75 Years of Zachys (DC)

Pretty impressive tasting for a very modest fee. Thought this was going to be be mostly 2016 Bordeaux but it was really all over the places on the vintages from 1985 to 2016. A few Champagnes and other wines thrown in as well.

• 2005 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Real treat to try this. Starting to really awaken, nose was really alive in a good way. Cant say I can describe but definitely not in a funky way. Surprisingly approachable.

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• 2015 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos Vougeot 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  A beautiful wine that was singing in a sea of bordeaux. My wife's overall favorite and maybe mine too but can't really compare this to a bordeaux. Amazing thing to me was it avoided all my normal red burg issues of too thin and acidic while still showing unparalleled elegance and class. Red fruit was crystal clear and focused. Of course there is that problem of the price ...

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• 2003 Château Léoville Las Cases 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Planning to open a 2001 for my son's 18th in a month and so really wanted to try this (even though the years are quite different). This was late in the tasting and my palate was sort of fried but this still stood out in a positive way. One of the better older bordeaux's I tried. Nothing too funky, nice balance, really good.

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• 1985 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Not a fan but I'm also not a fan of this old of a bordeaux in general. Tried twice (by accident). First bottle really funky with barnyard, brett notes which just puts me in a bad head space. Wife and I poured ours out after trying a bit. Little better on the palate but still some off notes and understandably not a lot of fruit. Second bottle was much better and drinkable with just a faint sense of the notes that were amplified in first bottle. Bottle one 85 (generous), bottle 2 89 so ave 87. Of course fans of older bordeaux and all that goes with it may love this. Far from my thing.

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• NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Really liked this and preferred to the Rose version. It's usually the other way around. No detailed notes.

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• 2015 Château Calon-Ségur 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Enjoyed this. Well balanced . Redder profile. Maybe a bit straightforward but still quite good.

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• 2012 Château Montrose 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Unfortunately about all I can say is I barely remember tasting this. It got lost in a sea of more interesting bottles. Remember it being decent but not much more.

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• 2015 Les Pagodes de Cos 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Surprised by the low scores on this. Tasted before the "real deal" versions but thought this was pretty nice and approachable now. Nowhere near the complexity on the nose but solid on the drinkability. I guess you can argue the $60 carries a name premium but what doesn't. That said some of the $30 second wines are probably better QPR's.

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• 2009 Château Palmer 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  So excited to try this ... so of course it ended up being disappointing. I'm sure it was impacted by being in the last quarter of wines tasted but even then I was expecting this to just leap out above the crowd. And it didn't really. Honestly both my wife and I commented that it wasn't that significantly better than the 2010 Malescot tasted just after. Maybe that says more about our tasting abilities than the wine but in any case can only call it like I see it. Very good wine, but $375 good, not even remotely close for me.

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• 2012 Château L'Evangile 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Heard a few people say they really liked this. Me, not so much. My Pomerol order was 2015 Clinet, 2016 Conseillante, then this 2012 L'Evangile. The Conseillante probably takes the top sport with time. This may have been effected by some dregs that got in the glass as well. Wasn't really the bottom of the bottle so must have gotten mixed up a bit somewhere along the line.

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• 2015 Château Smith Haut Lafitte

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Nice to try this again after the last outing at UGC. Just about the last wine tasted so not going to even attempt to score but came away liking it and thinking my general impression is that it is better than the last time tasted. Probably 93-94 now.

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• 2015 Château Pape Clément 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Interested to try this again after I really didn't like this at the UGC tasting. Much more impressed this time. Hard to score since next to last wine tried but 91-94 range probably. Much more overall body and fruit than last time.

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• 2015 Château Clinet 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  A rocking pomerol. Best of the high power trio of the Evangeline and Conseillante at this stage. Just bigger and bolder and more in my wheelhouse.

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• 2016 Château Larcis Ducasse 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Decent but came away a bit disappointed. A little thin and shy at the moment. Pretty sure this will get a lot better.

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• 2009 Château Lynch-Bages 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A bit darker fruited and bolder which I generally prefer. Towards the end of my tasting window but one of the ones that stood out. Call it 93 now.

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Interesting that the Grivot Close Vougeot and the Heidsieck Rare stood out the most. Then again I have trouble tasting too much bordeaux all together. Eventually it all just blends together for me and my notes start to get pretty sparse. Probably tasted another 10+ that I didn't bother to list since I din't take enough notes or remember them enough.

I terms of bordeaux that did make an impression... Really liked the 2015 Clinet (my 1 probably). The Cos wines were a treat including the Pagodes. The 2015 Calon was pretty good and I thought the 2nd wine was actually a good deal. 2003 Las Cases was also quite nice and probaby the best 2003 I have tasted (not a fan of it in general).