Our tasting group got together last Saturday to try some Bordeaux wines. A fascinating evening where we had the chance to taste some mature wines and compare the old style with some more modern examples. Special thanks to Jenise for sharing some of her cellar treasures. Bottles were served blind, except that the owner knew which was their own wine. Notes are in order of the tasting.
Jose Dhondt Mes Vielles Vignes NV a nonvintage champagne bought about 4 years ago. This was very good, minerally and crisp with both some apple fruit and baked brioche flavors. 3.5*
1966 Pichon Lalande pale garnet with bricking. Lots of old bottle bouquet initially, then sweet dried fruits. Figs, raisin, smoke. At first this seems like a generic old wine, but with more air some tell tale Pauillac graphite comes through. I waited all night for this to fall over the edge and dry up, but this wine hung in there for at least three hours, with persistent dried fruit and cedar smells. The tannins are fully resolved. This was a fantastic wine, for me the WOTN. 5*
1978 Ausone darker, medium garnet with clearing at the rim. Cassis, smoke and slightly vegetal blackberry leaf. Later powdered cherry in the nose as the green note lessens. In the mouth, some acidity and very elegant velvety tannins. The fruit was a little liquor like. This seems to have some years left, although the tannin may outlive what fruit there is. 4*
2000 Monbousquet dark purple color. Lots of sweet oak in the nose with some dense, blackberry, up front fruit. Peppery, hot in the mouth, with oak tannins noticeable also. A shock after the first two. Not my favorite style, but to be fair this was probably a little closed and way too young. 1*
2002 Cos d' Estournel reddish purple color. A very expressive nose, slightly candied red fruits, and a little violet. In the mouth this has big, rough, drying, tannins that clamp down in the middle and don't let go. A beautiful nose, but needs a lot of time right now. 3*
1995 Angelus dark red. Interesting nose, with brown spice, leafy, mint, black fruits, and cocoa. At least half closed, but lighter body, almost feminine, elegant style Bordeaux with good acidity and balance. Licoricy tannins that are slightly bitter at the finish. I would hold this a little longer, as it opened and picked up body with air. 4*
1996 Lynch Bages dark red color. Musty, leathery, dusty, nose, with tart red fruits. Someone mentioned Pomegranate which fits. A more experienced member of the group thought this was very typical and guessed LB right away. This has firm tannins and good acids. I liked this one. 3.5-4*
2004 Greysac sweet slightly candied fruit nose, some spice in the mouth. A bit modern and one dimensional, but not over oaked or offensive. Ready to drink. 1.5*
1999 Pavie this is very expressive and comes at you in layers with roasted smokey toasty aromas followed by milk chocolate dipped cherries. Concentrated dense fruit in the mouth, kirsch liquor going into cough syrup. Low acids. A travesty for me, totally anonymous. Others liked it. NR
2001 Monbousquet Some oak, but not as over done as the 2000 version. This has a strong aroma that Jenise mentions as B vitamins. Reminds me of brewers yeast. Soft in the mouth, with chalky tannins. Not my favorite. 1*
1971 Haut Brion most of us guessed this was much younger, I thought something from the mid eighties. Killer nose, high toned VA mixed with burnt tobacco, minerals, some brambly dark fruit. Tight and tannic in the mouth, but opens up with air. The nose stayed pretty smokey, but also some mushroom and soy flavors became noticeable. This wine to me seemed like it could use more cellar time to open and soften the tannins, but I'm not sure how much more positive development it will gain. 4.5*
Thanks again Jenise for bringing such great wines.
The #* thing is my completely subjective enjoyment score.
5 is wow, 4 very good, 3 enjoyable, 2 OK, 1 I didn't like.
Jose Dhondt Mes Vielles Vignes NV a nonvintage champagne bought about 4 years ago. This was very good, minerally and crisp with both some apple fruit and baked brioche flavors. 3.5*
1966 Pichon Lalande pale garnet with bricking. Lots of old bottle bouquet initially, then sweet dried fruits. Figs, raisin, smoke. At first this seems like a generic old wine, but with more air some tell tale Pauillac graphite comes through. I waited all night for this to fall over the edge and dry up, but this wine hung in there for at least three hours, with persistent dried fruit and cedar smells. The tannins are fully resolved. This was a fantastic wine, for me the WOTN. 5*
1978 Ausone darker, medium garnet with clearing at the rim. Cassis, smoke and slightly vegetal blackberry leaf. Later powdered cherry in the nose as the green note lessens. In the mouth, some acidity and very elegant velvety tannins. The fruit was a little liquor like. This seems to have some years left, although the tannin may outlive what fruit there is. 4*
2000 Monbousquet dark purple color. Lots of sweet oak in the nose with some dense, blackberry, up front fruit. Peppery, hot in the mouth, with oak tannins noticeable also. A shock after the first two. Not my favorite style, but to be fair this was probably a little closed and way too young. 1*
2002 Cos d' Estournel reddish purple color. A very expressive nose, slightly candied red fruits, and a little violet. In the mouth this has big, rough, drying, tannins that clamp down in the middle and don't let go. A beautiful nose, but needs a lot of time right now. 3*
1995 Angelus dark red. Interesting nose, with brown spice, leafy, mint, black fruits, and cocoa. At least half closed, but lighter body, almost feminine, elegant style Bordeaux with good acidity and balance. Licoricy tannins that are slightly bitter at the finish. I would hold this a little longer, as it opened and picked up body with air. 4*
1996 Lynch Bages dark red color. Musty, leathery, dusty, nose, with tart red fruits. Someone mentioned Pomegranate which fits. A more experienced member of the group thought this was very typical and guessed LB right away. This has firm tannins and good acids. I liked this one. 3.5-4*
2004 Greysac sweet slightly candied fruit nose, some spice in the mouth. A bit modern and one dimensional, but not over oaked or offensive. Ready to drink. 1.5*
1999 Pavie this is very expressive and comes at you in layers with roasted smokey toasty aromas followed by milk chocolate dipped cherries. Concentrated dense fruit in the mouth, kirsch liquor going into cough syrup. Low acids. A travesty for me, totally anonymous. Others liked it. NR
2001 Monbousquet Some oak, but not as over done as the 2000 version. This has a strong aroma that Jenise mentions as B vitamins. Reminds me of brewers yeast. Soft in the mouth, with chalky tannins. Not my favorite. 1*
1971 Haut Brion most of us guessed this was much younger, I thought something from the mid eighties. Killer nose, high toned VA mixed with burnt tobacco, minerals, some brambly dark fruit. Tight and tannic in the mouth, but opens up with air. The nose stayed pretty smokey, but also some mushroom and soy flavors became noticeable. This wine to me seemed like it could use more cellar time to open and soften the tannins, but I'm not sure how much more positive development it will gain. 4.5*
Thanks again Jenise for bringing such great wines.
The #* thing is my completely subjective enjoyment score.
5 is wow, 4 very good, 3 enjoyable, 2 OK, 1 I didn't like.