Fine Wines SG - “Judgement of Paris” Bordeaux Blend Dinner

A Bordeaux vs Rest-of-the-World tasting of Cabernet Merlot blends
21 wines across 7 flights, then a wildcard wine on its own (which I brought)

My contribution: Château Rauzan-Ségla 2006
and the wildcard - Château Léoville Poyferré 1975

To respond for each flight:
- Which is/ is not Bordeaux?
- Rank your favourite, and 2nd favourite

Winner (by popular vote): La Lagune

My Bordeaux guess: Correct

• 2007 Château La Lagune 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Floral and red berried nose, with grass, and pencil shavings. Good balance of acids and tannins, and a bit burnish, with blackberries, cassis, teak wood. Long finish of cassis and fern

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• 2001 Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata 91 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza

  Powerful cassis and blueberries, tending towards sweet and power, and some peat and ink towards the end. Fair finish

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• 2001 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 89 Points

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Very intense and herbaceous, with some blackberry and cocoa, and paprika

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Winner (by popular vote): Il Pino

My not-Bordeaux guess: Correct

• 2009 Château Kirwan 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Quite a lot of earth, wood, grass and blackberries. High alcohol heat. Long grassy finish

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• 2009 Tenuta di Biserno Il Pino di Biserno 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Feels very rounded, and with blueberries, cassis, and tomato leaves. Somehow the intensity is lacking

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• 2009 Château Cos Labory 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Quite a nice body, and eases down much, though the nose has a very sharp herbaceousness and spice. Felt like some wannabe of a top growth but not there yet. Still needs more years

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Winner (by popular vote): Le Stanze

My Bordeaux guess: Wrong (picked the Le Stanze)

• 2006 Poliziano Le Stanze Toscana IGT 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Rounded with black fruits and grass, and some graphite. Quite pleasant

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• 2010 Château d'Armailhac 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Acidic, tannic, and has lots of oak and fern, and blackberries. Good finish of leaves and stew

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• 2010 Pierro Cabernet Merlot 87 Points

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Rather pale colour, and acidic and red fruited, with candied raspberries. The body was rather light and finish slightly lacking

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Winner (by popular vote): Rauzan-Segla

My Bordeaux guess: Correct

• 2006 Château Rauzan-Ségla 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Rather pronounced nose, acidic and earthy, with paprika and pepper, but hard to detect the fruits. Good intensity, but could be better balanced

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• 2005 Mas de Daumas Gassac 92 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault

  Fair intensity, and nicely balanced with the red berries, herbs and spices. Quite well made

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• 2005 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva 90 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  A very big blackberry and stew. Quite cooked and cheesy

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Winner (by popular vote): Derenoncourt
My not-Bordeaux guess: Correct (but identified it as Tuscan instead of Californian)

• 2009 Château Branaire-Ducru 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Green, vegetal, earthy, bit of smokes and some alcohol heat. The finish was quite fair

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• 2009 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Floral, and quite a good amount of blackberries and grass. A good fleshy body and kind of eases on me

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• 2009 Derenoncourt Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills Lake County 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County

  Rather rounded, with blackberry, red cherries, and roasted tomatoes

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Winner (by popular vote): Musar

My Bordeaux guess: Wrong (picked the Musar)

• 2010 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano Mormoreto Toscana IGT 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  A peaty nose, and somewhat smoked and burnt on the palate, and some greens and blackberry

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• 2000 Chateau Musar 94 Points

  Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

  Very clear garnet, and pronounced nose of smoke and leather. Savoury, with red cherry, leather, and stewed meat. Nice!

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• 2010 Château Certan de May 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Quite a bit of smoke and pencil shaving, on top of the blackberry, and some paprika

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Winner (by popular vote): Canon-la-Gaffeliere
My not-Bordeaux guess: Correct

• 1998 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Intense and powerful, with blackberry, cassis, peat, pencil shavings. Highly tannic, which contributed to its huge structure. Great!

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• 1995 Château Cos d'Estournel 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  A fairly good power in this with greens and blackberry, and pencil shavings. Despite the age, I think it still needs more years in the bottle

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• 1995 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Nicely balanced of blackberry, grass, peat, and graphite. It also has a bit of cassis sweetness and cocoa towards the finish

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The questions asked for this wine:
- Will this be your favourite wine of the tasting?
- Is this wine Bordeaux, or not Bordeaux?
- What is the vintage?

As I had brought this wine, I was not allowed to take part (obviously).

I was surprised though, that a quarter of the crowd chose this as their favourite of the tasting. I think that's quite a feat. Had expected a lot less, even if any...

• 1975 Château Léoville Poyferré 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  A pale garnet colour, and rather intense, with some good acids to maintain freshness, with mushrooms, forest floor, leather, and cigarbox. Nice!

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Enjoyable dinner - was in fact impressed with the carrot sides that came with my lamb chops main course.

Based on votes, Bordeaux lost by a hair's breadth...

Managed to identify the Bordeaux/ not-Bordeaux 5 out of 7 times, and for one of them, thought was a Tuscan when it in fact came from the US... guess I need more practice