Lagrange 2003

St Julien 3GCC. Dried leaves mixed w menthol on the nose, still rather closed. Fortunately the palate is open for business - brooding, dark, serious and v ripe. Towering tannic structure. Heavy tobacco w tertiary flavors already in development. After 30 mins softened a bit but fruit is still dark and bitter.Stylistically, backward but full of polish and potential. >10 sec finish (9.0/10).

Montes Purple Angel 2008

Carmenere, Chile. The nose is promising - tobacco and balanced wood dominated scents- although not v open yet. But on the first sip, it shocks the system with brutal black fruit/ oak and alcohol combo. 3 aspects - Sweet, savory and alcohol-all trying to outdo one another. A modern bomb that shows you all up front, nothing subtle and lack secondary flavors. Not harmonious. Bitter finish as expected of this style. Not a 'bad' wine, just one that is too obvious (7.6/10).

Dixons Creek 2005

Yarra Valley, Australia - Bordeaux blend. A v dark inky purple greets you at sight. Nose is q offensive at first w disinfectant swab and methane, but tames within 30 mins to a mix of aggressive blackcurrants and oak. Mid to full bodied. Q lush, however ends w a tannic bitter finish. Q loosely structured but definitely a decent wine for short term consumption (7.8/10)

Teyssier 2004

St Emilion GC. Nice warm nose of fresh baked confectionery, marshmallows and some discreet oak. While the entry is q ordinary, it developed quickly into a good mid-palate of layering red fruit and spices. V lush, mid bodied texture. Definitely modern in style. Not sure about structure for aging but drinking beautifully now (8.4/10).

Penfolds Bin 138 2008

Shiraz/ Mourvedre/ Grenache blend - Barossa, Australia. Wet dog nose and vegetal elements as well, yucks. Really off - Astringent, and brute tannins attacking your palate. Brash, in your face. Yes there's fruit but the acids and oak are overwhelming everything. Unpolished and rough, why bother w the hassle of blending 3 grape varieties when the result you get is this. Q dismal (7.0/10).

Muga Reserva 2005

Tempranillo, Rioja Spain. Fresh raspberries and restrained oak on the nose. Silky texture - dark chocolate, blackcurrants, some oak in the background. Acids and tannins, both strong, but expertly judged - in harmony and balance. Mid to full bodied. Q a lengthy finish. Really nothing to fault, excellent from start to finish. Maybe more complexity in mid-palate would make this already great wine super. Fast becoming a big Rioja fan for its QPR (9.2/10).

Beaune Les Teurons 2004

1erCru Burgundy. Funny creature this wine - had it on 2 separate occasions weeks apart with 180 degree contrast. Earlier, the nose was invitingly cool, fruity and peppery. Good complexity and fine texture, a bit of roundness and fresh red fruit that prevents it from being austere. Mint, spice and fruit all in proportion - harmonious yet robust. Lingering finish. Easily high 8.0s.

Just 2 weeks later - highly alcoholic nose which didn't blow away, just a whiff of black fruit. Thin entry, builds a little to a peppery mid-palate, then hard astringency kicks in. Poured the whole thing into a decanter, but did not really improve over the evening. V short finish. Not sure if a long decant is the answer to the wild discrepency between the 2 tastings. Not rated.