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UGC Chicago Bordeaux 2008 Vintage
Tasted January 24, 2011 by razmaspaz with 1,611 views
Introduction
Tasting notes from the 2011 UGC Tasting in Chicago. These read more like a story than individual notes. I learned a lot and tried to document that learning in the notes as I went,
Flight 1 (70 notes)
White
2008 Château de Chantegrive Blanc
acid spikes on this, maybe a bit much, still that milder, almost old world crispness
White
2008 Château Carbonnieux Blanc
back to grapefruit, but not slicing, nice creamy component, would love this in a couple years
White
2008 Château de Fieuzal Blanc
creamy, oak in spades here, acid not missing, but certainly tame, like the mouthfeel, very creamy.
Red
2008 Château Haut-Bailly
not sure I would pick this blind yet, but maybe. Not as robust as a recent '03, but the licorice and pencil lead is there. Fruit is inviting, high acid, tannin is out of control by comparison to the rest of pessac today.
Red
2008 Château Haut-Bergey
Cherries on the nose, oak seems under done, fruit and tannin are very aparrent
Red
2008 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion
back to a classic pessac, pencil lead, and cranberries leaps from the glass. Quite spectacular. tannins are present but soft and inviting. this is creamy and at the same time jammy
Red
2008 Château Olivier
cranberry, crushed cherries - this was from a large tasting and thats all the notes I have
White
2008 Château Pape Clément Blanc
pronounced pencil lead and dark berry. very sexy. tannins are powerful
Red
2008 Château Angélus
fruit takes a back seat to vanilla and pure woody scent on the nose. There is a familiar note I cant quite identify, charcoal maybe? Soft and inviting in the mouth, good but maybe not my thing
Red
2008 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
black berries and fruit, a little spice, this is very beautiful. finish is powerful and goes to my throat.
Red
2008 Château Canon
maybe losing my tastebuds here, but this is a little underwhelming. Tannin is not too powerful, red fruit on the nose
Rosé
2008 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Bordeaux Rosé
just cheated and heard the winemaker say 75% cab franc. this was a shift from the first st emillions. I have to admit I'm not familiar here. Red fruit, very inviting but strange. very powerful in the mouth, quite memorable.
Red
Red
2008 Clos Fourtet
first wine of the day that I would consider green. this just doesn't seem ripe. Very bitter tannin
Red
2008 Château Franc-Mayne
that's inviting. 90% merlot. Take that Miles. Soft and clean, fruit is integrated, drinkable now.
Red
2008 Château Grand Mayne
green in a good way, tight black fruit with green pepper. harsh tannin, but not offensive
Red
2008 Château La Couspaude
intriguing maybe mysterious nose. Powerful black fruit. pepper comes through on the nose. Tannin coats the teeth, but leaves the gums alone.
White
2008 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
There's a machine shop note here. Oily, almost dense nose. I don't know how to say it other than suffocating. Spicy palate good acid and tannin
Red
2008 Château La Gaffelière
next to dominique this falls short. a little shy. A little watery, but tannic, not memorable
Red
2008 Château Larcis Ducasse
again a bit suffocating is this a trend for ste emmilion, tannic upfront, fruit doesnt really shine thru, but what is there is black.
Red
2008 Château Pavie Macquin
peppery finish, not too tannic, good concentrated black fruit with a dessert quality to it.
Red
2008 Château Troplong Mondot
underwhelming nose, strong tannic finsih with a lasting green but pleasant finish.
Red
2008 Château Beauregard
changing gears to pomerol. Still merlot based, heavy cab franc. Maybe the suffocating character wasn't the cab franc 'cause its not here. This is much softer and more shy on the nose.
Red
2008 Château Clinet
poured from the bottle like syrup. Pepper and red fruit cranberry, velvety in the mouth, short acidic finish. Tannins are very soft to unnoticeable
Red
2008 Château Gazin Pomerol
barnyard quality to this that intrigues. This is special stuff. Everything in good balance not too long a finish and not the overpowering stuff so common today.
Red
2008 Château La Conseillante
mmm...anise/licorice, motor oil, and red fruit. Nice finish I like this very much
Red
2008 Château Clarke
Hmm, maybe its the Merlot that suffocates. This is very nice. Can't pick thesecondary stuff out here, but its layered. Acid stings, tannin goes on and on to the gums, quite impressive
Red
2008 Château Fourcas Hosten
powerful stuff. red and black fruit tannin isn't overwhelming, but the fruit leaps bounces around the mouth. Barnyard again
Red
2008 Château Chasse-Spleen
very sour highly aparrent ripe red fruit. Cranberry overwhelming coarse tannin
Red
2008 Château Poujeaux
cab is back and is shows. Lots of brooding fruit. Very soft in the mouth. Sexy and velvety. Effortless long dry finish.
