Bordeaux tasting with some Napa outsiders
The Embrace of Silence
Tasted Saturday, October 29, 2022 by WineBurrowingWombat with 368 views
Introduction
Another awesome tasting experience hosted by csimm at his chateau. A nice, academic Bordeaux tasting that gets crashed by some Napa outsiders as you will see.
Flight 1 - The Bordeaux Tasting (20 Notes)
Listed in exact order. A couple of the bubbles were a bit tucked away and I didn't see them until later. Didn't mind the timing when I had it though as it helped refresh the palate a bit.
Flight 2 - The Napa Outsiders (3 Notes)
These guys..
Closing
I think Bordeaux heads will look at our tasting as partially genocide, and admittedly it is, but it was such an amazing experience. I learned a lot that evening and even more of myself along the way.
Bordeaux can be frustrating, and I think it always will be. A handful of wines obviously needed more age and not just time in a decanter. I hate how there is this "closed" phase that seems so common in Bordeaux wines. It seems to be either: drink soon after release or wait 10+ years because the wine will shut down. Anything in between? Good luck playing with it. The ones that are closed also seem to share a similar flavor profile, that bright red fruit note that often resembles bright cranberries. Those are the frustrating things for me when it comes to Bordeaux. I know not all Bordeaux wines are like that, but a good number of them seem to be.
Another thing I learned from this experience is that I may actually enjoy some well aged wine. The '61 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was so eye opening. I am amazed how it was in a good, stable condition with no flaws. The flavor profile isn't something I would say I would long for but something I can definitely say I can appreciate now. The opportunity to taste something with so much age, that was well kept and stored properly, is definitely something to experience and cherish.
Shout outs to all the ladies and gents that participated and contributed to the tasting, and our generous hosts csimm's and his wife. Looking forward to another one!
2013 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 98 Points
France, Champagne
What a way to start a tasting!
With 3-4 people holding a glass of this and gathered around, this thing is a literal fruit bouquet. If I were blindfolded, I would've thought these guys are holding tons of white and yellow ripe fruits and halved melons in their hands. As you get closer, you get more lemon skin, subtle toast, fresh grass and hay with some clean minerals.
Flavors are so similar to the nose with amazing acidity and liveliness. Amazing ripeness but with great lift to keep it fresh and so good.
Read 3 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Aromas of ripe green and yellow fruits, a huge field of fresh grass and fresh minerals.
Flavors of buoyant yet dark and deep yellow fruits (imagining the flesh the of a ripe green apple) and a deep bitterness that works well with the minerals. Pleasant ripeness balanced with the bitterness.
Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1961 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This came as a huge surprise for me, I absolutely loved this.
Aromas of damp oak and wood, rotting mulch, used leather, wet funk and a beautiful autumn forest.
Flavors of aged dark blue fruits and berries, aged dark plums, a subtle but present spice, rotting bark, wet leaves, wet forest floor and damp fungus. Also a pleasantly lifted fermented note that somehow worked well.
Describing the flavors here doesn't do this any justice, unfortunately, so I'll do my best to explain:
The aromas and flavors move away from the typical tertiary notes that seem to stand out as "normal" tertiary notes. Yes, I described the palate using very similar, if not the same, descriptors, but there's something more to this. There's still life (surprisingly), beauty and grace to the flavors.
It seems that tertiary notes also reside on a spectrum of power and elegance when the wine starts developing tertiary notes. As a young Napa lover, I enjoy the young, fruitful power and flavors but also enjoy it as it calms down with its in-your-face attitude and as it gains more development with time. I believe this is what I experienced in this bottle as well, but with tertiary notes instead. The tertiary notes could have been, and probably was at an earlier stage, awfully strong at one point. But with age like this, those notes softened and aged with so much beauty and grace. This totally opened my eyes and mind to really aged wine. It was like being in a home I've never been to and finding warmth, comfort and solace.
Thanks for listening, btw :P
Read 3 Comments / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2019 Château L'Eglise-Clinet 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
These are the kind of Bordeauxs I'm feeling! Completely took me by surprise. Didn't require much time for this to start flying (it was poured into a decanter though, so that probably sped things up a bit).
Aromas of ripe red berries (in a sophisticated sense), a subtle sweetness that is not overdone like chocolate or possibly some cotton candy (in a good way), pleasant floral notes and soft bark.
Flavors of dark fruits with a deep and pleasant bitterness, savory oak, tasty graphite and minerals, and bitter earth.
This is that lady in the sexy red dress, showing just enough legs and cleavage but keeps it classy. I hope this is one of those Bordeaux wines that don't close up in a few months. Even if it will, I don't wanna hear it.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Vieux Château Certan 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Aromas of soft red flowers, soft dark red fruits, a dark streak of deep earth and some bare and dried oak.
Flavors of bright red fruits, clean minerals, bitter tree bark and slightly bright graphite.
[Day 2, take home]
Took this one home to follow along. Flavors developed some: a bit of incense (very interesting), red fruits turn a notch darker but somehow stays bright, minerals show a bit more bitterness, darker graphite, and green leaves.
Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Vieux Château Certan 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Aromas of deep cranberry notes, a nice barnyard funk, wet tree bark, damp earth and autumn leaves.
A soft subtle spice on the palate, soft red fruits, a bit of mushroom, soft graphite, bitter minerals, forest floor and dried wood.
I enjoyed the freshness of this compared to its younger sibling that came off as more dark.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Aromas of dark red, blue and black fruits, somehow brooding with grace, and clean new oak.
On the palate was a subtle touch of macerated, almost creamy, dark red fruits.
