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| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.4 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 37 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 12/4/2023 & rated 93 points: Valandrau vertical (1991-2020) (Fribourg): Selected tasting notes from a complete Valandraud vertical (1991-2020) hosted by a collector with an estate representative. Main observation was that both the work the estate did during the transition phase 2000-2012 is clearly bearing fruit in more recent vintages, further helped by warmer growing seasons that are favorable for this cool site in St Emillon. Additional comments included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
This was decanted prior to serving. a spicy peppery element, fresh herbs, a ripe and pretty extracted fruit of cherry, earthy base notes but rather faint. a fresh palate, good presence and adding leather to the decent length finish. the amount of oak adds a rustic and plump element, but otherwise enjoyable and still in check. (491 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 5/7/2023 & rated 88 points: Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: Very ripe dark berries, dark red berries. Too ripe on the nose. Animalistic. On the palate ripe dark and dark red berries. Less over the top than the nose would suggest. Ripe fruit and minerality but not much more. Quite elegant, even though the tannins are a bit drying. With a bit of air this took a turn for the bad and dried out. At first 90pts, later 84pts.
Decanting: It didn’t develop well with air.
Group average: 87.5 pts
Group rank: Shared 27th out of 29 reds (1759 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/20/2023 & rated 80 points: Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
Slightly cooked fruit and beef juice like notes. There are some nicer, sweet features, but not enough to save this. Same on the palate. Too cooked and acidity is taking overhand. Very end of life from a drinking window perspective I found and a disappointing Valandraud. (1246 views) | | | Tasted by Burgnick on 12/21/2022 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 3 hours before serving. Plum fruit, cassis, dried prunes and earth on the nose. Palate is fresh but pruney. While I absolutely adore the 95,97,98 vintage of the more classic Valandraud, the 03 is not my preference stylistically as it it too modern. (1358 views) | | | Tasted by stevenc.rees@gmail.com on 4/12/2019 & rated 90 points: Definitely a newer style; Very tasty but needed to open up over an hour or so. Ready now. (3081 views) | | | Tasted by AlphaMikeFoxtrot on 2/23/2019 & rated 93 points: Ripe red fruits, tobacco, vanilla and baking spice. A very balanced wine despite being '03. Drinking very well! (2103 views) | | | Tasted by The Andrews on 9/16/2017 & rated 93 points: Tight to start, not a lot then at about 90 minutes it was fruity and bright red. Great with a steak! Still a a lot of acid. Will age but not an amazing wine. (3987 views) | | | Tasted by perry123456 on 6/15/2017 & rated 95 points: drank this for my birthday party along with a nice ornellaia... wow !
what a nice wine! drink or hold a couple more years! VERY nice wine (3554 views) | | | Tasted by Stefan75 on 4/18/2016 & rated 91 points: Not a typical bordeaux for me; bold new world style, not sure how this will develop further... (5145 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 2/3/2015 & rated 92 points: Souper avec Gaël et plusieurs autres à l'Os
Un nez chocolaté, épicé, avec aussi de lapâte de tomates (cab franc!)
Une bouche puissante, avec une droiture bordelaise, beaucoup de matière, de la mâche. Il est puissant et de bonne fraicheur, un peu asséchant. Il a un coté austère et complexe fascinant. 92 (5146 views) | | | Tasted by Cheungtp on 12/24/2014 & rated 94 points: Dark, opaque, bright in appearance. This is a well made 2003 right bank Bordeaux, without any cooked sensation. Rather it's very balanced, dark fruits, liquorice, coffee, cut wood, earth and some menthol. The wine is still developing it seems and better time is to further down the road. Solid structure, masculine yet creamy texture, with good acidity. Good length, with tobacco and red fruits lingering. Well done. (5001 views) | | | Tasted by mwanasheria on 8/21/2014 & rated 94 points: From magnum. Closed at first but then opening up with surprising freshness and minerality (for the vintage). Tobacco, chocolate, cassis, brambles. Quite nice. (4291 views) | | | Tasted by peterchoy on 3/18/2014 & rated 92 points: Appearance: Bright and clear, it is of deep intensity ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.
Nose: Clean, with medium intensity aromas showing black fruit of bramble, dark plum and blackberry, pungent spice of licorice, maturity notes of forest floor, some dried fruit of prune, kernel notes of dark chocolate, oak notes of cedar. The wine is developing.
Palate: Dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannin of ripe and velvety texture, the wine has medium (+) alcohol but did not feel warming, balancing with medium body and medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruit such as blackberry, dark cherries and plum, kernel notes of cocoa, maturity notes of tobacco, sweet spice of nutmeg. The wine has a long finish.
Conclusion: Very good quality St-Emilion garage wine, with highly complex aromas though not showing overt intensity, a delicate and elegant wine on the nose, but on the palate it is quite different, with good concentration and ripeness jumping out, with equally impressive range of flavors. Despite fairly high on alcohol level, it did not show any warming, complemented by the body and flavors, to give a long finish. It is ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 3-5 years. (4386 views) | | | Tasted by Strikermax on 10/11/2013 & rated 96 points: Romig, zwoel, chocolade, tabak. Zacht, lang aanhoudend. (3713 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 10/11/2013 & rated 95 points: Occasional dinner group; Bordeaux 2003 plus some extras.: Beautiful bouquet with ripe cassis, luxurious oak, cedar, smoke and tobacco. On the palate lush and ripe, but also classical with beautiful cassis, licorice, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Great length. Still youthful. Will probably improve with more ageing. 2018+? 94 - 95 for this evening. (2204 views) | | | Tasted by Jhcwine on 9/14/2013 & rated 91 points: Nose - Initially very tannic and closed. Opened abit over the evening. 92.
Might improve to a 93 with bottle age.
Palette - Tannic and closed throughout the evening. This bottle needs serious time. But not sure the fruit will be there (or any nose left) when the current wall of tannin eventually recedes. 90. (3277 views) | | | Tasted by Vintjener on 7/31/2013: A wine that too me is very hard to define.
Certainly it has a lot of fruit - bramble and dark fruit.
Underlying oak and a good well defined structure.
Quite cool and defined for the vintage. Good purity, but I found it hard to put my finger on anything that should indicate that this was right and not left Bordeaux. To me it could be both, very good but without clear definition.
I would drink it again though, but not buy it for my cellar. (3195 views) | | | Tasted by Champagneinhand on 6/25/2013 & rated 92 points: with the only RB represented in the flights of 2003 Bdx, this had a good nose of cassis liqueur and black plums, and some dark cherry. Bright acidity married well with tannins that were quite refined. A touch of cedar and typical Bdx damp earth and some vegetal rosemary. This had a nice long finish and hid its higher ABV well. Of all the 2003 class we had, this was the most fully developed and was clearly in its prime drinking window. It did show any signs of fading. This was the group top wine, when coming to being ready, but it wasn't my favorite of the 2003. Still a lovely wine that went well with bison strip loin with chunks of thick bacon. (3138 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 2/17/2013 & rated 91 points: Served double blind. Plum and cassis aromas, similar on palate with a backward start. At first I thought this a Super Tuscan with good energy, with Bordeaux as my Plan B. This opened up and developed more power and balance with a couple of hours in glass, so I'd expect this still needs another 5+ years in the cellar. (3445 views) | | | Tasted by GreatLibations on 5/17/2011 & rated 91 points: Deep garnet and crimson with aromas of spicy red berries, black currant, a bit of wet tree bark, coffee grinds and a pinch of cocoa. Full body with well integrated tannins that are like velvet on the tongue. Acid is mild to moderate so this is more lush with plenty of red and black fruit, throw in some dried Cuban tobacco leaf and crushed lava and call it a night. The finish lingers. Overall this is pretty straight forward yet has a bold intensity of fruit and tannin that keeps me coming back for more. (4029 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 8/26/2010 & rated 91 points: Horizontale Bordeaux 2003: Horizontale 2003
Nez discret sur la réglisse noire, peut-être un peu porto comme l’affirme le radio AM à ma droite. La bouche est dense, assez moderne, riche et compacte. Il fait presque nouveau Monde sauf pour sa finale droite. Bien fait, très mûr mais plutôt unidimensionnel et somme toute, un peu lourd. L’effet millésime se fait ici sentir. 90-91 pts (4324 views) | | | Tasted by noppakit s. on 10/19/2009 & rated 96 points: Big Name : A Night of St.Emilion 2003
Surprisingly clean for the 2003, 2-3 layers as well, mineral and more classic typical St.Emilion than the 2001. Hints a little bit scent of milk sometime. Very good in structure and well made. The finish is very long lasting. Big Surprise Indeed !!!
Drink now - 2020..................96+/100......................The real petit Petrus....................... (4994 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/3/2008 & rated 92 points: This opens with coffee, jammy dark fruit, licorice, mineral and roasted berries. Already open for business, this round, supple wine delivers ample pleasure. (4286 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/21/2007 & rated 93 points: Layers of ripe, sexy, chocolate covered dark fruit caress your palate. Very silky and sexy. Licorice, jammy berry and sweet plums are found in the finish. (4049 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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