Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste - Pauillac 2011

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

90 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe8/31/2014

Good full ruby.  Fresh aromas of raspberry, cola, cinnamon, smoke and graphite.  At once silky and juicy, offering good intensity and a light touch to the smoky dark berry and graphite flavors.  Nicely penetrating wine with lovely vinosity and spicy, fruity persistence.  Boasts lovely texture and balance, offering plenty of early appeal but with the stuffing to age and improve another ten years.  This strikes me as one of the most successful Left Bank wines in 2011. (90(+?) points)

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/2/2014

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste exhibits a charming, open-knit bouquet of red and black fruits. It is a savory, medium-bodied, flavorful, well-endowed Pauillac from Xavier Borie that can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/19/2014

The licorice, tar and spice character with dried fruits and currants impresses me. Full body with firm tannins and a chewy finish. This is even better now than from barrel. Better in 2019.      

Wine Spectator

91 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/11/2014

Shows purity and focus, with a core of bitter plum, cassis and lightly singed vanilla notes leading to a silky, relatively unadorned finish that glides along. Flickers of cedar and iron should emerge with cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2025.

La Revue du Vin de France

16-16,5 / 20

the5/31/2012

On retrouve ici le velouté habituel du cru, avec une belle rondeur, des tanins suaves et mûrs, mais surtout une bonne densité et de la puissance. Un classique du cru.

Le Point

16,5-17 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/17/2012

Fruits noirs, bouche élégante, raffinée, des tanins plus enrobés que dans Haut-Batailley, l'autre propriété de F.X Borie, séveux, fin, long, tendu, plein, d'une grande finesse. O= 2018 G= 15 ans

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe5/12/2012

Ruby-purple. Enticing aromas of strawberry, white pepper and minerals. Then bright and fresh in the mouth, with lively red berry, aromatic spices and herbal flavors nicely lifted at the back by vibrant acidity. The finish is bright, smooth and perfumed but reveals a trace of heat.

Wein Wisser

17 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/7/2012

78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot. Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubinroter Rand. Florale, würziger Cabernet-Noten, Tabak-blatt, auch etwas Veilchen darin, dann Brombeeren und Cassis, mittlerer Druck. Im Gaumen stoffig, schon fast delikat vom Parfüm her, lang gezogener Körper mit feiner Adstringenz. Ein ehrlicher, femininer GPL, ganz dem Jahrgang entsprechend. 2019-2045

TAST

17-17,5 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2012

Vin de construction et d'expression d'un classicisme revendiqué et apprécié, texture serrée, tanin fin mais encore ferme et pas complètement intégré.

Decanter.com

17,5 / 20

the4/30/2012

Deep blackcurrant Cabernet fruit, elegant freshness and great depth, a true vineyard wine with a very good future. Drink 2017-2035. (17.5 points)

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2012

Overall, this is an elegant effort from Xavier Borie. A dark ruby/purple hue and a classic nose of smoky black currants and flowers are followed by a medium-bodied wine with more finesse and elegance than the blockbuster style seen in great vintages. Penetrating acidity gives the 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste excellent vibrancy as well as definition. Enjoy it during its first 10-15 years of life.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/27/2012

The 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. It has a slight subdued nose that demands some coaxing and eventually, perhaps reluctantly offers aromas of blackberry, wild hedgerow, sous-bois and damp tobacco. I find it missing a little vivacity and precision. The palate has a crisp, brine-tinged entry with chalky tannins. Typically masculine and austere, quite edgy and tense, the 2011 is a straight down the fairway, quintessential Pauillac with cedar and strong graphite notes on the finish. Leaving it for another five minutes, there is a cheeky scent of orange that develops in the glass and then...poof...it’s gone again. This is an intriguing Pauillac that keeps you on your toes. Tasted April 2012.

The Wine Cellar Insider

90-92 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2012

Using 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22 % Merlot in the blend, the wine will be aged in 75% new oak. Yields were 40 hectoliters per hectare. The focus this year was on sorting for the 2011 vintage. Pickers were given sheets with nine different photographs of unripe berries that they were to avoid placing in the basket. Grand Puy Lacoste used two tables to sort in the cellars. The wine reached 13.3% alcohol. Earth, cedar, cassis, forest floor scents, medium body, soft tannins and a crispy, fresh, cranberry and cassis finish are found in this wine. Drink this while waiting for the 2009 and 2010 Grand Puy Lacoste to develop. 90-92 Pts

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/17/2012

Drink 2018-2028
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot. 75% new oak. Deep crimson. Fresh, cedary cassis. Cool, supple and again refreshing. Pretty light but well balanced within that context. 17 for harmony, minus for levity. (JH) (17- points)

Wine Spectator

88-91 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/10/2012

Nice, fresh, floral style, with violet and sandalwood notes up front followed by a core of plum, bergamot and cherry sauce flavors. Lightly dusty finish. Has some weight in reserve and so could flesh out more.—J.M.

Wine Enthusiast

91-93 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/4/2012

n attractive and fruity wine that offers soft, cushioned tannins, along with ripe, easy fruit. —R.V.

Jamessuckling.com

91-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2012

This has lots of mineral and lemon peel character with dried flowers and currants. Full and very silky with fresh acidity. Long and intense. Racy and lean at the finish.