Updated: Jul 22, 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.
This wine is bright, dark, and ruby in colour. It has interesting dry extract notes of rose, violets, lavender, fresh strawberry fruit flavour, blackcurrant, and pastille fruit precision. The 2007 vintage is well-structured and reasonably complex, starting with smoky cassis and new oak mocha coffee and vanilla flavours. The wine has a bright core and well-worked tannins, providing good length as a Cru. It's easy to drink without losing intensity, with balanced palate tension. The 2007 Malescote St Exupery is perfect for any occasion, but it may not be for you if you're looking for a super complex Margaux.
The harvest for the 2007 vintage was picked late, between October 9th and 20th, contributing to the wine's unique flavour profile with pastille tones in the fruit. The vinification and maturation temperature are controlled, and the wine is matured in 100% new oak, giving it a bold and robust flavour despite its bottle age. Depending on the vintage, it undergoes malolactic in the barrel. The wine is aged on lees with stirring, providing adequate intensity and complexities. It takes 13-14 months in the barrel before being racked without fining or filtration. The wine has an ABV of 13.5%, making it full-bodied. The composition includes 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. The soil is gravel overlying chalk or marl slopes towards the Gironde. The fruit is picked into trays to prevent crushing. The score is GG92Gilbert & Gaillard, who writes, "Deep colour. The nose is a mixture of ripe blackcurrant and sweet spice. The palate is pleasantly open to begin but quickly reveals moderately firm tannins. Great balance and ageing potential."
