The True Believer

[Jeff Grossman]

A friend of a friend is selling some wine from his cellar. Too much wine, needs to thin his holdings.

Tonight, as I receive the list, I am told that he was a big Parker-phile and bought quite a lot of 2005 Bordeaux futures.

Indeed, most of the list is 2005 Bordeaux (if no year is present, then it's 2005). I think a lot of these are second wines. I've found notes on a few -- spirity, oaky, lifeless.

Does anybody know whether any of these are drinking nicely now?

ALVEAR PEDRO XIMENEZ SOLERA 1927
ANDEZON COTES DU RHONE ROUGE
CAVALIER BARTOLOMEO BAROLO VIGNETO SOLANOTTO ALTINASSO
CELLER DE L`ENCASTELL MARGE
CHANSON CHAMPIMONTS BEAUNE PREMIER CRU
CHAT LES GRAVIERE
CHATEAU ANGELOTS DE GRACIA
CHATEAU BALTHUS
CHATEAU BARDE HAUT
CHATEAU BEAUSEJOUR BECOT
CHATEAU BEYCHEVELLE
CHATEAU BOYD CANTENAC
CHATEAU BRANE CANTENAC
CHATEAU BRANON
CHATEAU BROWN
CHATEAU CAP DE FAUGERES
CHATEAU CARONNE SAINTE GEMME
CHATEAU CHAUVIN
CHATEAU CLOS DU MARQUIS
CHATEAU CLOS L'EGLISE COTES DE CASTILLON
CHATEAU CLOS PUY ARNAUD
CHATEAU CLOS RENE
CHATEAU COS D`ESTOURNEL
CHATEAU COTE DE BALEAU
CHATEAU COUSPAUDE
CHATEAU COUTET
CHATEAU CROIX DE BEAUCAILLOU
CHATEAU D`ARMAILHAC
CHATEAU D'ARCHE SAUTERNES
CHATEAU D'ARSAC
CHATEAU DE LA COUR D'ARGENT
CHATEAU D'ISSAN
CHATEAU DOISY DAENE SAUTERNES
CHATEAU DOISY VEDRINES SAUTERNES
CHATEAU DU TERTRE
CHATEAU DUHART MILON
CHATEAU FAIZEAU
CHATEAU FIEUZAL ROUGE
CHATEAU FIGEAC
CHATEAU FLEUR CARDINALE
CHATEAU FOMBRAUGE
CHATEAU FRANC MAYNE
CHATEAU GAZIN ROCQUENCOURT
CHATEAU GISCOURS
CHATEAU GOULEE
CHATEAU GRAND CORBIN D`ESPAGNE
CHATEAU GRAND MAYNE
CHATEAU GRAND MURAILLES
CHATEAU GRAND PONTET
CHATEAU GRAND PUY LACOSTE
CHATEAU GUIRAUD SAUTERNES
CHATEAU HAUT BERGEY ROUGE
CHATEAU HAUT BRISSON
CHATEAU HAUT MARBUZET
CHATEAU LA BESSANE
CHATEAU LA CLEMENCE
CHATEAU LA CROIX DE GAY
CHATEAU LA CROIX DU CASSE
CHATEAU LA CROIX ST GEORGES
CHATEAU LA FLEUR DE BOUARD
CHATEAU LA GAFFELIERE
CHATEAU LA GOMERIE
CHATEAU LA TOUR CARNET
CHATEAU LA TOUR FIGEAC
CHATEAU LAFON ROCHET
CHATEAU LARRIVET HAUT BRION ROUGE
CHATEAU LE GAY
CHATEAU LEOVILLE LAS CASES
CHATEAU LES GRANDS CHENES
CHATEAU L'HERMITAGE
CHATEAU LYNSOLENCE
CHATEAU MAGREZ FOMBRAUGE
CHATEAU MALARTIC LAGRAVIERE ROUGE
CHATEAU MARJOSSE ROUGE
CHATEAU MARQUIS D`ALESME BECKER
CHATEAU MEJEAN ROUGE
CHATEAU MESSILE AUBERT
CHATEAU MOULIN ST GEORGES
CHATEAU PAGODES DE COS
CHATEAU PAPE CLEMENT BLANC
CHATEAU PAVIE
CHATEAU PAVILLON ROUGE
CHATEAU PETIT BOCQ
CHATEAU PICHON BARON
CHATEAU PICHON LALANDE
CHATEAU PONTAC LYNCH QUINTESSENCE
CHATEAU PRIEURE LICHINE
CHATEAU RABAUD PROMIS
CHATEAU RAUZAN GASSIES
CHATEAU ROLLAN DE BY
CHATEAU SAINT PIERRE
CHATEAU SANSONNET 1.5L
CHATEAU SOCIANDO MALLET
CHATEAU SOUTARD
CHATEAU TOUR SERAN
CHATEAU TOUR ST. BONNET
CLOS LES LUNELLES
COUME DEL MAS QUADRATUR
DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER
DOMAINE DE LA VOUGERAIE 1ER CRU LES CRAS
DUTSCHKE ST. JAKOBI SHIRAZ
EDDIE FERAUD CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE
EPPALOCK RIDGE SHIRAZ 2002
FATTORIA SCOPONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2002
FATTORIA SCOPONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
GORETTI LE MURA SARACENE SAGRANTINO DI MONTEFALCO
JANASSE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES
LE MURA SARACENE SAGRANTINO DI MONTEFALCO 2003
LE MURA SARACENE SAGRANTINO DI MONTEFALCO
M. CHAPOUTIER ST.JOSEPH ROUGE LES GRANITS
MAS LUMEN LA SYLVE
MONTI PIGNOTTO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO RISERVA
MURCIA PICO MADAMA
PLANTES DU MAYNE
ROC DE POURRET ST EMILION
TE-AWA ZONE 10 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
VAYNIAC NAPA CABERNET SAUVIGNON

 

[Steve Edmunds]

holy smoke; lookit all the Bore-dough!

 

[robert ames]

it all depends on who you want to believe.

 

[Tristan Welles]

The sauternes listed are probably OK, no?

I haven't tried it, but I'd be willing to take a flyer on the Figeac -- 2005 was before the fall and all that.

 

[MLipton]

The Grand Corbin D'Espagne is built along classic lines, if not exactly profound. The Rollan de By and Tour St. Bonnet are a bit more meh, but still far from spoofy.

Mark Lipton

 

[Jay Miller]

I've heard GPL still hadn't gone dark. But I don't know from personal experience.

 

[Peter Creasey]

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm glad I have the Brane Cantenac. (For better or worse, I also have the Lanessan, D'Issan, and Meyne.)

. . . . . Pete

 

[MarkS]

Nothing wrong with cabernet...

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by Jay Miller:
I've heard GPL still hadn't gone dark. But I don't know from personal experience.

In my circles, GPL is still going strong.

Mark "Not Unix" Lipton

 

[Jonathan Loesberg]

I know you are only asking about Bordeaux, but Eddie Feraud makes great, traditional CdP. Janasse is too ripe for my taste, but it is a winemaker's wine and not an oenologue's wine.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

Figeac, GPL, DDC.

Of course the Alvear in another genre.

 

[Chris Coad]

I almost always like Sociando-Mallet, but I don't think I've had anything from them past 2000.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Karen Goetz]

...I read it as "True Belliviere..." so in a fit of thread drift has anyone tried the 2002 vintage lately (Esparses, Calligramme)? I was hoping these would evolve and I am not prone to dumping Loire chenin blanc becaususe it (they ) are full of tricks....

 

[robert ames]

my last 2002 calligramme was sublime. sigh. 2 years ago. didn't seem to be on the edge of anything.

when did you last put your toe in the water? what is the source of your apprehension?

 

[Jeff Grossman]

Temptress! Get thee behind me!

See the Bordeaux points!!! Aaah, points!