If you like St. Julien wine, you might want to try Mount Mary Quintet. The 2006 Mount Mary Quintet, in particular, is an excellent choice. I tasted it a few years ago at the Hong Kong Wine Society, which left a lasting impression on me. This wine is elegant and sophisticated, especially with two upcoming tastings. According to wine expert Jeremy Oliver, this wine has received an impressive 97-point rating. Oliver praised the wine's "terrific balance and focus" and smoky aroma of dark berries and plums, along with subtle notes of mushrooms, minerals, and cedary oak. Robert Parker awarded this 2006 vintage with 94+ points.
Delicate, melted tannins, subtle notes of dried herbs, and hints of briar and undergrowth accompany the wine's dark cherry, plum, and berry flavours were what we wrote on my tasting notes. The acidity is tightly knit, and the finish is exceptionally long. The wine comprises 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot, with the 2006 Quintet aged in barrels for 22 months. Thirty per cent of the barrels are large format, and only 30% are new oak.
Winemaker Rob Hall explained that John Middleton preferred the wine to have an alcohol content of around 12.5%, which can be challenging while still getting the phenolics ripe. However, Mount Mary managed to produce a modest 12.9% alcohol content. To J Middleton, the wine's colour is deep garnet, and it has restrained aromas of cassis, dried Mediterranean herbs, graphite, and loam, with a touch of cardamom and cloves. The wine is light to medium-bodied, with high acidity and medium-firm, finely-grained tannins. It is still tight-knit and needs to be aged for 2-3 years before opening. After that, it will continue to evolve over the next 8-10 years and be kept until 2024+.
Overall, Mount Mary Quintet 2006 is an exceptional wine worth trying.
Updated: Jul 21, 2024
Experience the taste of luxury with Chateau Senejac 2013- a delicious and well-balanced wine perfect for any occasion. Our recent tasting(the 5th one) of this wine on a sunny Saturday afternoon in April 2024 was a delight. With a deep ruby colour and no signs of ageing, it had a fragrant aroma of dry purple and red flowers. The taste was a delightful mix of fresh red, blackcurrants, and dark cherries, with a slightly dusty, meaty, cedary nose and a touch of wood spice. The palate was round, easy, and complete, with a well-balanced flavour that led to a medium finish, reflecting the grapes' characteristics and fruit length.
Chateau Senejac 2013 is a humble CB classification and origin but is less complete than in 2012 and not as intense as in 2009. However, it is slightly fresher and has intensity re-designed by creating certain complexities in blending 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. It is oak fermented and nurtured in French oak for 15 months, where 33% is new. The grapes are handpicked and sorted, and the vines are 45 years old, providing good economies of scale. This wine is from an excellent vintage with outstanding balance, structure, and phenolic ripeness and is stylistically akin to a mature Arsac Margaux. The best part is that it has been aggressively priced low yet shouts quality for the class. It has received a score of 89 points from Anthocyanes - Yohan Castaing. 92 Points was what we accorded to this wine during this tasting.
Indulge in the luxury of Chateau Senejac 2013, an improved wine for those who appreciate quality and balance. Its delicious taste and excellent value make it the ideal choice for any wine enthusiast.
We maintained that as a humble CB classification and origin, Chateau Senejac 2013 is not as complete as 2012; it is slightly fresher and has intensity re-designed with creating certain complexities in blending 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot to start. It is oak fermented and nurtured in French oak for 15 months, where 33% is new. Grapes handpicked and sorted. Vines are 45 years old; sufficient production provides good economies of scale. From an excellent vintage with outstanding balance, structure, and phenolic ripeness, this wine shouts quality for the class and is stylistically akin to a mature Arsac Margaux. That's good because this wine has thus been aggressively priced low at HK $183@!
Our upgraded score is DD92. The top score is decent at 89 points Anthocyanes - Yohan Castaing.
Our team, privileged to possess extensive knowledge and experience in the wine industry, had the unique opportunity to participate in a remarkable tasting of Chateau Pontet Canet. This exclusive event, hosted by Alfred Tesseron at the prestigious Hong Kong KCC Wine Society a few years ago, was a true testament to the exceptional quality of this wine. We were treated to various vintages during the tasting, with the 2012 vintage being one of the wine bottles served during dinner. The 2012 vintage, with its remarkably fruity and fresh character, stood out from the others, allowing us to appreciate this exceptional wine's impeccable balance and expressiveness.
Chateau Pontet Canet 2012 has consistently garnered stellar ratings from wine critics, bloggers, and merchants, including WA96 and Jeff Leve 96. This high praise, even after years of ageing in the bottle, is a testament to the exceptional quality of this vintage. It remains a top choice for discerning wine enthusiasts.
Awarding it 94-96, Neal Martin at Wine Advocate writes. 'What is a primeur report without one of Pauillac's most dynamic estates? I made the trip through the rain to taste their 2012. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 30% Merlot, the latter was cropped from 4th October and the Cabernet Sauvignon from 11th October, finishing six days later. 50% of the crop, once aged in new oak and one-year-old barrels, are matured in concrete vats, whilst 35% is aged in clay amphora quarried from their vineyard. The nose has great purity and terroir expression: blackberry, briary and background scents of fresh raspberry and cold stone. The definition is very impressive. The palate is interesting - quite different from the previous vintages. I love the tannins here. They are very fine but lend the Pontet-Canet great backbone. It is utterly harmonious, but I feel more understated, perhaps more controlled than recent vintages. The finish is much more reflective - a Pauillac politely informing you to go away and wait before bottling before making any judgment! This is a divine Pontet Canet - very succinct. Tasted April 2013.' Edited.
96 VertdeVin. The nose is fruity, gourmand and finely robust. It reveals notes of crushed cherry, blackberry jam and delicate notes of crushed strawberry combined with touches of liquorice, slight hints of oak, cocoa (discreet) as well as (very) discreet hints of caramelized oak, a hint of mushroom and a very discreet hint of blueberry (in the background). The mouth is fruity and beautifully fresh, offering minerality, a nice acid frame, and a good matter. In the mouth, this wine expresses notes of sour cherry, cassis and slight notes of crushed strawberry combined with hints of wood, a discreet hint of mushroom, a hint of liquorice, and a few slight woody notes—good length and persistence. There are hints of iodized minerals on the finish/persistence. Edited.
95 Larson. Very floral, dark fruity, ripe nose, multilayered palate, fruit purity and breadth, Ôø? Finely integrated tannin, crunchy dark fruit, long, juicy finish, and superb material. Edited.
