Margaux Dinner, Harvard Fly Club

Tasted Wednesday, October 22, 2014 by heythatslife with 456 views

Flight 1 - Aperitifs (2 Notes)

  • NV Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve Brut 87 Points

    France, Champagne

    Aspires to be rich but ends up unexciting. Too honeyed and bready for what I like in champagnes. Carbonation is mild, leaving the champagne feeling limpid, which is not helped by the tame acidity. A friend preferred this to the Ayala served immediately after it, though, so each to his own.

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  • NV Ayala Champagne Brut 90 Points

    France, Champagne

    Second champagne served. Refreshing, more vibrant than the Philipponat. Green apple, citrus, vanilla. Spirited and fine-grained mousse. Long, tart finish. This could stand up to a wide variety of appetizers thrown at it.

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Flight 2 - Dinner (5 Notes)

  • 2009 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux

    This pushes at the boundaries of my white wine experience. This is not something everyone could try to pull off and succeed. Dusty hay, beeswax, tropical fruit, and almond on the nose. So viscous and unctuous, yet the acidity and freshness keeps it from becoming heavy-handed. Really coats the mouth thickly and asserts minerality. An expansive, long vanillic finish, to which I have objected with many a chardonnay but here, it somehow works. An amazing, complex, and thought-provoking wine.

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  • 2009 Château Margaux Margaux du Château Margaux (3rd wine) 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Has lots of fresh brambly fruit, with some red florals and blackcurrant leaf. There is also enough acidity to sustain the wine and keep it vibrant. Ready to drink now, despite slightly coarse tannins, with a good 5-6 years to go, I think. Overall it's enjoyable for its unabashed fruity-floral profile, and it's certainly not one of those generic Bordeaux blends that come a dime a dozen, but you do wonder if it's worth $100?

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  • 2005 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    With all the hoopla over the 2005 vintage that the critics stoked up, I was expecting something bolder and more flamboyant. Perhaps I had the wrong impression of what they meant to convey. What I found was somewhat calm but very elegantly balanced claret. I daresay quite classically styled, with cherry, leather, forest floor profiles, supported by good acidity. Tannins seem integrated. A slightly faltering finish mars otherwise an excellent wine.

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  • 1999 Château Margaux 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Not that I have any experience with Margaux, but it seems ready to drink? So seductive and silky from beginning to end. There's still an ample amount of berries, as well as tobacco, loam, and spice box. Quite persistent on the palate and continues to evolve in the mouth. Tannins are supple. A satisfying finish at the end. Not mind-blowing per se, but possessing a kind of effortless grace.

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  • 2001 Château Coutet Barsac 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    Deep gold. Lots of interesting things going on aromatically; petrol, botrytis spices, smoke, honey, vanilla, and tropical fruits galore. Some people might not like the smoky aspect but I dig it. Good volume and balance. Biscuity, spicy finish at medium+ length.

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