[Day 2, take home]
Fruits become darker and much more serious, dark graphite, pleasant tar notes, black earth and pleasantly bitter minerals. Finishes with black tea and the dark red fruits. The creaminess from the night before is more integrated with everything, almost showing a bit of chocolate.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Aromas of dark red and blue fruit, damp oak and dark earth.
Flavors of similar dark red fruits from the nose, lifted spice and savory oak.
The younger sibling won the fight this night. Starting to wonder is it going into that stupid "shut down" phase. I say that because I loved this when it was younger, showing much more vibrancy and energy before. This wasn't too exciting, unfortunately. It probably it closing down. Probably the only annoying thing about Bordeaux wine is that damn phase. Can you imagine if people did that? Come out to play and have the time of your life then go hibernate for 10 years.. how annoying would that be? Anyways, see this guy in another 6-8 years.
Read 6 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Château Angélus 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This is another favorite of mine for the night.
Aromas of lifted, dark black and red plums, fresh dark fruits with some chocolates.
Flavors of dark red fruits, black fruits, black tea, spice, a nice lift of oak, bitter minerals, and deep and damp black earth.
When I was ordering this, I was wondering why there was only one left with so much left of the others. I see why now. This was a good contender against the L'eglise-Clinet, literally tailing right behind. My kinda wine, very exciting. Hoping this was somehow made without that dumb shutting down phase.. wishful thinking.
Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Aromas of creamy red fruits, soft forest floor and fresh tree bark.
Flavors of jubilant red fruits (both dark and bright), soft spice, pleasant earth and a pleasant lift. Curious as to how this would have been with more time.. I couldn't guess which direction the fruit would go in terms of depth but would have been interesting to see.
It was such an experience and pleasure to be able to try this and an older bottle.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Château Léoville Las Cases
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Aromas of red and blue berries, dried oak and soft spice.
Flavors of red fruits, bitter soft oak, a firm spice and a slight kick.
I had a bit of trouble trying to find this in its place, or maybe it's cause of that stupid Bordeaux trait - "shutting down".. no, I don't know. This showed some life but I couldn't put this anywhere. I was quite frustrated with myself on this one. I questioned maybe it was palate fatigue but the wines following this seemed to show fine. This was good but left me frustrated for some reason that I cannot explain.. as if it could've given more but wasn't willing to. Screw it, blaming it on that annoying Bordeaux trait. Sure, all wines might shut down, but Bordeaux? Oh, they do it best.. so annoying.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1996 Château Léoville Las Cases
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Aromas of gentle red fruits but still stands firm, sliced cranberries and deep forest floor.
Flavors reflect on the nose with the addition of spiced fruits, oak and lifted minerals.
I might prefer this one compared to the younger sibling we had but that's due to the younger sibling leaving me a bit frustrated. Maybe I'm starting to like older wines, whad'ya know?
Read 4 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2000 Château Léoville Poyferré
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Nose of bright red fruits, funky barnyard, leather and a fermented note (minus the saltiness that may come with fermented stuff).
Flavors of cranberries, leather, earth and similar funk from the nose.
I don't know.. maybe it's shutting down. I have nothing against Bordeaux wine, I promise.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Château Figeac
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Aromas of black fruits with a bit of dark red fruits, earth and spiced oak.
Flavors match the nose completely but seems to be lacking some oomph, I don't know what exactly.. and at this point, I really don't care. I'm pretty tired guessing why a Bordeaux wine isn't showing this night.
Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Château Cos d'Estournel 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Aromas of brooding red and black fruits, deep earth and scattered oak.
The fruits on the palate are more black, bitter tannin like black tea and dark, savory minerals.
This was a nice wake up after a few that didn't want to show their goods. This showed way more when I had it for the first time a few years ago. Age definitely did this one well. I hope age doesn't do this too hard where it goes into another phase..
Read 3 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Château Belair-Monange 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Loved the aromas of dark, rotted autumn leaves with red and black fruits.
On the palate was black fruits with a red sheen, bitter minerals and deep, bitter dark earth.
I'd give this an extra point because of the fruit but having this next to some of the good ones we had this evening, this was just a tad behind the rest.
The tasting experience at this point was like riding a wave, with various ups and downs.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre d'Antan 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
I almost missed this and the François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Bournais as these tucked away and almost missed in an alcove.
Nose of fresh white fruits, bitter minerals, grass and light straw.
Flavors of deep yellow fruits with a backing of white fruits, some bitter minerals and similar straw from the nose.
Had this late in the game but even so, this was pleasant for what it is.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2019 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Bournais 94 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Aromas of fresh, sparkling minerals, white and softly fleshed fruits and Korean pear.
On the palate was lively ripe white and yellow fruits, subtle clean minerals and great energy.
[Day 2, take home]
Amazing flavors of ripe limes (if they were somehow sweet and not sour/tart), vibrant and fruited minerals, clean and subtle pineapple notes and what I imagine as dried limestone.
If this is ~$40 as I see it on the wine-searcher, this is awesome for what it is. This is one of those gems absolutely worth grabbing a few. I can't believe I almost missed this one.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2019 Armand Heitz Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
This was a nice surprise.
Aromas of pineapple shell, deep yellow ripe fruits and pleasant yeasty notes.
Flavors of ripe yellow fruits, prickly bitterness, bitter straw and minerals. The energy on this was quite nice and surprising to be honest. I remember taking a first sip and the texture had me a bit worried, leaving me to think this would be really full but in comes some good acidity and energy and totally took exit 12 to some liveliness. If you know which meme I am referring to, you too are immature :)
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Aromas of dark red cranberries only.
On the palate was tannic red fruits like thick skinned cranberries, black earth and tea.
I might not be a fan of Montrose, maybe it just needs a lot of time, like a few decades. I know I might be too quick to judge here but had some experience with some aged Montrose with similar flavor profile. I don't want to wait that long to find out.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue