Bordeaux 2000 - 20 Years On - 48 Reds

21 years on, to be exact....

All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).

Some additional information based on the average scores of 5 participants

TOP 10 WINES
Rank / Wine / Avg. Score
1 Pavie 96.0
2 Le Pin 95.8
3 Gazin 95.6
4 Smith Haut Lafitte 95.0
5 Trotanoy 94.8
6 Latour 94.25
7 Lynch Bages 94.25
8 Eglise Client 94.2
8 Vieux Chateau Certain 94.2
10 Pichon Comtesse / Margaux / Mondotte / Cheval Blanc 94.0

WORST 10 WINES
Rank / Wine / Avg. Score
39 Evangile 91.4
40 Calon Segur 91.3
41 Petit Mouton 90.5
42 Leoville Las Cases 90.4
42 Berliquet 90.4
44 Batailley 90.3
45 Latour Martillac 90.0
46 Canon 89.7
47 Branaire Ducru 89.6
48 Troplong Mondot 89.4

LEFT VS RIGHT BANK
92.5 vs 93.1

APPELLATIONS
Rank / Appellation / Score / #1 Votes
1 Pomerol 94.0 / 4
2 Margaux 92.9 / 0
3 Pauillac 92.7 / 0
4 Pessac Leognan 92.5 / 1
5 St. Emilion 92.3 / 0
6 St. Julien 92.1 / 0
7 St. Estephe 91.8 / 0

NOTABLE OUT- AND UNDERPERFORMERS
Our average ratings vs the Cellartracker ratings. As the benchmark I take the average Cellartracker rating of the wines of the past 3 years (for a few wines without enough ratings in the past 3 years, I took the average rating over the lifetime of the wines).
17 wines outperformed the CT ratings but only 6 wines by more than 1 point
31 wines underperformed the CT ratings, 20 of them by more than 1 point
In my opinion, it is normal that in the context of such a broad tasting with tasting portions (half a glass per wine), scores are usually a bit lower compared to enjoying a bottle over a few hours. So a certain degree of underperformance can be attributed to that.

NOTABLE OUTPERFORMERS
Rank / Wine / Deviation from CT
1 Dubois Grimon +5.2
2 Gazin +3.4
3 Smith Haut Lafitte +2.2
4 Eglise Client +1.5
5 Pavie +1.1
6 Brane Cantenac +1.1

NOTABLE UNDERPERFORMERS
Rank / Wine / Deviation from CT
1 Leoville Las Cases -4.5
2 Haut Brion -4.2
3 Lafite Rotschild -3.5
4 Troplong Mondot -3.5
5 Mission Haut Brion -3.4
6 Ausone -3.2
6 Evangile -3.2
8 Margaux -2.9
9 Branaire Ducru -2.9
10 Canon -2.0

2000 VS OTHER VINTAGE RETROSPECTIVES (updated 02/24)

AVERAGE GROUP SCORE
1) 2009 93.9 (Tasted in 2019)
2) 2010 93.0 (2020)
3) 2000 92.7 (2021)
4) 2012 92.1 (2022)
5) 2011 91.3 (2021)
6) 2003 91.1 (2023)
7) 2004 91.0 (2024)

WINES >95 AVERAGE SCORE
1) 2009 17x (47 red wines)
2) 2010 13x (61)
3) 2000 4x (48)
4) 2012 4x (33)
5) 2011 3x (30)
6) 2003 1x (29)
6) 2004 1x (33)

WINES >97 AVERAGE SCORE
1) 2010 5x
2) 2009 4x
3) 2000, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012 0x

• 2000 Château Calon-Ségur 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Like many left banks rather muted but harmonious on the nose. Some unintegrated oak is still there. Medium expressive on the palate dark fruits, earth and herbal aromas along some more oak notes on the palate. What is missing here is a bit more depth but especially more precision as well as a touch fruit sweetness. It’s round and harmonious but I guess this will open up a bit more and get more complex with a few more years of cellaring. Medium+ length with a rather earth-driven finish. A tad below the Montrose (rated 93pts).
  
  Decanting: I guess this could use at least two hours.
  