Red
2008 Château Beaumont
bright fruit but there is an herbal finish to this in the roof of my mouth. Not drying at all, very intriguing.
Red
2008 Château de Camensac
pronounced cranberry and sour cherry. Reserved spice box. Sage maybe. Exploding fruit, medium acid, noticeable but not overbearing tannin. Heavy cab, but 25% merlot
Red
2008 Château La Lagune
there's that suffocation again. And I'm not fatigued, fresh lively berry flavors, sweet tannin.
Red
2008 Château La Tour Carnet
driving me nuts, what does this remind me of? - I looked it up its Educated Guess. Very pronounced sour cherry and black tea. Very open, soft inviting fruity wine.
Red
2008 Château La Tour de By
that's woody! A bit green, tobacco nose, fruit is noticeable, but not foremost in the mouth.
Red
2008 Château Brane-Cantenac
not giving anything away on the nose. Spicy working to get blue/black fruit. Seductive in the mouth, a touch of acidity but not powerful tannin. reserved for the finish and its very fine
Red
2008 Château du Tertre
Woh, what is that? Funk Funk. Very acidic, great in the mouth, but can't get past that funky nose
Red
2008 Château Durfort-Vivens
jumped me out of a daze, this is nice and sort of sour cherry but herbal and very clean wine. Maybe not a long hauler, but good.
Red
2008 Château Kirwan
tannins are falling to the back as I taste. this is quite good. Sour cherry again, I think this is maybe indicitive of Margaux as they all seem to have it.
Red
2008 Château Labégorce
more sour cherry, black tea, these are all very similar and all run together, but are all good
Red
2008 Château Lascombes
decidedly different. Same cherry but there is a lot more earth present on the nose. Good acid in the mouth silky smooth refined tannin. Standout wine of Margaux.
Red
2008 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
same nose, though this is more powerful. Same mouthfeel as the lascombes but without the structure of the tannins.
Red
2008 Château Marquis de Terme
acid in spades, not gonna bother with the nose, itsa clone of margaux (tea and cherries). Good but not balanced in the tannin and acid. Acid is punchy in a nice crisp way.
Red
2008 Château Prieuré-Lichine
closed down, but I can pick out that classic nose. Not feeling this so much. Not bad, but just average here among all the other Margaux today. Might show better if more open.
Red
2008 Château Rauzan-Ségla
Nose still a bit closed. Big tannin obviously well made, but not showing up that much today,
Red
2008 Château Beychevelle
much mre earth/terroir here. I would have put this very similar in feel to rutherford dust. Its like paper pulp in my mouth. Not a bad thing, just unique to today. Very drying. I like it.
Red
2008 Château Branaire-Ducru
same tannins as beychevelle but not as pulpy. More of the suffocating nose, this is very well integrated.
Red
2008 Château Gruaud Larose
very nice nose reminiscent of Lagrange. Fine tannin and tight but good fruit. Very focused wine. Surprise, its next door to Lagrange according to the proprietor.
Red
2008 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
anise here, I love it, sour cherry like margaux, but not as pronounced. Nice and tannic but not overwhelmingly so.
Red
2008 Château Langoa Barton
Definitely getting fatigued, but this is delicious. Soft and fruity not attacking or drying my palate
Red
2008 Château Léoville Barton
nose screams quality next to langoa. High acid, good tannin, quite delicious, for the long haul wine.
Red
2008 Château Léoville Poyferré
burned barrel almost scotch nose to it. There better be lots of fruit in there or uh oh. Acid for days but fruit is hidden. I don't know this seems powerfully disjointed.
Red
2008 Château Saint-Pierre
Closed nose, but very powerful on the palate. This has fruit , acid and tannin. This will run for years.
Red
2008 Château Clerc Milon
nice nose, good fruit chocolate quality to the tannins. Overall very nice but not outstanding.
Red
2008 Château d'Armailhac
very tannic, acid is tame, but finishes strong, red berries good but leaves me wanting, chalking it up to fatigue.
Red
2008 Château Lynch-Bages
very good nice nose, find and integrated tannins good red fruits not sour at all cleanly made
Red
2008 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
brooding dark fruit, thick? smelling. thats a pretty wine. Balanced and well made.
Red
2006 Château La Cabanne
the only '06 of the bunch the '08 was burned in a fire. Sour component to this. Tannins still seem to need time.