Purchased from Stirling Fine Wines at $28 on the recommendation of Mud Puppy.

This attractive Lalande de Pomeral is extremely forgiving for novice Bordeaux drinkers. In the decanter it gives off meaty aromas of boysenberry and mushrooms. Quite pleasant considering its age (I did not expect much of a bouquet).

Over the course of 5 hours (after opening), the wine revealed absolutely no hard edges - a sign to me that it's very well constructed. Flavors of dark cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, and minerals intertwine with the obvious Bordeaux scent.

All in all, a very good bottle of young Bordeaux. I would expect this wine to further gain complexity and character with another 10+ years in the bottle.

RP rated it an 88 in Issue #140. My rating would not stray too far from that mark. In fact, I may bump it up closer to an 89 considering how enjoyable it was.