Wine Advocate
Robert Parker recently released his latest Wine Advocate including his report on the 2008 vintage in Bordeaux. He sees many wines from 2008 rivaling their 2005s.
"... the quality of the 2008 vintage turned out to be excellent, with a number of superb wines that are close to, if not equal to the prodigious 2005 or 2000 vintages (two years with many of the best wines I have ever tasted from top to bottom)"
Reviews
Robert Parker 95+ points
One of the stars of the vintage, and a remarkable achievement in 2008, with impressive richness, this dense purple colored wine is almost as opaque as the 2010. Spring flowers, crushed rocks, creme de cassis and some subtle oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine that transcends the vintage character in its power, richness, and aging potential. It also exhibits tremendous precision, purity, and depth of character. It is more forward than the 2010 is likely to be, but probably not as sumptuous as the 2009 will turn out to be. This is a wine to buy. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.
Wine Spectator 92 Points
This is dark and brooding, with a tarry wall holding the black currant, melted licorice and espresso notes at bay for now. Extra roasted sage, cedar and briar push in on the finish, which shows an old-school hint. Rock-solid. Best from 2013 through 2021. -JM
Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar 92+ Points
Ruby-red. Pungent, vibrant aromas of cassis, bitter chocolate and graphite. Silky and seamless, but with terrific lift to the tight core of raspberry, mineral and chocolate flavors. Strong but integrated acidity gives superb vinosity to the wine's racy fruit. Finishes brisk, perfumed and long, with suave, dusty tannins. This wine went into a shell with aeration, suggesting that it will need at least several years of bottle aging. I would not be surprised if it merited an even higher score ten years down the road.
Neal Martin 95 Points
Tasted at the chateau, the 2008 just surpasses my expectations from barrel. It has great clarity on the airy nose with blackberry, a touch of briary, cedar and graphite. The palate is finely balanced on the entry but then segues into a dense middle with bold, forthright tannins but counterbalanced with ample freshness and acidity. It is -classic- in style, linear but more feminine than masculine, with cedar and a touch of white pepper on the aftertaste. This is a great wine from Bruno Borie, perhaps a little more restrained in style than recent vintages with great breeding and elan. Drink 2014-2035. Tasted October 2010.
