St. Emilion Grand Cru-ing

This was a nice right bank event featuring Pavie, Pavie Decesse, and Troplong Mondot

• NV Philippe Prié Champagne Tradition Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light-medium gold color. I found this to be really quite good, nose displays apple, yeast, pear. The comes across with consistent fruit, mineral, yeast, hints of citrus peels, quite clean and fairly fresh. I did not find this bottle oxidative as some others have mentioned. Ridiculous value.

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• 2005 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark, purple-red color. As others noted this had a 1.5hr decant. It started off very well with a bold nose with fleshy blackberry, cedar, sous bois. The palate was filled with blackberry, tobacco, anise, very dense, ripe tannins, nicely balanced - at least initially. This was very good for about 30 to 60 minutes. After that it fell shockingly apart and was a bundle of acid and tannins. For a wine not yet at its supposed drinking window it is surprising that it would fall off so quickly with not a particularly long decant. Caution is warranted with decant times and long term cellaring. Maybe this was an aberration... (92pts on presentation, 86pts after an hour)

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• 2005 Château Pavie Decesse 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark, purple color, a very dark leggy wine too. This was a really fun wine, it got beat to death to make it show, but then show it did. I really enjoyed it., Rich and musty after some time in glass, tar, meaty, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, carmel, plum. The palate is concentrated and powerful, blackberry, spice, pepper, tar, meat, medium firm tannins, nicely balanced. My #2 and group #2 WOTN.

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• 2005 Château Monbousquet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Purple-black color. This had one of the best noses of the evening, and if the palate could have owned up to that, this would have been truly impressive. As it was, it was very good, but left you wanting for what that nose promised. Nose is tart, with bing cherry, slightly floral, lots of earthiness, smoky, savory, spicy oak and a distinct dill note emerges. Really dense and chewy on the palate, more rustic, earth, oaky, tannic, smoky, blackberry, prominent acid, too grippy currently. This should improve somewhat and for old school lovers, this is your wine.

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• 2005 Château Pierre de Lune 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark red-purple color. Nose was distinctly blueberry, somewhat herbal, earthy, oak, spice. The palate is ripe with a nice velvety texture, blueberry pie, blackberry, smooth, cigar tobacco and briary on the back end with, medium-plus finish. Excellent.

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• 2000 Château Pavie Decesse 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark, purple-red color. This had been decanted for about 4 hours. Now this is gorgeous. Beautiful perfume of sandalwood, leather, blueberry, blackberry, earth, smoke and minerals. The palate is impeccably balanced, elegant, wonderful, raspberry, blueberry, spices, sweet ripe tannins. Long finish. This is a beauty. My WOTN, group WOTN with 11 of 12 first place votes.

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• 2000 Château Troplong Mondot 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark purple - red color. This had a decant of around 2 hours. Very slow to come around in the glass even with that. Patience rewards though, nose very floral, blackberry pie, vanilla, mild earth. The palate holds layers of red and blue fruits, raspberry, blueberry, huckleberry,very oaky, fairly firm medium grained tannins, long finish with some spice. Extremely good, but was hoping for even more. This wine still needs a couple years more time to flesh out a bit and it could be outstanding.

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• 2003 Château Pavie 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Dark purple color. Decanted around 3 hours. Nose is tight, anise, cardamom, indistinct black fruits, spice. The palate is very dense, brooding, layered but hidden behind a wall of oak and tannin, prune, cranberry, mineral. Black fruit is here too but still way in the bakcground. Very backward and in need of serious cellar time. 92(+) pts.

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WOTN was the 2000 Pavie Decesse with 11 of 12 first place votes.
The #2 WOTN was the 2005 Pavie Decesse.