Monthly Tasting Group HWS #117; Bordeaux St. Julien except Léoville wines....

Our usual locations were not available, so we went to the house of the one who organized this tasting.

Every participant had to bring a wine of the theme. We did not know which wines were brought by the others. All wines were tasted blind, also without knowing when the wine you brought yourself was poured.

• 1983 Château Talbot 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Garnet red. In the bouquet red and dark berry fruits, forest floor, earth and tobacco. On the palate quite mature and showing some old age acidity, but at the same time still beautifully fresh red fruit with good acidity and round tannin. Autumn forest, mushrooms and a good length. Beautiful and mature wine and a great pleasure 1983 is still showing so fresh and lovely at this age.

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• 1988 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Ruby red and showing more depth in the color than Talbot 1983. The bouquet is not extremely expressive at first, but shows same dark berries, graphite and toffee. On the palate red and dark berries, earth. vanilla, high acidity, graphite and licorice. Cedar and some iodine as well. Beautifully mature refined and complex bouquet. Drink now or soon. Lovely now.

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• 1985 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Beautiful wine still and a really long time since I tasted this. The bouquet is mature, complex and beautiful with some barnyard and farm animals, earth, coffee and cedar. On the palate red and dark berries, chocolate, mushrooms, tobacco, fresh acidity and tannin with a pleasant bite. Some slightly salty impressions as well.

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• 1998 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Quite dark ruby red. The bouquet is a bit locked at first, but there are beautiful dark and red berries, some mint and barnyard. On the palate full bodied. Good dark and red forest fruit, some earth, very juicy, beautiful acidity, juicy and ripe tannin, some bell pepper, sweetness and licorice. Overall a full bodied and beautiful wine with a great promise for the future. This could well be one of the most promising left bank wines of the vintage. Still in its young maturity stage.

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• 1995 Château Talbot 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Garnet red. The bouquet is not very expressive, but shows red and dark forest fruits as well as sweet spices. On the palate earthy and mature impressions, cedar, barnyard and horse stable. Some cigar box and leather. What to say? A beautiful and mature Bordeaux, but will it improve? Honestly I don't know. It seems to be mature, but also not tired yet. Anyway; lovely and classical now and probably still a pleasure to drink and taste around 2022+??

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• 1996 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  In the bouquet mainly dark berries, some red berries as well, earth, cedar and blood. On the palate the first impression is that the wine is not a 100% fresh, but that disappears after a while. Then there are dark and red berries and cherries, bell pepper, earth, a bit rustic and earthy. The tannin is slightly edgy. Overall a beautiful wine which is ready now and will drink lovely over the next 2 - 3+ years.

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• 2004 Château Branaire-Ducru 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  The bouquet is at first not extremely expressive, but it shows autumn forest, dark berries, mushrooms and some mint. On the palate red fruit acidity, some earth, mushrooms, mocha and vanilla. Good acidity and fairly round tannin which is still a bit sticky still and also slightly drying. Early Maturity now, but can last another 3 - 5+ years. (And if I remember well, we tasted this wine from magnum.) 90+

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• 2001 Château Talbot 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  The first impression is that the wine is fully mature now. In the bouquet dark berries still, autumn forest and earth, but also a touch of celery. On the palate dark berries like cassis, laurel, some soy, a touch of sweetness, some salty impressions. Juicy and good acidity. The tannin is slightly drying.

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• 2000 Château Talbot 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Beautiful bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits, still a bit reticent, but there is some graphite, forest floor and luxurious oak and cedar. On the palate juicy dark and red berries, some bell pepper, dark chocolate and coffee. Beautifully fresh and juicy acidity and round, still youthful and slightly sticky tannin. Beautiful and full bodied wine which will improve a bit over the next 2 - 4+ years.

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• 2002 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  The bouquet is not very expressive, but shows red and dark forest fruits. On the palate red and dark berries, herbs, some bell pepper, good acidity and slightly sticky tannin. Juicy acidity and tannin which is a bit more edgy than Talbot 2000 in the same flight. I just saw this tasting note is more or less the same as the one from February last year. The wine will probably drink nicely until 2022+

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• 2006 Château Talbot 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Expressive and intense bouquet with dark berries, graphite, vanilla and some earthy impressions. On the palate ripe dark berries, oak, sweet spices, beautiful and juicy acidity and round, supple tannin. The wine has entered its maturity stage and is really beautiful now (and the next 3 - 5+ years).

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• 2005 Château Talbot 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  In the bouquet ripe dark forest fruits, some earth and beautiful oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, some chocolate, good concentration. beautiful red fruit acidity and fairly supple tannin for 2005. Beautiful and harmonious wine in the first half of its maturity stage.

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• 2005 Château Langoa Barton 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Luxurious bouquet with ripe dark forest fruits, vanilla from the oak, cedar and minerals like graphite. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, cassis, some bell pepper, beautiful oak, good acidity and a firm dose of well hidden tannin. This wine is starting to show its beauty now and will probably show even more beauty and complexity a decade from now; so around 2027. 93 - 95 for now.

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• 2000 Château Léoville Poyferré 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  In the bouquet beautiful oak and cedar, cigar box and all the ripe dark forest fruits you can think of. On the palate concentrated and ripe dark berries, vanilla, beautiful acidity and tannin which still has a lot of future. Beautiful and harmonious wine, already open for business, but in 2025+ this will still be great and probably even more refined. Thank you Vincent :-)!

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