Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 2000 Vintage

A run-through of the 2000 vintage in Bordeaux using 9 different producers from the most important appellations

• 2000 Clos l'Église (Pomerol) Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  "Mid garnet to the orange-ing rim, the nose is warm gravel, dried earth, liquorice and black fruits. However, a slightly muffled note of cork starts to appear soon after.
  The palate is sinewy with soft red and black fruit, and whilst there is a cocoa powder texture, the wine is sadly flawed."

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Clos St. Martin 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Mid+ ruby with garnet edges appearing. Good intensity of ripe red cherries, red plum and raspberry.
  Medium-bodied, richly textured and filled with plenty of fruit with subtle, complex notes of tilled soil, integrated spicy oak, dark bitter chocolate (100%) and ripe Victoria plum. A ripe, muscular, broad-shouldered wine, the tannins have the breadth and a sandpapery extract to them yet fold in nicely with the overall power of the wine, nicely offset with lively acidity cutting through the wealth of fruit. St. Emilion in style, there is generous alcohol; this is still relatively young, showing a juiciness that extends to its long length. Closes with some spicy oak; got better in glass." 92-93

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  "Bright mid-ruby, the aromas are attractive and pure with softened raspberry, cranberry, red plum and baked earth that runs to clay pots. A touch feral as it opens.
  The entry is a pot full of baked plums, and raspberries with a twist of spice that rises nicely.
  Broader framed, the fruit is rich with a sinewy texture and lively acidity. Perhaps a little foursquare; enough flesh coats the larger boned frame. The finish opens baked earth, chocolate more warm gravel and the tannins become sandier and dry on the long finish. More Pessac than St. Emilion. The close shows a slight bitter element that steadily got worse in glass.
  And got worse. 89 to 87

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (Tasted Blind): Mid garnet, the bouquet is head filling with an intense perfume of iodine, blood, sticky ripe blackberry and raspberry jelly powder. Freshly tilled earth, a touch of feral, black olive joins roasted meat and marmite to suggest some development.
  The entry is plushly textured, deep and mouth filling, with plenty of sun-kissed ripe fruit, great concentration and yielding dandy tannins. There is some muscle with generous alcohol and fabulous length. The more meaty notes and tapenade make the wine enjoyable, but perhaps a touch more acid might have helped. Some in the group also felt there was a hint of Brett, which might be true (perhaps lost a little in the mid-palate?), but it didn’t seem to take away from the wine, leaving the palate with a luxuriant sticky smoothness.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Léoville Poyferré 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (Tasted Blind): Mid ruby in colour, the bouquet squire shy but slowly opens to reveal lemon, blackcurrant and blackberry. However, there is a hint of volatility that creeps in too.
  The entry is elegant with some lemon freshness, firmly texture and linear shape. It lacks depth and concentration but has a muscular, sinewy feel to it with some flesh. The tannin is quite coarse, and there is a sharper edge from the acid (this may be some VA, too?) but a classic older-style Claret.
  Score: 88-89/100"

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (Tasted Blind): A medium to deep garnet with a narrow orange rim. The bouquet is quite intense, with bitter chocolate, cocoa powder/mocha, black cherry, tobacco, herb and lemon going to a mineral edge. Feels more St Julien? Also, pencil shavings and liquorice - more Pauillac?
  Full-bodied, there is plenty of power and concentration on the entry. Yet the acid structure is very lemony, almost lemon mint making the wine feel narrow and exacerbated by a mineral quality that rises to shards of rock that give a coarser, almost rustic note. Whilst there is enough black fruit underneath it hasn’t the polish nor complexity of a top wine but still pretty good - more muscle than flesh. Long in length, with some black olive on the close. It did improve in the glass."

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Duhart-Milon 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  (Tasted Blind): Deep garnet, black red, the bouquet is earthy, raw meat (seasoned with thyme and rosemary) and feral with blood, cigar box and undergrowth.
  Full-bodied, this is a big, powerful wine with plenty of pottery clay, dried earth, meat and tobacco atop ripe blackcurrant fruit and fleshy cherries. This is underscored by a vein of fabulous lemon acid that keeps the wine flowing as this is a solid Claret with dense, firm tannin extract with good concentration and depth. Complex and broad, this is classic 2000. It shows heft from its structure yet has a softer core with fleshy fruits filling the mid-palate. A touch of spicy oak help add further notes, and it closes with a warm, generous finish (perhaps the high glycerol also softens the mid-palate?).

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Rauzan-Gassies 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  (Tasted Blind): Mid+ black-red in colour the nose is brooding with loads of black fruits, graphite, cola and cigar box. There are some lifted perfume notes of blue flowers and dried herbs.
  Full-bodied, the entry is filled with sweet ripe blackcurrants, chocolate, sweet spice and some coffee grinds.
  The tannins feel firm and a little rigid to start, perhaps accented by the lemon fresh acidity but the texture has a rich creamy feel and the fruit layers of softness that work well to flesh out the mid-palate. Fairly powerful but slightly restrained, this wine is complex but not as deep or concentrated as expected, closing with more dark chocolate, cassis and spice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Montrose Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (Tasted Blind): Deep- black red, the bouquet is pencil shavings, blackcurrant, wet clay and damp earth. The palate feels somewhat rustic and there is a slight cardboard edge. Vibrant acidity is some fruit but then this starts to be absorbed. Sadly corked.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue