02 Claret @ Piccolino

A successful return to Piccolino despite the failed a/c in the private room requiring us to use the (noisy) main room. Potentially challenging temperatures were well managed by Neil and the ice bucket. A good vintage for drinking now, midweekers rather than high days and holidays, but none the worse for that. DDC and Ducru the standouts with LP pulling up short in the final furlong. Pauillac somewhat surly, and a lovely showing from Magdelaine in a less than favoured right bank vintage. Thanks to Ian for the cat herding, and Neil for the marshalling on the night, and to all for their wines and company.

• 2008 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Palest straw. Ready, slightly yeasty nose, quite austere nose with a hint of crème pat. Far fuller and richer on the palate, full, quite creamy, red appl fruit and a touch of honey on the finish. Quite broad and burly without much line of length currently. Good mousse and acidity. **(*1/2)

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• 2006 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 79 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Mid gold. Advanced nose, bruised apple, waxy. Viscous. Mature Savannieres. Bruised apple. Not shot but neither is it all there, and it’s a shadow of previous bottles. Quite flat in a 2D sense. No, sorry, drinkable but why bother. Devoid of all energy and life. Life’s too short. *

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• 2002 Château Magdelaine 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Fresh, slightly dusty red fruit on the nose. Grippy, slightly chocolately attack. Quite structured but with the flesh to cover it. Nose opens to an attractive florality. Lightens. Lots to like here. Attractive and elegant. ****

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• 2002 Château L'Eglise-Clinet 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Dark red berry fruit and a touch of vanilla. A sense of winemaking over terroir. Red fruit, good acidity and a nice line here. Fresher finish too. Starts to tighten and broaden, showing more heft and width. Lacking line and length, a bit blocky and foresquare cf the Magdelaine that pulls away with effortless ease. ***1/2

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• 2002 Domaine de Chevalier 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Classic DDC nose, cedar, tobacco and a nicely floral top note. Beautifully resolved. Line, length and elegance. Maybe not the stuffing of top vintages, but oh so drinkable. ****

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• 2002 Château Haut-Bailly 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  More floral. Brighter red fruit without the tobacco element. More savoury on the palate, initially tighter, but opening up to show a little more beyond its initial classical austerity. ****

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• 2002 Château Rauzan-Ségla 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Slightly,sweaty, meaty nose. A dusty bovril element. It does lift, albeit with a touch of tomato. More red fruited on the palate. Just a little muddy. ***

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• 2002 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Lovely St a Juliet nose, cedar, blackcurrant and sandlewood. Beautifully resolved. Floral, fragrant, red fruited. Elegance personified. ****

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• 2002 Château Léoville Barton 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Initially a curious, cleaning fluid nose, but maybe that’s a fault with the new glass. Quite a bit of sediment here — can’t have been double decanted. Dark fruited. Quite dense and harmonious. Deeper and darker than the others. A bruised by comparison. There’s a density and purity though. ****

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• 2002 Château Léoville Poyferré 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Quite a dense, plush St Julian nose. Really quite rich, though not s plush as previous bottles. Ducru on steroids with everything g dialled up a notch. Plusher, riper, fuller. A bit more obvious. Would be lovely on its own but made to look a little blowsy alongside the Ducru. Double decanted for six hours and there’s just a smidge of TCA appearing. ****

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• 2002 Château Lynch-Bages 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Classic blackcurrant nose with a pinch of cedar. A little acidity to cut through a slightly foresquare palate. Pedestrian perhaps short finish. Classic nose but a one trick pony. ***

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• 2002 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Blackcurrant leaf nose. A little lighter than the LB with a touch of smoke. Coffee grounds too. Mid weight with red fruit. Not the padding or posture of a few years ago, but the six hour double decant probably didn’t help. ****

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• 2002 Château Pontet-Canet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Similar to a bottle a couple of weeks ago. Just a smidge less energy, but a longer double decant. The stand out of the flight though.****

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• 2001 Château Coutet Barsac 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Half. Deep, bright salmon pink. Copper with a pinkish hue. Some minerally botrytis on the nose, a touch of apricot, but traditional/classic off dry sweetness with a medicinal and mineral line. I preferred this five years ago when it had more fruit and sweetness and a little more energy. ****

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