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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.4 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 124 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by schlub on 9/5/2017 & rated 90 points: Still holds up! (2756 views) | | | Tasted by John Tang on 10/19/2016 & rated 92 points: After 2 hours decant this wine turned out the same quality as a classed growth. Glad that I bought a case for daily drink. (3791 views) | | | Tasted by up4wine on 3/27/2016 & rated 90 points: Excellent fruit, excellent balance with even, integrated flavors. Nose offered round fruit and a little smoke. (3909 views) | | | Tasted by TexasBob on 9/27/2015 & rated 90 points: Gorgeous purple-violet color with noticeable sediment. Diluted Rubbing alcohol on the nose keeps the bouquet one-dimensional. Blackberry syrup with a bit of briar. (4278 views) | | | Tasted by edjBoca on 4/22/2015 & rated 90 points: Ok, some may say this is a generous rating. Pop and pour please. It drinks big, more like Napa. Tanins are mild, low acid, large fruit. Drink now....purchased for $14 in the 2003 futures campaign. Big currant and cherry, decent integration and an ok finish. Not much like Bordeaux, but at $14, it will challenge much of what California offers. (4501 views) | | | Tasted by up4wine on 11/16/2014 & rated 89 points: Bright fruit, good balance, very enjoyable wine. (3414 views) | | | Tasted by roybivens on 8/20/2014: This one took over two hours in a decanter to begin to develop, and didn't show well until past the three hour mark. Once it did, it was a nice treat. I think it can hold on a little longer, but not a long while. I plan to drink the other one by end of 2015. (2942 views) | | | Tasted by Wizaard1 on 7/28/2014 & rated 88 points: good fruit and tannin, but well past its time. aged oxidation, brown ring on glass. (2522 views) | | | Tasted by ddisler on 12/28/2013 & rated 91 points: This just keeps getting better, wish I had more. Opened and decanted 1 hour. Nose of plum and truffle with some graphite undertones. The mouth feel is just silky smooth and polished with solid black currant and other dark berry fruits. Medium finish. This seems much more balanced than my last TN on this wine. This seems to be in the sweet spot for age. (2888 views) | | | Tasted by dkfinancial on 12/19/2013 & rated 90 points: Extracted. Aromas & flavours of cassis, sweet tobacco and burnt sugar. Resolved tannins. Still has acidity to carry the pigmented flavours and 15% abv. Suggest to drink now through 2015. (2748 views) | | | Tasted by dkfinancial on 11/28/2013 & rated 90 points: Inky (still). Tight on opening. Allowed to breathe in bottle for about 4 hours. Aromas & flavours of cassis, graphite & red licorice. Extracted. Just a bit hot -- but not offensively so that you want to spit it out. This Bordeaux won't appeal to everyone. On typicity & terroir, it's an 87 pointer. The intensity of fruit and very long finish are the result of some serious winemaking skill. If this were tasted blind, I'd place it for Napa Valley and give it a 90. And enjoy it, nonetheless. (2532 views) | | | Tasted by Baylorwine on 11/15/2013 & rated 92 points: Much better than a few years ago. Kept opening up and became very balanced and complex. Much better after a few days. Very surprised! (2259 views) | | | Tasted by Always4wine on 7/29/2013 & rated 95 points: Now it's good! Last bottle of the case. Age, age, age! (2673 views) | | | Tasted by ddisler on 6/29/2013 & rated 89 points: Nose of black currant and forest floor. Soft on the palate with good black fruit and tannins, but finishes with an almost port-like alcohol bite. Possibly just the heat of 15% alcohol content, a little high for my liking. (2039 views) | | | Tasted by DanTheRhoneFan on 12/9/2012 & rated 84 points: At first opening the bottle was very much like my last tasting note.. Thin / metallic / a touch of green. Very disappointing. 79pts.. However, we did not finish the bottle so it was closed and left to sit for nearly 48 hours. 2 days later it was far better. I was surprised as I somewhat expected to have to dump what was left. Much better fruit and some tar/cigar notes. 89 pts. I will give it an 84 and split the difference. If others open this, perhaps give it some air and maybe some of that metallic green mess will be lessened. (2662 views) | | | Tasted by Chateau du Fey 1994 on 11/24/2012 & rated 79 points: Approached this wine open minded given the mixed reviews but I have to say it was very disappointing. Concentrated nose. Sweet taste. No acidity. Not at all what I would expect from a good vintage in Bordeaux. (2592 views) | | | Tasted by DanTheRhoneFan on 11/14/2012 & rated 80 points: Slightly sweet nose. Thin and mettalic pallete with not much fruit to be found. Bitter finish. This maybe over the hill by a year or two. (2601 views) | | | Tasted by rdsboca on 10/2/2012 & rated 86 points: Better than the last experice. Started to show early maturation. Decent wine but wouldn't seek it out again. Think that RP got this one wrong from his intial enthusiasm. (2775 views) | | | Tasted by Klugi Wine on 8/7/2011 & rated 79 points: This wine was totally over the top. OK, it was a half bottle, but still. The bouquet was of cooked plums and raisins. The palate had no structure and an awkward sweetnes. Could have neverl been identified as a Bordeaux.
I sold most of my bottles years ago. I have no clue what Parker saw in this wine. (4337 views) | | | Tasted by df1962 on 4/17/2011 & rated 91 points: Last bottle. PnVnD let air for 5hrs. Consistent with previous note. Showing a bit of fig along with the cassis coffee and herbal notes. Still very fresh and well balanced. Would like to have more to see how it develops over the next five years. Had it with rack of lamb - super match, of course. (4483 views) | | | Tasted by khmark7 on 3/30/2011 & rated 86 points: Showing the style of the vintage. Low acidity (for Bordeaux) and not very complex or developed. Easy drinking and simple. (4262 views) | | | Tasted by rdsboca on 3/21/2011 & rated 81 points: A tinny, metallic mess. Over oaked. Just not good at all. (4348 views) | | | Tasted by Baylorwine on 3/7/2011: No notes taken. (4353 views) | | | Tasted by dst on 3/3/2011 & rated 79 points: Consistent notes on previous tasting. (4819 views) | | | Tasted by tomandlu on 12/24/2010 & rated 80 points: Popped and poured. Opaque black-red color. Effusive nose of oak, iron, plums and dirt. Blatantly overripe on the palate with alcohol and an intense dirty metallic component driving the taste. Typical low-end 2003 and not to my taste, though nothing tastes off. (4549 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Gigault Producer Website - Read more about Chateau Gigault Cuvee VivaRed 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 RimmermanBlaye Côtes de BordeauxThis appellation has supplanted Premières Côtes de Blaye.
The original appellations associated with Blaye were Blaye, Premières Côtes de Blaye and Côtes de Blaye. Red and whites were allowed in all three. With the 2007 vintage, Blaye was designated solely for red wines and Côtes de Blaye for white. The appellation Premières Côtes de Blaye was eliminated and wines now use Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux. This for both reds and whites.
With respect to CellarTracker, this required some administrative decisions designed to prevent duplications. We have eliminated Premières Côtes de Blaye even for legacy wines. These wines are listed in CellarTracker with the Appellation they are using going forward.
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Blaye & Bourg AÔCs: A collection of appellations with distinct personalities are located across the right bank and Entre-Deux-Mers. These terroirs are all set on hillsides and therefore have the advantage of superb sun exposure.
Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux reds:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot
Soil: Clay and limestone
Surface Area: 5,213 ha
Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux whites:
Grape Varieties: Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Soil: Clay and limestone
Surface Area: 277 ha |
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