While travelling a few weeks ago, opened these two wines on the same night.
2012 Figgins Estate Red Wine Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Chris Figgins is the son of Leonetti founder Gary Figgins, and this is his new estate label. Day one: initial pour tight and closed down. Bordeauxish scents. After an hour, scant fruit emerges--black cherry, blackberry, tobacco, graphite and a little herb--but this clearly needs time. Huge tannins. Day two: more open but still not integrated, and in fact a little sweet which shouldn't be a surprise from 2012. Definitely made for the long haul. 91 pts for potential but unpleasantly raw for current drinking.
2012 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Los Vascos Grande Réserve Colchagua Valley
So we opened the only other red wine we had with us, picked up on a lark somewhere along the way and opened after the Figgins Day One fiasco. Nice comparison: savoury and Bordeauxish with seemless, balanced fruit and herbaceousness plus some old world minerality that made it a very enjoyable drink. Terrific value for under $20.