Second Sunday Group: 2003 vs 2005 Bordeaux 2nd Labels

R&D's
Tasted Sunday, April 12, 2015 by AllRed with 757 views

Introduction

The Sunday Group events are a bit different than our other double blind tasting groups. For this group, the hosts select eight wines, served double blind to the rest of the group in one flight. The wines are to be grouped into some sort of theme which can be a loose theme such as Pacific Northwest reds, or something more narrowly focused, such as a vertical of Phelps Insignia. The cost of the tasting is shared by the group. The group spends thirty minutes or so evaluating the wines in the flight trying to determine the theme. Wines are ranked by each taster from 1st to 8th. Votes are tallied as the group offers guesses as to the wines' identity. Wines are revealed from 8th place to 1st place, as ranked by highest points against. Ties are broken in order of 1st place votes, 2nd place votes and so on.

As everyone gathers we taste some warm up whites, double blind, provided by the hosts, with the occasional bottle of Champagne as well (usually nonblind). Following the themed flight of wines, we enjoy dinner and dessert provided by the hosts. Each taster brings a wine to enjoy with dinner which is served nonblind.

For this tasting, we had twelve tasters and the cost was $45/person.

Flight 1 - Warm ups (3 Notes)

This is the 2nd time since February that we have tasted the 2013 Terredora di Paolo. I really had no idea on the two Falanghinas. I thought they were definitely old world on account of the higher acid levels present, which I suppose could have led me to Italian varieties, but the hosts are not fond of Italian wines on account of the acid so Italy was not in mind, and there was no palate memory whatsoever from our previous taste. In any event, these were both pleasant, and I would not turn down a glass of either during a meal. The Champagne was tasted nonblind, courtesy of Neil, and while a little bit too mature to be truly special, it was still a pleasurable glass. Thank you for sharing, Neil.

Flight 2 - Main flight (8 Notes)

Right from the first smell of wine A, I knew it was Bordeaux and that remained obvious as I got to each of the wines in the flight. At that point I merely tried to identify what we were drinking and the vintage(s). Honestly I did think we had second labels, but that came about more because I know our hosts well and have a good feel for what's in their cellar. I would have expected Sarget de Gruaud, Réserve de la Comtesse or Les Tourelles de Longueville and the like (then again, for those wines the cost would have been less). Each of the wines had a fairly vibrant core but displayed some bricking as well, so these certainly had some age on them. I narrowed the range possible vintages to 2000-2003, and further to 2000/01. I thought we had a single vintage as the color on these was so similar.

In any event, this was a fun tasting. I was a bit surprised by the bricking on the 2005s, as I would have expected, perhaps incorrectly, a darker color. I was also surprised, as were our hosts, that the Bahans did not show any Pessac qualities of tar or iodine. This was certainly too small a sample to make any generalizations, but I will anyway. On a purely points against ranking, I had a slight preference for the 2003s, 16 pts vs 20, as my top two were 2003s, but two of my bottom three were also 2003s. I would say that the producer mattered more, but Haut Brion, and the wines of Pessac generally, I love, yet they were my bottom two. The Les Forts fared well- two of my top four spots, and Domino's top two. I will say this- the more 2003s I taste, the more I realize I should have bought more. In my mind I always expect to find them too ripe or plush, and it seems like every time I find myself enjoying them. My last thought is that I can start pulling the corks on my "lesser" 2005s as well, as prior to this tasting I'd have held them a few more years yet.

  • 2003 La Dame de Montrose 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Garnet core with some bricking. At first a little mushroomy, then iodine, red currants and berry fruit with hints of tobacco- smells like Bordeaux. Medium-bodied with noticeable acidity.,red fruit and tobacco flavors on the palate. This is nicely balanced, and as it opens the fruit takes on a darker profile. 91+ pts.

    My #2, Domino's #5
    Group #2, 39 pts

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  • 2005 Les Pagodes de Cos 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Garnet with some bricking. Aromas of coffee/mocha, sandalwood and red berry. Somewhat tannic with pronounced acidity- comes off as slightly disjointed. Shut down a bit in the glass aromatically, but the palate improved as the fruit came forward along with spice and herb notes and the acidity softened. My guess is that this is better than it showed today. Give this a couple of years yet.

    My #5, Domino's #7
    Group #8, 70 pts

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  • 2005 La Dame de Montrose 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Garnet core with some bricking. Notes of tobacco, plum, currants and florals. Tobacco, berry and cigar box qualities on the palate. Briefly displays a vegetal/bretty quality which then fades leaving tobacco and dark fruit notes. Strong finish with good balance; plenty of dark fruit and spice.

    My #3, Domino's #4
    Group #4, 55 pts

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  • 2003 Les Forts de Latour 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Deep core with some bricking. Notes of tobacco, red and black fruit with hints of graphite underneath. Black fruit, graphite and violet flavors with a long finish. This is immediately very appealing and my favorite of the first four wines. Everything becomes more amplified as this sits in the glass; it is very perfumed and elegant in the bouquet with potpourri and lavender, then tobacco and black fruit. Balanced and long in the finish. 92+ pts.

    My #1, Domino's #1
    Group #1, 33 pts

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  • 2003 Château Bahans Haut-Brion 87 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Garnet with a bit of bricking. Aromas of black currants and green tobacco with dark fruit on the palate. Has a plushness to it; decent finish. Doesn't change much as it sits- perhaps unfair to say after wine "D" but this comes off as somewhat boring by comparison.

    My #7, Domino's #6
    Group #7, 65 pts

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  • 2003 Les Pagodes de Cos 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    A bit of bricking, just as the others displayed. This is a little more ripe than wines A through E as well, with hints of raisin underneath plum and floral qualities. Flavors of ripe red and dark fruit, cherry jam and spice; slightly more acid here too. As it sits it becomes less ripe as the raisin notes fade a bit, adding tobacco notes.

    My #6, Domino's #3
    Group #5, 58 pts

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  • 2005 Château Bahans Haut-Brion 87 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Garnet with a bit of bricking. The first wine tonight that has a candied red fruit quality. Notes of boysenberry and candied red raspberry, followed by pepper and spice notes. Medium-bodied and a touch acidic, with flavors of red fruit and oak spices. Becomes less candied and forward as it sits, adding a nice tobacco overtone. Flavors of clay and red fruit.

    My #8, Domino's #8
    Group #6, 62 pts

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  • 2005 Les Forts de Latour 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Deep garnet core with some bricking at the meniscus. Notes of tobacco and red fruit with a very pretty perfumed, floral overtone. Flavors of red and dark fruit, well-balanced across the palate with a good finish. Shuts down a bit in the glass though, becoming more simple and reticent displaying a melange of red and black fruits on the nose and palate.

    My #4, Domino's #2
    Group #3, 47 pts

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Flight 3 - Dinner/dessert wines (11 Notes)

Dinner was a spring pasta salad with peas, asparagus and lardons, accompanied by a nice green salad. D made a terrific walnut "gooey" bar/blondie for dessert. All of these wines were tasted nonblind.

Closing

Thanks to R&D for another fun tasting.

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