  Group average: 91.25 pts
  Group rank: 40th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Montrose 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This won the race against the Calon Segur in the next glass thanks to a bit higher complexity and precision and will certainly reach higher highs. At this stage it is still a bit muted on the nose and still has some rough edges in the structural frame. Time should help here. The medium- expressive nose shows dark fruits, smoke and minerality along some hints of brett. On the palate there is a strong dark fruit core along graphite and herbs. The structure needs to mellow further to create a more round and harmonious experience. Tertiary aromas and a more open and sweet fruit should elevate the experience further. Promising.
  
  Decanting: At this point at least 2 to 3 hours is advised, in my opinion.
  
  Group average: 92.25 pts
  Group rank: Shared 29th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Latour-Martillac 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: The nose seemed promising at first with lots of dark fruit and herbs as well as some sexy burnt sugar notes. But with time more oak as well as some hints of TCA tainted the experience. On the palate this was very fresh bordering on being to astringent, it felt slightly greenish but had a lavish fruit core. Ignoring the slight TCA taint, this drinks around 87-88 points at best tonight but has some promising features.
  
  Decanting: As all left bank wines, at least 2 hours should help here.
  
  Group average: 90.0 pts
  Group rank: 45th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Believe it or not, this was not only my but the consensus winner from the left bank beating all the 1st Growths (narrowly). Compared to the top shots, this wine was open and ready for business which is the main reason it got the top spot. On the medium+ expressive nose this the was a lot of inviting pure dark cassis fruit, coffee scents and herbs. Voluptuous, sexy and round. On the palate it showed more complex with dark and red berries, floral aromas, coffee, herbs, mint and earthy notes. Medium+ to full bodied but without excess weight, round and soft tannins with a high but well integrated acidity. Very open and harmonious wine and one of the few left banks that was drinking very well tonight. 95 to 96 points.
  
  Decanting: Even without decanting, this shined bright. Still, my guess is that a 2 hours decant would have helped even more.
  
  Group average: 95.0 pts
  Group rank: 4th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Haut-Bailly 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: My notes say pleasant but a lightweight. This is not the most complex wine but showed beautifully fresh, light and airy with lots of red fruits, rosehip along some stems (bordering on slightly greenish notes) and earthy notes on the palate. On the nose a bit darker and even with some nice burnt sugar notes. Overall quite expressive and ready but without the poise of big wines.
  
  Decanting: Good from the go. 1+ hour should do the job
  
  Group average: 91.75 pts
  Group rank: 36th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Pape Clément 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Typical full-throttle, bold Pape Clement nose with lots of ripe but fresh dark fruits but not much more. On the palate, however, the wine showed much softer and lighter and with lots of fine strawberries and red currant notes along some darker berries and floral notes. Medium-bodied only with a nicely creamy texture, smooth tannins, a good freshness and medium length. Thanks to it’s openness it was quite nice to drink but it doesn’t have the depth or precision to get more than this 94 points. Maybe with some age and more tertiary notes it will get to the 95 points, it certainly has enough fruit to age further. Overall, quite supple and enjoyable.
  
  Decanting: A short 1+ hour decant should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 93.75 pts
  Group rank: 15th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Haut-Brion 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Another vintage vertical where Haut Brion didn’t perform (same was true for 2009/2010). I didn’t like the nose which showed very ripe, raisiny fruit and some soy sauce aromas. Far to ripe for my taste. Intense yes, precise yes but not enjoyable. If you like port-like aromas (as some in our group do), you might not have the same problem. At first the palate didn’t show well too with too much ripe fruit and some alcohol notes showing. But with time that cleared up a bit and it became fresher and more complex with finer tannins and a good freshness. You could sense that this is a wine with a lot of stuffing and that it would have needed a long decant to unfurl and show its true colors. I would like to revisit this soon to see what is possible. The high CT scores at least suggest, that this experience wasn’t really representative of what is possibl.e
  
  Decanting: In my opinion, this will need a long decant (at least 3-4 hours?).
  
