Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

vintage 2015 | I did not know this château - which is nót the second wine of Soutard. Rich smell, toffee-like. Sultry. Fanning out. Warm. Morello cherries. Sigar box. Utterly lovely. — 2 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

I purchased this one in futures, likely in spring of 06 & delivered in late 07 to Spring of 08. Parked in my storage since then.

As it was then, 2005 was a grand vintage as acclaimed by critics. So, that is when you buy some fringe producers. Buy 2nd Bordeaux wines from excellent producers to fringe regions/producers. More often than not, you’ll find really good value as is the case here. $20 on release I think.

Long coravined two separate glasses.

The nose shows a touch of v/a, but nothing offensive. Mostly…it is good old fashion Bordeaux funkiness. There is mushrooms, soft cedar, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, poached strawberries, mid berry cola, anise to licorice, graphite, tobacco, sandalwood, steeped tea, forest florals that are dark and in a violet frame.

The palate shows no sign of being tired. The fruits still fresh, lush, round & ripe; brambly blackberries, blackberries, black plum skin, poached strawberries, raspberry hues, noticeable, moist, grey, volcanic clay, some chocolate pudding, (it is Saint Emilionish), mid berry cola/licorice, dry tobacco, lead pencil, volcanic ash, dry top soils/crushed limestone, dark spice with mid intensity, some black pepper notes, soft, even layered baking spices-clove, hints of nutmeg & cinnamon, understated vanillin, moist herb notes, dark, rich, earth w/ dry leaves, dark, fresh & withering flowers/red roses, rainfall acidity, balance for days, excellent tension-structure-length with en elegant, round finish that lasts 90 seconds and falls on clay & gentle spice.

If stored as I have, will hold a few more yrs and last another 7-8 yrs. You could make a case for 92 here.

Now some history on a producer likely many have not heard of/embraced. From their site:

This Flemish wine merchant family invested since 1924 in the Pomerol vineyard of Vieux Château Certan and in 1920 with Troplong Mondot in Saint-Emilion (sold in 1935).

The following generation, in 1946, George and Monica Thienpont, coming from their natal Flanders, moved into Puygueraud, restored the XVth Century chateau. After a long pause in polyculture, undertook the reconstruction of the vineyard whereby the first vintage would see the day in 1983.

In 1981, Nicolas Thienpont, with his father, engaged in the transition between a production oriented viticulture to one of excellence. Since 1983, the first vintage year mark, this approach has continued.

Since 2009, Nicolas and his son Cyrille Thienpont, have worked hand-in-hand for the crafting of this wine that over the last 30 years has become the flagship of the Francs Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation and a veritable jewel of Bordeaux.

Photos of; Chateau Puygueraud, Director-Owner Cyrille Thienpont.

#DSLounge — 5 months ago

Matt

9.3

Rescued from Russia, sharing with Chuck and carol. — 4 years ago

Willem Booij

9.4

Day one is was good, day 2 (Coravin) it is bloody fantastic. Just a wine some Pomerol producers hope to make with their grand vin. — 6 years ago

James Rose

9.2

I liked it a lot. #confinement — 6 years ago

Pekka Holma

9.1

Young St. Emilion blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Red berries, plum and smoky notes. Medium to full bodied, chrisp acidity and some heat from alcohol. Still a little bit off, needs year or two to settle down. Don’t know can I wait so long for this very decent wine with excelent value. — 7 years ago

with Nina

Michael Amoruso

9.1

2019 vintage. Could have gone much longer. Vibrant black fruits. Black plum skins. Dark cocoa. Earthy. Long finish. — 3 days ago

Rodney Miller

9.3

Straw gold, sweet citrus on the nose and tangerine and red apple. — 5 months ago

Michael Amoruso

9.1

Drinking great now. Vibrant black fruit. Cocoa. Earthy. — a year ago

Paco Suro

9.0

Pretty rich for a 2011. The CabFranc in the drivers seat. Want to see this in day 2 & 3. Perhaps if it holds up then it gets bumped up. Bumped… — 3 years ago

Sylvain Rhainds

9.5

1996
Grand vin ce poyeux. Mon plus vieux Rougeard....encore sublime — 5 years ago

Benoit Duhamel

9.8

Comment dire... j’ai bu beaucoup de vieux bordeaux mais je pense que celui-ci est le meilleur que j’ai goûté de ma vie, Je les aimes avec de l’age et celui-ci était définitivement le plus abouti. Bouteille parfaite, bu à mon sens à son peak. Des couches de saveurs, une complexité hors norme, le fruit est encore bien présent accompagné de sous-bois, de fumée, de boite à cigare, de terre. Mais surtout une persistance en bouche que j’ai rarement vu. J’en rêve encore. Grand vin — 6 years ago

Collin Brown

8.9

Solid Grand Cru. Congrats Natalie — 6 years ago

Peter Stern

8.9

Very nice item from Trader Joe’s! Soft, supple, rich. — a month ago

Zach D

8.9

Pours a lemon yellow with slight effervescence which dissipated quickly. Aromas of tart lemon, salt spray, alpine wildflowers. Body on the lighter side of medium, tart citric fruit and saline finish. Somewhat simple, finish is medium. A nice wine, but could do better for the price. — 5 months ago

Bridget Meagher

8.9

90%merlot 10% cab franc Josh — 2 years ago

KRISTIE

9.1

On the nose, expressive and elegant, Chateau Vieux Pourret has aromas of ripe fruit. On the palate, this wine is supple, round and velvety. — 3 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.0

I was really looking forward to one of the leading Grand Crus from CDP, but this bottle unfortunately was slightly oxidized. I could still taste the remnants of what probably is a great wine. Showing a lot of balance. Oh well, need to revisit. — 6 years ago

Fredybeans

9.3

Nez élégant de vieux bourgogne mocka terre et champignon bref automnale
Bouche ample généreuse profonde avec peut être un petit manque d envolée ... histoire d être difficile
Mais très maîtrisé à boire — 6 years ago

with Pico and El

JJ Lumia

9.2

Strolled into Trader Joe’s; the shelf was stocked with this. Couldn’t believe it. Picked up another half case. This is a phenomenal bordeaux and one of the best QPRs around. Haven’t tasted in a year and it’s just as memorable. Lots of great mushroom and sweaty gym socks with a dusty, tannic finish. Perfect example of a phenomenal wine at sub-$20 that drinks at 3-4x the price. — 7 years ago