ripe and grapey, but with lots of graphite and cedar and a signature herbal note. The palate is still really firm, almost hard, and the flavors and textures are all fleshy, tarry tannins. This has relaxed since release when it was tough as nails, but wow this still needs lots of time. Seems very promising though.
Update: I froze the second half of the bottle (to preserve it) and thawed it a few days later… It really opened up and soften after this treatment, it actually came across like a classy Cali cab with a plush mouthfeel, some minty notes but with the seriousness too, like the Dunn Napa bottling. Still going strong. Impressive QPR.
Yes
Robert,
Not your fault. I do not hold you responsible at all.
I did pick up a 2010 from Total Wine a while back, and that was the one that I popped that I liked.
I still have the two 05’s and I think one 09.
Anyone had any real old ones? how do those age?
Every year I go back and try one of the six 09’s I bought. I can’t drink these. Just booze to me.
I don’t see any reason to drink the '09 now. I had one on release and will let the other sit until they’re about ten years of age. The '05 is much more structured (if not exactly old-school) as is the '10.
Drank a 2001 La Vieille Cure last night and it was lovely. Dark cherry fruit, cedar, and a little funk. Was worried it might be past it’s prime, but I think it could last another year. Planning a vertical with 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2009. Last bottles of the earlier vintages, but I have 6 of the '09. Unfortunately, I don’t have '05 but will look for a bottle.
I opened my last 2005 last week as part of a vertical tasting. Unfortunately it was corked and was the only bottle I didn’t have a back-up on. The 2004 was great and the 2010 has great potential but was pretty tannic and will sit for at least another 3 years before I try it again.