Weekly tasting group #058; Bordeaux left bank 2001, 2002 and 2003.

We knew the theme, but all wines were tasted blind.

• 2001 Château Belgrave 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Cassis and bell pepper in the bouquet as well as some good oak. On the palate cassis, some red fruits, sweet spices, some graphite. Ok acidity, fairly soft tannin with still some bite and some bitterness in the short finish. Overall: There are some really good components, but the wine is just not what it should be; a little more luxurious with a better length. Score 87 – 88, but I will put 87 in CT. Ready now and the next 3+ years.

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• 2003 Château Belgrave 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Creamy cassis and some bell pepper as well in the bouquet. Also beautiful oaky flavors. On the palate dark and red forest fruits, chocolate and vanilla. Firm acidity, tannin and bitterness. Medium to full bodied and a fairly short finish. Very good wine but needs a few more years of ageing. Around 2015 or 2016?

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• 2001 Château Giscours 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Beautiful bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits, licorice, sweet spices and beautiful oak. On the palate creamy dark forest fruits, graphite, beautiful oak and vanilla. Good acidity and tannin which is still slightly sticky. Medium plus length. Overall a beautiful, juicy and creamy wine which is in its early maturity stage now. No problem cellaring this until 2017. 90 - 91

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• 2002 Château Giscours 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Beautiful bouquet with cassis, cedar, smoke, chocolate and some bell pepper. On the palate cassis and other dark berry fruits, chocolate, some sweetness, good acidity and bitterness. Fairly soft tannin with still a good bite. Red fruits in the medium plus finish. Overall a beautiful wine in the first half of its maturity stage. Will drink nicely until at least 2017.

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• 2003 Château Prieuré-Lichine 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Creamy and expressive bouquet with cassis, graphite, cedar and beautifully toasted oak. On the palate dark forest fruits and graphite as well. Also some coffee and caramel. Good acidity and bitterness. The soft and round tannin still has a lovely bite. Overall a classical Bordeaux with good complexity and finesse. Early maturity now and it will drink nicely until at least 2018+.

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• 2001 Château Léoville Poyferré 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Beautiful and classical bouquet with cassis, luxurious oak and some barnyard. On the palate a bit dusty at first, but the cassis and other dark forest fruits follow quickly. Licorice and sweet spices as well. There is a pleasant touch of sweetness and also good and firm acidity and good tannin. The wine is well on its way in the first half of its maturity stage. Really lovely now and it will drink nicely until at least 2018+.

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• 2002 Château Léoville Poyferré 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Darker in color than the 2001. Beautiful and classical bouquet with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite and luxurious oak. On the palate ripe dark and red forest fruits, bell pepper, chocolate, a firm amount of acidity, tannin and bitterness. They made a great effort to make a beautiful wine in this lesser vintage and for the most they succeeded. The 2002 is more concentrated than the 2001 and at this moment the 2001 is more open for business. But the amount of bell pepper is more evident in the 2002. The 2002 probably has a longer future. Considering the pros and cons at this moment I have to score the wines the same, but possibly this 2002 deserves a score which is a bit higher. No problem cellaring this until 2020+?.

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• 2003 Château Léoville Barton La Réserve de Léoville Barton 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  In the bouquet dark forest fruits, coffee, mocha, smoke and a firm dose of toasted oak. Same on the palate; juicy dark forest fruits, toast, some bell pepper, firm acidity and mild tannin. Beautiful and classical wine with a future until at least 2020+. 90++ for tonight.

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• 2001 Château Montrose 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Beautiful and classical bouquet with dark forest fruits and luxurious oak. Same on the palate with good cassis and other dark berries, a touch of sweetness and some not unpleasant bell pepper, sweet spices, minerals and graphite. A firm amount of acidity and bitterness and good, still powerful tannin. A beautiful and focused wine which is in its early maturity stage now. No problem cellaring this until 2020+.

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• 2002 Château Montrose

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Beautiful and classical bouquet with dark fruits, graphite and white chocolate. Also a bit dusty. On the palate the wine was a bit dusty as well. I stopped making notes because all tasters including me had the impression the wine was not a 100% ok. No score.

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• 2003 Château Montrose 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Beautiful and classical bouquet which is still a bit locked, but shows beautiful and ripe dark forest fruits, beautiful and exclusive oak as well as some lavender. On the palate ripe dark forest fruits as well, some good chocolate, beautiful oak, a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness, soft bitterness and powerful tannin. Showing its potential, but also still very tight and not ready yet. It is best to wait until the early 2020’s at least and it will certainly drink nicely until at least the end of that decade. I have one bottle left, so I hope I have the patience to wait another decade. 96+ for tonight.

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• 2001 Château Pontet-Canet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This is one comparative note for the 2001, 2002 and 2003. In color the 2001 is the most transparent and the 2003 the most dark. In the bouquet all three vintages are almost the same. Very classical with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite (lead pencil) and luxurious oak with a beautiful toast. On the palate the 2001 shows good dark fruits, smoke, sweet spices, some chocolate and beautiful oak. Also a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness and soft tannin. All mentioned for the 2001 also goes for the 2002, but there is a little more extraction. Also more creaminess, coffee and finesse. The 2003 is a category of its own. Enormously concentrated, luxurious cedar, sweet spices, chocolate and intense luxurious juice, finesse and complexity. All three wines will improve with some more ageing. The 2001 will probably be at its best between 2016 and 2018. The 2002 between 2017 and 2020 and the 2003 between 2019 and 2025+. Wihout any doubt the best flight of the evening and I scored the wines as follows: 2001 - 91. 2002 - 92 and 2003 - 95+

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• 2002 Château Pontet-Canet 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This is one comparative note for the 2001, 2002 and 2003. In color the 2001 is the most transparent and the 2003 the most dark. In the bouquet all three vintages are almost the same. Very classical with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite (lead pencil) and luxurious oak with a beautiful toast. On the palate the 2001 shows good dark fruits, smoke, sweet spices, some chocolate and beautiful oak. Also a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness and soft tannin. All mentioned for the 2001 also goes for the 2002, but there is a little more extraction. Also more creaminess, coffee and finesse. The 2003 is a category of its own. Enormously concentrated, luxurious cedar, sweet spices, chocolate and intense luxurious juice, finesse and complexity. All three wines will improve with some more ageing. The 2001 will probably be at its best between 2016 and 2018. The 2002 between 2017 and 2020 and the 2003 between 2019 and 2025+. Wihout any doubt the best flight of the evening and I scored the wines as follows: 2001 - 91. 2002 - 92 and 2003 - 95+

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• 2003 Château Pontet-Canet 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This is one comparative note for the 2001, 2002 and 2003. In color the 2001 is the most transparent and the 2003 the most dark. In the bouquet all three vintages are almost the same. Very classical with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite (lead pencil) and luxurious oak with a beautiful toast. On the palate the 2001 shows good dark fruits, smoke, sweet spices, some chocolate and beautiful oak. Also a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness and soft tannin. All mentioned for the 2001 also goes for the 2002, but there is a little more extraction. Also more creaminess, coffee and finesse. The 2003 is a category of its own. Enormously concentrated, luxurious cedar, sweet spices, chocolate and intense luxurious juice, finesse and complexity. All three wines will improve with some more ageing. The 2001 will probably be at its best between 2016 and 2018. The 2002 between 2017 and 2020 and the 2003 between 2019 and 2025+. Wihout any doubt the best flight of the evening and I scored the wines as follows: 2001 - 91. 2002 - 92 and 2003 - 95+

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