Winestreet Does 2003 Bordeaux
Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN
Tasted Thursday, July 27, 2006 by Siggy with 1,195 views
Introduction
Winestreet Spirits' 2003 Bordeaux tasting featured a killer lineup. This store does a lot of things well, but owner Brad Weiss' true passion is Bordeaux, and it shows. Where else can you taste this many amazing wines for only $40? After speeding through a few uninspiring bottles at the start, they brought out the big boys, including Pichon Lalande, Ducru, Cos, Haut Brion, and Mouton. I absolutely loved the Cos and Mouton. Just as exciting were a couple of great QPR finds, including Du Tertre (tasted for the second time) and Sociando-Mallet. In light of the insanity surrounding 2005 futures pricing, 2003 looks like a vintage to buy, especially on the Left Bank.
2003 Clos l'Église (Côtes de Castillon) 85 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Deep purple color. Ripe, jammy red fruit on the nose. Some licorice and smoky flavors, but the overall concentration falls a bit short. Extremely tannic.
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2003 Château d'Aiguilhe 86 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Deep brick red color. A more open, classically delinated nose than the Clos L'Eglise that proceeded it. Nice raspberry fruit; lots of tannin. The midpalate is a bit thin, and the finish turns slightly tart and acidic.
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2003 Château La Grave a Pomerol Trigant de Boisset 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Medium maroon color. Great nose of smoke and anise. The follow-through is more pedestrian, showing moderate red fruits, medium body and finish. Not as tannic as the first two wines in the tasting.
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2003 Château Bourgneuf 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Black core, ruby red color. Another great nose (smoke, tobacco, licorice) that doesn't follow through on the palate. Herbal and acidic, revealing only modest amounts of black fruits.
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2003 Château Sociando-Mallet 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Black core, maroon all the way to the rim. Ripe, almost jammy raspberries, plums, currants, and licorice. Fresh, bright acidity. Still primal, with loads of fine-grained tannins on the long finish. This wine is excellent and still quite primal; I would not be surprised if more smoky/earthy secondary characteristics emerged with bottle age. Two hours after opening, this wine shut down hard.
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2003 Château Meyney 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Ruby color, violet at the rim. Nose of pine needles, juniper; palate of red raspberry fruit and bitter chocolate. Nice acidity.
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2003 Château Lynch-Bages 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This was initially very closed; two hours after we first tasted it, it had started to open up nicely. Dark maroon color. Pencil lead, cedar, mild spice, and red fruits. Nice balance and acidity. There is a herbal/vegetal streak to this wine, not entirely unpleasant, that reminds me of the 1995 Lynch-Bages.
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2003 Château Pontet-Canet 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Maybe my palate was still adjusting from the dark, herbal Lynch-Bages that proceeded this wine in the tasting, but this wine came across as sweeter and more acidic than your typical Bordeaux. It isn't overextracted or over-ripe like many California Cabs, though, and it seems to have good acidity and tannin. Nose of kirsch; red strawberries and raspberries on the palate. It will be interesting to re-taste this by itself.
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2003 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 86 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
I liked this wine less than just about everyone else at the tasting. Maroon color. Moderate red fruits and green pepper. Turned a bit acidic and herbaceous in the glass.
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2003 Château Saint-Pierre 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Deep maroon color. Black cherries, with some tobacco/earth elements on the midpalate. Slightly vegetal. Quite tannic.
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2003 Château du Tertre 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
This is the second time I've tasted this wine, and it continues to show well. Maroon color, with excellent clarity. Dark, slightly brambly red raspberries, chocolate, tobacco, and earth.
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2003 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Somewhat reticent nose, with a whiff of brown sugar. Very tight and a bit green, with a bit of lemony acidity on the finish. Not revealing much fruit at the moment.
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2003 Château Trotanoy 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Rich red cherries and cinnamon on the nose. Much lusher and rounder in the mouth than the previous wines in the tasting. Plums and red raspberry fruit, with a touch of menthol/mint. Nice structure and acid balance. Intense and excellent.
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2003 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Brilliant clarity. Reticent nose. Jammy red cherries, spice, and tobacco on the palate. Seems very youthful. Softer mouthfeel. A slight green streak on the midpalate.
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2003 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Deep maroon with brilliant clarity. Amazing earthy/smoky nose that reminds me of the 1982. Rich plums, cherries, and red tobacco. Nice bright acidity. Ultra-fine tannins on the finish. This looks to be another awesome Ducru.
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2003 Château Cos d'Estournel 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Black core, deep rich ruby to the rim, scintillating clarity. Amazing nose -- iron/minerals, mushrooms, and pencil lead. Complex layers of rich, delicious red fruits, licorice, and smoke. Already showing secondary flavors and nuance. Wonderfully lush in the mouth. Great concentration, length, and focus. There is a lot of tannin here, but the balance is impeccable. It will be fascinating to track this wine's evolution over the next 20-30 years.
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2003 Château Haut-Brion 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Brilliant dark ruby. Slightly reticent nose. Elegant, lush red cherries and baking spices. Very complex and light on its feet. Elegance and finesse are the story here, not power. This wine seems to be closing down, but showed beautifully at this tasting.
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2003 Château Mouton Rothschild 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Rich, deep ruby, with brilliant clarity. Amazing, fragrant, constantly evolving nose of grilled meats, barnyard, and licorice. Jammy, rich red and black fruit. Rich minerality and concentration. Youthful, but already showing a lot of complexity and nuance. Amazing length and finesse for a wine with such power. This is a stunner of a Mouton! WOTN for me.
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