Tag Archives: bordeaux

It’s my birthday

21 Sunday Apr 2013

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Well, it was and we celebrated a bit early because I was traveling.  Moxie indulged me with some Filet Mignons and I dutifully obliged with one of my last 1996 Lynch Bages.

I bought a case of this wine at a Parisian wine shop circa 1998 soon after its release.  I have been slipping a bottle out of the cellar every Christmas for a few years and decided to treat myself to one this week.  I can honestly say that this was one of the finest bottles of wine I have ever had.  There is little else a bottle of wine can do for me that this one didn’t.  Stored in the dark cave, it has matured and is starting to hit its peak at 16 years of age.  On the nose pure Paulliac cassis and blueberry.  On the first wave of palate covering richness there was blackberry, cassis and tobacco, followed by leather and cedarbox.  Not a hint of imbalance and absolutely gorgeous tannins caressed my mouth.  I forgot to time the finish, but it seemed to last forever.  The depth of concentration was so amazing that I just kept sipping, almost not wanting to spoil the tasting with food.  I could have sat there all night savoring every drop, but alas the steaks had to be grilled.  I pray that I still have more in the cellar and will vow to drink the next one in one year’s time.

A show stopping 95 pointer that I must give 5 stars to.  I just looked at pricing- currently running at about $150 per bottle, I think I paid $45 back in the day.  Stupendous wine that has truly rewarded my patience and cellaring.  I am grateful to the have been able to enjoy such magnificence.  Good night.

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Chevalier de Lascombes 2007

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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This is the ‘second wine’ of a ‘Second Growth Bordeaux’.  I’ll save you some time if you are unfamiliar with these terms.  In 1855, the Bordeaux wine region classified the best (read expensive) wines into 5 top levels, or Growths.  The First being the top notch wines, all the way down to the 5th.  There are 14 Chateau in the Second Growth tier.  When the winery makes its wine in barrel, sometimes the quality is not as high as required for the main wine.  This could be because of new vines, poor weather or whatever reason they deem.  These slightly inferior wines are then blended into the ‘second wines’ and sold at a considerable discount from the main wine.  The principle wine from a Bordeaux Classed Growth winery usually has a long aging potential, and as a consequence, it is not drinkable or mature for many years.  I find that most Growths are unapproachable for the first 10 years of their cellaring.  The ‘second’ wines are not made in the same method and mature much earlier. Whilst they don’t have the same aging capacity, they are drinkable much sooner.

I digress….  This wine is delicious.  Dark purple in the glass, it offers up some spiciness in addition to the black berry and earth I got on the palate.  Very smooth tannins are on point and the balance is great.  The finish is long on this one, and it leaves you puckered up for more.  2007 was not the greatest vintage, but the pedigree of this wine is evident.  It may be the ‘second’ fiddle but it hits all the right notes for a Margaux wine.  I would imagine 90 points from a pro, I’m giving it 4 stars.  Delicious on its own, it would pair well with Duck, Beef stew or Braised Lamb.

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Château du Cartillon 2009

26 Saturday Jan 2013

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Yet another showstopper from the great ’09 Bordeaux vintage.  A nice purple/red color that hinted of red berry and oak on the nose and transcended to show currants, raspberry and blueberry on the palate.  A really good tannic structure will make this wine last yet it is drinking beautifully right now.  Balanced and classy, this is a good drinking wine.  I’m stumped at what I would pair it with though.  Bang for the buck gives this 4 stars and 89 points in my book.

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Chateau Guillot 2001

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

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2001 Bordeaux is underrated. Following on the heels of the hyped 2000 vintage, it was overshadowed- and I’m glad. Prices were much lower, while quality remained high. I have just started to open my ’01’s and have found them to be approaching the ‘Claret’ age that I like. This particular chateau is peaking with fruit, tannins and secondary flavors all coming together. Classic Pomerol on the nose, there are dark berry fruits and cedar on the palate. Cassis rolls in as does some earthiness. Well integrated tannins are smooth, yet starting to fade ever so. A long finish gives the ultimate gratification. It’s hard to numerically score an aged wine, but I think this is a definite 91 pointer and worthy of 4 stars.

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Sainte Barbe Les Palus 2006

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

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With plenty of cellar time, this wine is showing nicely. Slightly subdued nose of blueberry meets a sweet dust gives way to a typical Bordeaux-style palate. Blueberry, cassis and some leather co-mingle with ripe tannins to produce a tasty wine that is at its peak. Drink up to 2017, alongside a Ribeye steak as the tannins will meld well with a streaky cut of beef. 3 stars, 87 points.

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Chateau Aney 2006

06 Saturday Oct 2012

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I found this ’06 vintage Cru Bourgeois hiding next to some newer wines. With 6 years of age, it drinks smoothly-starting with dark blue fruits and a tannic grip. It’s still a little young, with some hope for further mellowing and some further development. It’s nothing special, yet interesting in its own sharpish way. 3 stars, 86 points

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Autumn Reset

25 Tuesday Sep 2012

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This past Friday was the first day of Fall, a time to reset for the upcoming winter, a time to put away the bathing suits, and a time to start thinking of Chili, Pumpkins, Football and “Sunday Roast”.   I must admit, I need a bit of a reset as well.

On Sunday, I cooked our first Fall dinner of the season, it’s traditional in our house to sit together on Sunday evening and have an English style roast dinner.  Medium rare beef, Yorkshire pudding, mushroom gravy, horseradish, roasted veggies and Claret.  To be more precise, Leoville Barton 2001.  A five star wine that I wrote about in the spring.  Quietly maturing in my cellar for 10 years, it has rewarded my patience.  I am not going to go into tasting details, you can read my previous post on this awesome Bordeaux.  Instead, I am going to wax lyrical about the pleasures of cellaring a wine, watching it evolve and then opening it at precisely the right moment, with the right people.  It tastes exponentially better.

It’s been kinda rough for us lately and I wanted to refresh, relax and just enjoy some of life’s little pleasures.  Mission accomplished.  I really enjoyed the dinner.  The food and wine were superb, more importantly- I had my wife and children all sitting down at the table to have some quality family time.  No I-pods, beepers, cell phones- just us and the charm of a cool Fall evening.  It’s one of the few meals that all six of us likes.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, just take an evening off from your busy schedule and revert back to the basics for a change.  Happy thoughts!

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Leoville Barton 2001

Chateau Latour Camblanes 2009 and 2008

22 Saturday Sep 2012

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Yup, two vintages in one blog post- by accident. My local shop was running a BOGO on this wine. I am a little leery when shops are giving wine away at half price, a sure sign of it’s inability to sell. However, my goal is to taste every thing in this particular shop (not a huge selection mind you). So, I picked up my two bottles of Latour Camblanes and a bottle of Shiraz. When I arrived at the tasting site, I retrieved all the bottles from my bag and noticed that one of them had a green top on the capsule. Upon further investigation, the labels looked slightly different. I then realized that the staff had placed the 2009 vintage behind the 2008 and the SKU’s must have registered as the same item. I had paid full price for the 2008 and got the 2009 for free- as advertised. I was excited to perform a mini-vertical tasting and proceeded to open both bottles. I started with ’08 and realized my worst fears. The wine needed to be given away at half price, it was just shabby. No flavor profile, very little tannin and generally flat. Yuck. On to the 2009, not so. Cherry and tobacco, some edgy tannins and a crisp acidity made me come back for more. I did not drink any more of the 2008 because I believe strongly that life is too short to drink crappy wine. My drunk friend didn’t care and proceeded to polish it off for us, leaving the far better ’09 for me to ponder and enjoy. In a nutshell, 2009 was a far superior vintage in Bordeaux and this point was highlighted in our little tasting. I would imagine the ’08 was a combination of poorly made wine in an average vintage versus a little more effort put into a far better vintage. It’s a shame really because I am now poisoned by this brand. I will not take a chance on their wine, knowing that they did not perform in an average year and relied on nature to help them out in an excellent year. 2008 1 star and 80 points. 2009 3 stars and 85 points. Would I buy again? Nope.

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La Croix-Barton 2008

07 Thursday Jun 2012

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A Bordeaux Superieur from the 2008 vintage, this wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that is now hitting its stride. Very heavy on the Merlot, it has a certain flavor profile that I don’t particularly care for, but is generally a decent wine. Red fruits on the nose don’t really translate to the palate, perhaps because the blend is too heavy on Merlot. I didn’t notice any imbalance and the tannic structure is ok. Not for long term aging, this wine is a good drinking wine that is relatively low in alcohol and acidity. For the price, I would give this a 3 star rating and guess at 85 points. Nothing special, just ok.

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Cantenac Brown 2005

03 Sunday Jun 2012

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Served to me on a flight recently, this wine hails from the awesome 2005 Bordeaux vintage. Still in diapers, this baby needs many more years in a cellar to lose some baby fat, go into a traditional “dumb stage”, and allow the beautiful tannins to soften. With at least 20 years of life left, it is infanticide to pull cork on a wine with such potential, serving it at least 5 years too soon. The structure is correct, a solid backbone with excellent acidity. From the somewhat muted nose I sense cedar box, tobacco and leather- typical for the region. On the palate, some cassis and dark brooding fruit that are overshadowed by the tannins. A long aftertaste is telltale of this pedigree from a great vintage. I would reckon a 5 star effort worthy of 93 points, but caution on opening it before 2017, seriously. Patience will be rewarded as the wind melds, the tannins integrate and the secondary flavors start to evolve.

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