Examination of Bordeaux

The goal here was to closely examine specific Bordeaux vintages. We started with some whits, then an older Bordeaux flight and then finally finished with some great stickies. I think the 2003s are drinking the best right now between the 2000, 2003 and 2005 vintages. We enjoyed the wines with Montgomery Cheddar from Neal's Dairy Yard and a good Comte

The Carbonnieux was really solid on this night.

• 2006 Château Carbonnieux Blanc 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  I quite liked this tonight. The last time I tasted this was our last Bordeaux tasting, about a year ago. This had a big lychee note on the nose, with good ctrus and acidity. It is fresh and delicious, bursting with ripe light fruit. The finish is the only nit here. While this will not bowl you over with complexity, it is a fine offering, price aside. As with last time, considering the price, this is not a great value, but this is a very good wine.

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• 2007 Château la Dame Blanche Blanc 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Solid "standard" Bordeaux Blanc. A good everyday drinker. This is in a heavier style, with even a bit of botrytis on the nose. Sweet lemon with nice acidity. Plain finish.

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The Palmer was still in good shape and the Poyferre has a long time to go. The Cos obviously will age for years. The Beausejour was a bit of a disappointment.

• 1975 Château Palmer 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A better bottle than the last one we had back in April. Asian spice, spice box, leather. Mocha develops with time in glass. Slight reduction with some Port character. Smooth and supple on palate with some slight tannin. Cedar and darker fruit on the back end of the palate with a moderate finish.

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• 1983 Château Léoville Poyferré 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  This was far more muted and reserved (even with a good decant) then I would have expected. Some red fruit developed on the nose, but it was mostly dominated by cedar. Fresher acidity on the palate with a moderate finish. This surprisingly has a good 10-15 years (at least) in the prime drinking window.

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• 1995 Château Cos d'Estournel 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  I've never been a huge fan of Cos. The nose had an overwhelming note of feet. It mellowed a bit, into spice, with oak and cedar. Too much wood and not a lot of fruit. The structure was there with good gripping tannins. Many years of development ahead, and it will need it.

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• 1998 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This is an odd place for a 98 - and our observations are consistent with some others here - this is undergoing a fast evolution. Lush St. Emilion fruit, with some sweet cotton candy. The typical mocha and wood are subtle, but there is not much behind the fruit. This falls off a cliff in the mid palate.

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These wines are young and have a long time to go.

• 2000 Château Gachon Montagne-St. Émilion Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Montagne-St. Émilion

  Anise and black pepper were evident, but this bottle was flawed.

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• 2000 Château La Louvière 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  This is nice quality for the price. Cedar, dark chocolate and mocha on the nose. After some time in the glass, this develops a very nice spice note. The fruit is there, but a bit subtle. The finish is good.

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• 2000 Château Clerc Milon 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Very good. Initially very tight. Graphite, tar, smoke, cedar box. I almost got some charcoal. The tanninc structure was excellent and I have no reason to believe that this will not sing for another 20 years. The black fruit is there but it is subtle at first, and will likely emerge over the coming years. The finish could be better, and maybe it will. But in any event, this to me is a very traditional Bordeaux at a very solid price point for this wine.

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• 2000 Château Pontet-Canet 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Third time having this wine and notes have been consistent. This is developing, albeit slowly. Deep dark color. Asian spice, anise, wood, mocha. The nose keeps developing in waves. The palate is quite lush and robust. Maybe not exactly in the traditional Bordeaux style. Deep dark fruit leads to a very good finish. On night two, this was even better, as some of the rougher edges had smoothed out.

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In general, the 2003s are in a pretty good spot right now.

• 2003 Château Monbousquet 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Good, but a lit out of whack tonight. I thought the wood was overwhelming. Earthy wood, wood chips, tree bark. It took considerable coaxing to get any fruit out of this and this remained tight and closed. Not sure this will ever develop into something beyond what it is.

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• 2003 Château Lascombes 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  I've never been a huge fan of Lascombes, but I liked this tonight. The nose is where its at with this wine. Mocha, chocolate, lush fruit with well balanced wood. The palate seemed a little disjointed, without too much fruit and it was too oaky. As with the Monbousquet, I'm not sure this will ever be anything more than what it is -- a bit too much wood. The finish was average.

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• 2003 Château Pontet-Canet 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A powerful delicious wine with a promising future (although on the second day, this may have been overshadowed by the 2000 PC). This has great spice on the nose with a magnificent blend of dark fruit and oak. Good gripping tannins, but everything is in good balance. This is still tight and concentrated. Will sit on remaining bottles for at least 5 years. A quality effort.

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Very good but oh so young.

• 2005 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This has a great future ahead of it. The nose is dynamic, the palate is powerful, complex and lush. Plum, blue fruit and wood on the nose. Good tannin on the palate with a shade of burnt wood and blue fruit. The finish builds and builds.

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• 2005 Château Puygueraud 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

  Ha. While I promised to not open one of these for several years, we popped one for the tasting. It performed very well. Nice dark fruit, good depth and concentration. Still, this has a long time ahead of it and could years several more years i the cellar.

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• 2005 Château Cantenac Brown 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Very good. Deep lush fruit nose with the right amount of wood. The palate is round and solid. Tannix, with nice oak. Very good development ahead of this. Very solid finish.

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• 2005 Château Duhart-Milon 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This is very nice, and resembled the Clerc Milon profile. Graphite, tobacco, and wood on the palate. Everything was well balanced. I thought it lacked some fruit and structure on the palate, but there is enough tannin here that it should develop and may round into form.

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The Rieussec, as good as it was, was still a little disappointing. The Suduiraut is terrific.

• 1990 Château de Fargues 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  From a terrific vintage, this lacked some of the oomph i expected. Sherry like character with clear oxidation on the nose. The palate had good sweet concentration with caramel apple. The finish was nice and long.

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• 2001 Château Rieussec Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Well what to make of this. We had some comments that it was possibly slightly flawed, and I tend to agree. EVEN SO, though, this just beautiful. Dense thick, luscious. Orange marmalade, caramel, sweet brioche. Lemony citrus finish. It seemed to be a bit progressed, which was the reason for the FLAW, and was missing that little extra something, but this is a knockout on its best day.

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• 2005 Château Suduiraut 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Really great. Light as a feather but great sweet concentration. Lemon tart with vibrant fresh acidity. Candied dried fruit. Terrific.

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• 1997 Romano Dal Forno Recioto della Valpolicella 94 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella

  Terrific. Dried fruit, perfectly extracted. Plum and tar. Great balance, dense concentration but no heat. Nothing out of whack. Capped by a solid long finish. My preference is slightly toward the Sauternes but this is excellent.

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