  Group average: 92.5 pts
  Group rank: Shared 25th out of 48

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• 2000 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This didn’t show well tonight. On the nose there were some green notes and some alcohol apparent and on the palate it showed rather angular and without too much depth. With more time in the glass and a bit of swirling it got better (and my score kept climbing higher) with dark fruits, herbs and minerality on the nose and palate, smoother tannins and a good freshness. Compared to the non-performing Haut Brion next to it, however, I didn’t feel that this has a lot of stuffing and drinks better if well-prepared (decanted). Our host said that this is not the first Mission 2000 that shows not well - I don’t have a reference point so cannot comment on that. CT suggest that there are indeed better bottles out there.
  
  Decanting: As this got better by the minute, I would at least decant it for 3-4 hours.
  
  Group average: 92.25 pts
  Group rank: Shared 29th out of 48

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• 2000 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Expressive nose with lots of dark fruits and animalistic notes. Not hyper complex but quite inviting. On the palate a strong dark fruit cores, herbs, minerality as well as some sexy Mouton cocoa and burnt sugar notes. Round and sexy, full-bodied missing a bit of the airy quality of the best wines. With time some brett notes (in my book this notes in this low intensity are a feature) showed up. Medium length only but overall quite good. As you can see below, I liked this better than our group (fairly split group with half ratings around my rating and the other half around 88 pts).
  
  Decanting: This didn’t need much air, 1 hour should do the job.
  
  Group average: 90.5 pts
  Group rank: 41st out of 48

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• 2000 Château Lynch-Bages 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This performed very well tonight although the nose didn’t show very expressive and certainly has more upside. On the palate, however, this should beautiful with lots of dark fruit, minerality, especially graphite, herbs and earthy notes and to balance it out a nice layer of sweet burnt sugar, cocoa to overall create a quite complex aroma profile with good precision. The tannins will need more time to mellow further but overall the structural frame was quite good with lots of tension and a good freshness, nicely fresh, a bit airy and slightly creamy structure. The finish showed good length and was fruit- and minerality-driven. This must be the best Lynch since the 89/90 pair. 94 points with upside to 96/97 at peak maturity.
  
  Decanting: It certainly needs a bit of air. I guess 2-3 hours should do the job.
  
  Group average: 94.25 pts
  Group rank: Shared 7th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: The nose has a lot of Pauillac power but not the definition of a Grand Vin with red and darker berries, rosehip, some medicinal/herbal notes. On the palate this shines bright with an intense aroma profile of dark and red berries, coffee, minerality, some smoke notes, herbal freshness. Quite complex and more precise than on the nose. Very long and expanding finish. It has still a masculine structure and will need more time to mellow further but other than that this is good. Give it a few years and it can achieve the 95 point category.
  
  Decanting: 2-3+ hours might be needed here to make it a softer and more harmonious experience
  
  Group average: 92.5 pts
  Group rank: Shared 25th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Second time I’ve had this wine with consistent notes. This is a light and airy wines with lots of freshness. It is elegant and round showing lots of red fruit and floral notes, a sexy touch with burnt sugar, a good length and fairly good precision. Again, not enough depth to truly excite but a lot of fun to drink today. 94 to 95 points. I found this bottle even a touch better than the last one.
  
  Decanting: Performed well right out of the gate, not more than a short decant necessary.
  
  Group average: 94.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 9th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Pontet-Canet 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Our group was split over this wine. Half rated it around 90 points and the other half, including me around 95 points. While slightly closed at first, the nose showed highly elegant with luxurious dark fruits, earth and coffee with some time and swirling (my guess is the 90 pts crowed didn’t give the wine time to open up). Very intriguing and quite precise. Expressive, aristocratic and quintessential Pauillac on the nose, elegant and fresh full of minerality and crème de cassis, blue berries, herbs and some burnt sugar. Masculine but fine structure, fresh, long, light feel, slightly creamy, the complete package. It doesn’t have the depth to go much beyond this 94 to 95 points and probably never will but this was one of the winners on the left bank and one to drink today while waiting for the first growth to be ready.
  
  Decanting: Needed a bit of air but turned out beautifully with some swirling. 1-2 hours should do the job.
  
