2004 Bordeaux at 20 years courtesy of Mark Taylor
Atlanta, GA
Tasted Saturday, March 23, 2024 - Sunday, March 24, 2024 by Eric with 184 views
Introduction
I believe this was my 7th pilgrimage (2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024) to Atlanta to taste Bordeaux with Mark Taylor and a wonderful assemblage of locals and travelers.
In general, these were lovely wines, very "proper" and in some cases mature and quite drinkable. The more serious wines though are just entering early-prime drinking with bright futures ahead
Flight 1 - Day 1, Flight 1 (6 Notes)
The most approachable of all four flights. They opened fairly lean but filled out very nicely after 20 minutes in the glass.
Flight 2 - Day 1, Flight 2 (6 Notes)
Spectacular wines across the board, much more structured on the whole.
Flight 3 - Day 2, Flight 1 (6 Notes)
These were decidedly more structured than the first flight from Saturday. Still approachable but with a lot of toothy tannins.
Flight 4 - Day 2, Flight 2 (6 Notes)
Stellar across the board. The Calon-Segur was lovely but a fish out of water compared to the other 5 wines.
Closing
As always, thank you for the generosity and chance to focus on such lovely wines.
2004 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
(3/23/2024)
Deep cassis, wow, picking up some mint, lovely red fruit, very mineral, oh nice, really picking up weight, very savory, just a lovely claret in an early and nice spot. My #2 and the group #2. Guessed incorrectly as Brane-Cantenac.
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2004 Château Quinault L'Enclos
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
(3/23/2024)
Mmm, scorchy, toasty, tobacco, seems to scream of Pauillac or St. Estephe, spicy, love the profile, cedar, spice, lead pencil, savory, bright fruit, lots of acid, UTTERLY classic. Love it, some tannins still there. My #1 and the group #3. Guessed incorrectly as Les Forts de Latour.
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2004 Château Pavie Macquin
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
(3/23/2024)
Deep, plummy, seemingly Merlot, mint, a hint of VA, darker fruit, cocoa, licorice, fairly round, pleasing, almost seductive, a nice silky finish. My #5 and the group #6. Guessed correctly as Pavie-Macquin.
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2004 Château Branaire-Ducru
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
(3/23/2024)
Green, tobacco, chocolate covered cherry, some ripe dried fruit notes emerging, lean, not so giving, vitamin pill, very tannic finish. The least giving wine of the flight. My #6 and the group #5. Guessed incorrectly as the Quinault L'Enclos.
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2004 Château Brane-Cantenac
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
(3/23/2024)
Mmm, cherry, red fruit, HORSE, earth, nose is exploding, soaring, chewy, tannic, dark and savory. Oh yeah, this WANTS a steak. Still very young, green (in a good way). I questioned if I should be guessing right bank, but the real question I did not ask is whether I should be guessing Margaux. My #3 and the group #4. Guessed incorrectly as Branaire-Ducru.
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2004 Les Forts de Latour
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
(3/23/2024)
Scorchy, also some bretty/earthy stuff going on, cedar, wow very pleasing, round, balanced, very pretty, very complete, really in sync. My #4 and the group #1. Guessed incorrectly as Malescot.
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