  Group average: 92.5
  Group rank: Shared 25th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Mouton Rothschild 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Rather muted nose with dark fruits and minerality, not sparking much joy. On the palate this is elegant and soft, lots of red and dark berries, well defined and medium+ to very intense and dense. The structure is marked by soft tannins, a med+ and well-integrated acidity, a fresh and slightly creamy texture and feel. A highlight is the very long finish but overall the wine - at least at this stage - doesn’t have enough depth to play among the best wines of the vintage. Maybe a long decant would have helped to reveal more but on the other hand, this is not one of the wines you drink and instantly feel and know that there is much more there than currently showing.
  
  Decanting: I would go for a long decant (3-4+ hours?)
  
  Group average: 93.5 pts
  Group rank: 16th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Not decanting a rather young Lafite is usually not a good idea. At first the wine seemed quite close but with a lot of swirling it opened up nicely hinting at the potential and it left us craving for a properly decanted bottle. Rather bold on the nose with dense dark fruit but surprisingly red fruited, with baking spices and a sexy sweetness on the palate. Additional aromas of coffee, wet earth and minerality notes. The tannins are satin like but need further time to integrate and soften, the acidity is well integrated and the wine shows a fine and airy texture but overall has not enough concentration. Very harmonious and with a good length. This should come together nicely. I haven’t had a ton of Lafite but it is still only the 5th first growth for me. It doesn’t have the aristocratic stature of the Latour, the approachability and sexiness of the Mouton, the absolute elegance and airiness of the Margaux and the depth of the Haut Brion. In this tasting, however, it was clearly ahead of the HB and on par with the other Pauillacs.
  
  Decanting: This would have needed a few hours in the decanter (2-4h?).
  
  Group average: 92.5 pts
  Group rank: Shared 25th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Latour Grand Vin 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: In this tasting, this was the best first growth and the best Pauillac (and consensus #2 left bank wine), although it is not really ready today (especially without proper decanting). With time and swirling the nose opened-up nicely with ripe but fresh dark forest berries, black truffels and tobacco. A bit shy but nicely precise. Much more expressive and concentrated with a potpourri of dark and black fruits, a strong mineral component, herbs, tobacco and truffles. The longer it sit in glass the better it got, gaining weight by the minute. Very classic, very Pauillac, very Latour.
  
  Decanting: This would have needed a solid 2-4 hours in the decanter.
  
  Group average: 94.25 pts
  Group rank: 6th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: More ready and open than many of the big(er) names on the left bank and hence on par with them in terms of score today (I try to score the wines as they show in the glass and less so on potential). Medium+ expressive nose with sweer red and dark berries. On the palate the same sweet fruit, some minerality and earthy notes and the first hints of tobacco. Overall not very deep but very pleasant to drink, open and ready, creamy texture, smooth tannins, well-integrated acidity, medium length, good precision, wonderful balance. This can probably reach 95 points at its peak but hardly anything beyond that.
  
  Decanting: Didn’t need any decanting.
  
  Group average: 92.25 pts
  Group rank: Shared 29th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Batailley 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Beautiful on the palate, full of elegance, airy and soft with dark and brighter red berries, minerality, herbs and coffee. Soft structure and good balance. The nose had a bit less of everything but the palate screams for opening these bottles right now. It misses a bit of concentration and complexity, tho.
  
  Decanting: A quick decant should do the job.
  
  Group average: 90.3 pts
  Group rank: 44th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Prieuré-Lichine 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: At first I rated it around 94 to 95 points at is was very expressive and quite intense with the typical Margaux aromas and finesse. After a few moments, it lost a bit of its depth and intensity but anyway a beautiful wine. On the nose a lot of coffee and burnt sugar. Same on the palate with additional aromas of dark berries and some floral aromas. Soft Margaux structure, medium length. Easily worth 92/93 points.
  
  Decanting: Good from the go, no extensive decanting needed.
  
  Group average: 92.0 pts
  Group rank: 35th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Giscours 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: While the Margaux and Palmer would have needed more air and a few more years in the cellar, this Giscours was open and singing. A medium- intense nose with dark fruits, tobacco and truffles. Ok but nothing too exciting. But on the palate the wine explodes with dark fruits, herbs, tobacco, coffee and burnt sugar notes. Good concentration and good structural frame, even though it doesn’t have the elegance of the best Margauxs. The other Margaux will surpass this Giscours but today this was on a 95 points level. But as you can see below, I liked it clearly better than the rest of the group.
  
  Decanting: Didn’t need much air, good from the go.
  
  Group average: 92.25 pts
  Group rank: Shared 29th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Palmer 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Very muted nose with little expression. The palate showed that there is some potential with a potpourri of very well defined red berries, rhubarb, rosehip and floral notes. Still quite primary and with a not perfectly integrated acidity. I guess this could become a 94-96 point wine (or already might be today with enough air). In the best moments today 93 points (in in other moments weaker).
  
  Decanting: I guess this would have needed 2-4 hours in the decanter - at least.
  
  Group average: 93.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 20th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Margaux 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: I’ve never had the 2000 before and had big hopes which were not fully met. At first it showed muted on the nose and tight on the palate. By the minute it got better and better with more and more of that Margaux magic coming through. A wide array of red fruits mixed with floral aromas, herbs, coffee and hints of tobacco (but mostly very primary) on the nose and especially the palate. Not showing everything, not showing overly complex but more complex by the minute. The structure is impeccable with ultra-fine tannins, a well-integrated acidity (not at first) and an airy yet superbly creamy texture. Medium length. This showed very well that there is a lot of potential here but no rush, this is quite far away from its peak. 95+ points.
  
  Decanting: My guess is, that this would have needed at least 3 hours in the decanter to shine.
  
  Group average: 94.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 10th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Brane-Cantenac 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: While the nose was quite muted this shined bright on the palate with quite intense aromatics of red fruits and floral notes but especially a lot of that intriguing coffee and burnt sugar notes so many Margauxs showed today but no other wine in that intensity. The wine showed integrated and balanced with a soft Margaux structure and medium length. Technically, probably not the best wine (complexity, finish, nose) but lots of joy to drink. I would have scored it even 95 if the nose would have been more expressive. I thought, I’m quite an outlier here but looking at the more recent scores over the past 2 years, it shows that this Brane entered a nice drinking window.
  
  Decanting: Good from the go. A short decant should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 93.25 pts
  Group rank: 17th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Rauzan-Ségla 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Like many Margauxs and in comparison to most other left bank wines, this Rauzan was ready for business. Compared to more recent vintages where Rauzan Segla has star potential, this 2000 is from another era with a bit more masculine wines. This was the most powerful Margaux of them all. Medium intense only on the nose but with lots of red fruits, herbs and minerality on the palate. Not as complex as the Margaux and Palmer but more integrated and ready tonight. I’m not sure, however, if it has the stuffing to go beyond these 94 points.
  
  Decanting: A quick decant should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 92.75 pts
  Group rank: 24th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Moulin Haut-Laroque 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: I wasn’t a big fan of this wine and I guess my 90 pts are even a bit generous. I like the dark and blue fruit components and the rather Burgundian aroma of Cola but this doesn’t have the stuffing, balance and precision to be exciting enough. Drink up.
  
  Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
  
  Group average: 91.6 pts
  Group rank: Shared 37th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Gruaud Larose 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: I was not a big fan of this wine as I found it a bit green and short. It is nicely expressive and fairly layered on the nose and palate, I like the elegant, pure and fresh dark and blue fruit but overall it’s lacking depth. Others liked it better but that touch of greenness would worry me.
  
  Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
  
  Group average: 91.6 pts
  Group rank: Shared 37th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Beautifully cool, fresh style with lots of minerality and herbal aromas paired with blue but especially some sweet red berries including strawberry and raspberry candy on the nose. Round and harmonious it lacks a bit of depth on the palate (the nose hinted at a bigger potential) but has a nice structure although some tannins seem a touch green (but to such a low degree, it almost is like a feature). All in all, quite nice to drink today.
  
  Decanting: A short 1h in the decanter should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 93.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 20th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) 84 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This bottle was its path to death. Others liked it a bit better but for me it was too extracted, with drying tannins and a lot of soy and broth notes masking everything else that might have been there (once).
  
  Group average: 89.6 pts
  Group rank: 47th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This hinted at its potential with a broad array of aromas ranging from dark fruit, cassis liquor, herbs and minerality on the nose to lots of fresh red berries and minerality on the palate. Not much complexity on the palate with a bit of a hole mid-palate but probably the wine is just not yet ready or would have needed a bit more air. The structure, in Ducru fashion, is masculine and classic but fine and airy. All in all, a solid effort.
  
  Decanting: I guess, this would have needed 2-3 hours in the decanter.
  
  Group average: 93.8 pts
  Group rank: 14th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Léoville Las Cases 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This was a big disappointment. I found it a bit too ripe on the nose with some alcohol heat showing. On the palate it hints at the power and depth it has as the shows quite powerful and has the longest and most expanding finish of all St. Juliens but it is missing depth and has no precision leading overall to a mediocre performance. Would it have been better with a few hours in the decanter?
  
  Decanting: My guess is, this needs at least 3-4 hours.
  
  Group average: 90.4 pts
  Group rank: Shared 42th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Always a fan of this archetype of a left bank Bordeaux, I was not disappointed with the 2000. While not super expressive (it would have needed a bit of air), it showed quite harmonious and fairly complex but especially had a superb definition. On the nose tobacco, dark and blue berries, lots of minerality. On the palate very fresh with strong herbal and mineral notes, balanced by lots of dark fruits and delivered in a creamy texture. The perfect combo. Fine tannins, good concentration, well integrated acidity. The complete package. Could reach 95pts and for me the best Leoville tonight.
  
  Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
  
  Group average: 93.2 pts
  Group rank: Shared 18th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Léoville Poyferré 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: I didn’t like the nose much or found it overly expressive and interesting but on the palate there was a nice red and dark berry-driven fruit expression combined with lots of minerality and a nice creamy texture. The structure will need a bit more time to soften further. This was one of the more open left bank wines but no comparison to the more recent vintages which boast much purer fruit expression and a touch more sexiness and finesse (but a more modern style).
  
  Decanting: This would have certainly gained from 2h+ in the decanter.
  
  Group average: 93.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 20th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Dubois-Grimon 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Probably the biggest surprise of the tasting, this Dubois Grimon was showing beautifully. A small wine from a small vineyard but compared to all other wines, this is currently in its prime drinking window. Expressive nose with relatively precise aromas of ripe red and dark fruit, cola and mint notes. Fresh and inviting. On the palate very fresh and light with a touch creaminess missing but nice aromas of raspberries and strawberry candy, herbs and minty notes. Not very complex but with a fine structural frame and a medium long and sweet finish. 93-94 points.
  
  Decanting: Didn’t need any decanting.
  
  Group average: 93.2 pts
  Group rank: Shared 18th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Gazin Pomerol 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This wine performed exceptionally well in our group (3rd overall rank and 95.6 average score) but didn’t reach the same heights in my book. At first I found it very ripe, extracted and alcoholic (harsh but not so far off description of basically all the Gazin’s I’ve tasted in the past few years) but with time the wine calmed down revealing ripe dark fruit, less intrusive alcohol, tobacco, cola and earthy notes on the nose. Very light and soft with just some slightly angular tannins on the palate with a good freshness and lots of red fruits, toasty notes and some earthy notes and a medium+ finish driven by sweet red fruits. At first 88pts at best and in the end rather 93-94pts.
  
  Decanting: A short 30-60mins decant should do the job.
  
  Group average: 95.6 pts
  Group rank: 3rd out of 48

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• 2000 Château La Conseillante 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Usually a fan of this winery, this 2000 showed not very well. At first it showed astringent, light and without much fruit and no creaminess. With some swirling and time it opened up more and more and became more balanced. Overall, it still was rather shy not showing all it has in store, a rather low complexity and without the necessary level of fruit, creaminess and softness. I guess a proper decant would have helped a lot here. In my book, this was not worth more than 90 pts but I got the strong feeling that more is possible here.
  
  Decanting: 2-3 hours should help.
  
  Group average: 92.2 pts
  Group rank: Shared 33rd out of 48

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• 2000 Château L'Evangile 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This showed very ripe and in the context of this tasting quite singular with loads and loads of licorice aromas on the nose and palate. It showed quite expressive and ready with a fairly balanced composition, a creamy texture and good precision but not much complexity and medium length only. Overall, I found it too ripe and not Bordeaux-esque enough too. 91-92 pts certainly but in this tasting not more.
  
  Decanting: 1-2 hours seems to be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 91.4
  Group rank: 39th out of 48

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• 2000 Château L'Eglise-Clinet 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: I’m a fan of the more recent releases of Eglise Clinet as I found the wines usually to be more on the pure and more elegant side of things on the Right Bank. This 2000, however showed quite ripe and extracted. Not a vintage I would chase. On the nose very ripe with lots of dark fruit and just a tiny bit of heat. Much better on the palate with lots of ripe, dark red and dark fruit, tobacco, earthy notes, some herbs. Very good precision, medium++ complexity. Quite extracted but with round tannins, good acidity and a very long and powerful finish. Very creamy, sexy texture and overall good balance. 94 points for all the stuffing and openness.
  
  Decanting: Needed not much time to sing. A short decant (1h?) should do the job.
  
  Group average: 94.2 pts
  Group rank: Shared 8th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Trotanoy 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: One of the stars of the vintage and as always one of the best right bank wines. This Trotanoy shines bright with its openness, complexity and a superb precision as well as a touch of sexiness. Expressive on the nose with lots of fine dark red and dark fruits, herbs and some toasty aromas. A slight hint of non-intrusive brett aromas help to elevate the nose further. On the palate this is extremely beautiful with lots of coffee and toasty notes, a beautiful pure but ripe dark/dark red fruit profile, minerality and herbs. Extremely high precision, everything is in HD. The structure is impeccable with lots of fine tannins, a good, well-integrated acidity, an fine creamy yet slightly airy texture and a long, expanding finish. Quite a complete wine.
  
  Decanting: Good from the go. A short 1h+ in the decanter should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 94.8 pts
  Group rank: 5th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Le Pin 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: My number one of the vintage with 97+ points thanks to a singular aroma profile and an incredible purity no other wine remotely showed today. On the nose, very expressive and open with a potpourri of sweet, yet superbly fresh red berries with strawberries and raspberries at the centre. From fresh from the field to candied. Extreme precision. Same is true for the palate with additional minerality and earthy components. No tertiary aromas apparent, still very much in its fruit phase but already very promising. The structure has mellowed nicely together with a wall of the finest tannins out there, a perfectly measured and integrated acidity, a creamy and airy texture. The wine has a long lasting finish full of sweet strawberry candy. A harmonious wine. Too bad, I will not taste it again once mature (in 10+ years?). 97 to 98 points.
  
  Decanting: Good from the go. A short decant should be enough.
  
  Group average: 95.8 pts
  Group rank: 2nd out of 48

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• 2000 Vieux Château Certan 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Another standout from Pomerol and another great vintage for VCC! A bit less expressive and ready than the Trotanoy and Le Pin in the next glasses, the nose is very elegant with luxurious dark berries and lots of freshness at the centre. On the palate it shows quite sexy without being slutty with lots of bright red and darker red berries, balanced by lots of crushed rocks, herbs and just a tad of spices. Nicely complex but with certainly more in store, very precise. Very soft and round tannins, super soft and creamy texture, a good freshness and with good length. Quite a complete wine and ready to enjoy but it will certainly add more layers with more age and tertiary aromas kicking-in. Needs another 10 years but can be enjoyed now.
  
  Decanting: 1-2 hours should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 94.2 pts
  Group rank: Shared 8th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Pavie 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Medium+ expressive nose showing a wonderful harmonious St. Emilion expression with pure, ripe red berries, earthy notes, some burnt sugar aromas and some hints of tobacco. On the palate the wines is very expressive and layered displaying a potpourri of ripe dark red and bright red berries, herbs, VCC-like spices, cola, earthy notes, burnt sugar. Very sexy but still quite elegant and not too over-the-top like many other Pavies. Fine, smooth tannins, a good, well-integrated acidity (but probably not enough for 20 years more ageing) and a fine, creamy texture. Round and balanced with a long, red fruit driven finish. Quite complete and a positive surprise when revealed.
  
  Decanting: Good from the go. A short decant should be sufficent.
  
  Group average: 96.0 pts
  Group rank: 1st out of 48

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• 2000 La Mondotte 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: Medium- intense nose dominated by strawberries and raspberries along some earthy notes. Not overly complex but completely open and ready on the palate with lots of pure, melting strawberries along some oder red and dark red berries and some minerality. What it misses in depth it delivers in pleasure to drink with a mellowed yet fresh enough structural frame with a creamy texture and a touch of sexiness. Not too ripe or extracted (which can be a problem for this winery).
  
  Decanting: Needs a bit of air. 2-3h should be sufficient.
  
  Group average: 94.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 10th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This bottle showed consistent with a bottle 18 months ago (rated 94 as well) with a rather shy nose and more open palate with red and dark berries, tobacco, truffles, some burnt sugar and herbs. At this stage (or never?) the 2000 does not have the same intense aromatics and precision of the best vintages (82/90/09/10/15). This bottle also was missing a tad of creaminess although the rest of the frame was impeccable. Maybe a longer decant would have helped. If you have a few bottles I would definitely wait around 10 years. Nevertheless, fun to drink, deserving 93-94 pts.
  
  Decanting: My guess is that 3-4 hours would have helped.
  
  Group average: 94.0 pts
  Group rank: Shared 10th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Ausone 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This wine got a lot of criticism when revealed as expectations where obviously much higher as Ausone is one of the wines of the vintage. I was less disappointed as it was quite obviously the most structured right bank wine, almost like the left-bank giants, Latour-esque, in its stature and obviously far away from being ready to drink. It still revealed several aroma layers (lots of dark fruit, some red fruit, cola, stems, minerality, coffee, herbs) although all still a bit muted. It would have probably helped to decant it for hours and hours. I would love to taste it again soon.
  
  Decanting: This needs some serious decanting (3-4h?) but it will especially need many more years.
  
  Group average: 92.2 pts
  Group rank: Shared 33rd out of 48

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• 2000 Château Valandraud 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This was drinking nicely with a rather muted nose but lots of candied red fruit and fresher dark fruit on the palate along some minerality notes. Following some right bank giants, this had a hard time as it obviously has less complexity and precision and just a bit less of everything. Nevertheless, quite fun to drink thanks to a round and fine strucutre and good acidity.
  
  Decanting: 2h+ should be enough.
  
  Group average: 92.8 pts
  Group rank: 23rd out of 48

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• 2000 Château Canon 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: This Canon was one of the weakest wines of the tasting as there wer some unwanted soy notes and a lot of extraction. Some said, they detected some cork taint. Not me. The structure was fairly fine and round but overall the wine was quite light and not that interesting. Anyway, not an ideal bottle.
  
  Decanting: ?
  
  Group average: 89.7 pts
  Group rank: 46th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Troplong Mondot 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: One of the weakest wines of the tasting, this Troplong was not much fun to drink. While it was not faulty, it was too extracted, already clearly on a downhill path. The 87 pts are rather generous but underneath the oxidative notes there was still some nice fruit, cola and mineral aromas detectable and the texture felt quite right.
  
  Decanting: ?
  
  Group average: 89.4 pts
  Group rank: 48th out of 48

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• 2000 Château Berliquet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
  
  More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
  
  TN: While not the most complex wine, this was quite fun to drink with coffee, fresh dark berries and sweet red berries on the nose and palate. Fine tannins, good acidity and nicely creamy texture. Drinks well today.
  
  Decanting: No extended decant needed.
  
  Group average: 90.4 pts
  Group rank: Shared 42nd out of 48

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