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Académie des Cinquante Bordeaux visit
Tasted October 3, 2007 - October 6, 2007 by Xavier Auerbach with 772 views
Flight 1 - Day 1 - Dauzac, d'Issan, lunch at Du Tertre, Brane-Cantenac, dinner at d'Issan (18 notes)
Red
2004 Château Dauzac La Bastide Dauzac
87 points
Promising nose, lovely fruit, well-absorbed oak, classically styled and still a bit tight, lightish, decent length.
Red
2006 Château Dauzac La Bastide Dauzac
88 points
Barrel sample. Riper style than the 2004, good fruit, hint of caramel, smooth, polished, baby fat, clearly a very ripe barrel.
Red
2004 Château Dauzac
90 points
Lovely fruit; finesse, colour and extraction, roundness and a classical structure; liquorice on the finish.
Red
2006 Château Dauzac
91 points
Barrel sample. Again a riper, rounder style than the 2004, caramel and puppy fat, extract and finesse, excellent length.
Red
2006 Château d'Issan
90 points
Barrel sample. Slender, classical and elegant style, lots of CS, a bit green, good fruit, terroir.
Red
2000 Château d'Issan Blason d'Issan
89 points
Delicious Margaux, lovely style, drinking well, elegant and complete.
Red
2003 Château Duthil
86 points
50% CS, 50% M, light, juicy, warm and sweet fruit, velvety tannins, pleasant but a bit drying too.
Red
2006 Château du Tertre
91 points
Barrel sample. 50% CS, 27% M, 23% CF. Lovely elegant fruit, finesse, crisp acidity, generous and feminine, good length.
Red
2006 Château Giscours
91 points
Barrel sample. Much more closed than the Du Tertre 2006, more CS, more powerful and more masculine, cooler and less inviting. Good wine.
Rosé
2006 Château Giscours Le Rosé de Giscours
87 points
Rosé de saignée from CS, salmon, creamy, fruity, fresh and herbal.
Red
2001 Château du Tertre
92 points
Refined, feminine and generous, seamless, animale, lovely finesse and rondeur, good depth, long, exquisite Margaux.
Red
Red
1982 Château du Tertre
89 points
Un vieux monsieur, 1982-richness, raisins and brown sugar, ripe and round but fine and elegant too, technically over-the-hill but a nice drink.
Red
2004 Château Brane-Cantenac
88 points
Lovely fruit, polished and toasty oak, lightish, drying, liquorice on the finish, not very convincing.
Red
2004 Château Brane-Cantenac Le Baron de Brane
87 points
Starts out edgy and disjointed but comes together and shows nice fruit.
White
2001 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
90 points
Powerful, vegetal, nice freshness and good evolution.
Red
2003 Château d'Issan
90 points
Full, ripe and round, smooth and warm, not very energetic but pleasant, not long-term.
Red
1999 Château Corbin Michotte
88 points
Lovely Merlot-nose, rather light and drying on the palate, a bit austere for a 1999.
Flight 2 - Day 2 - Cheval Blanc, lunch at Petit Village, La Conseillante, dinner at Bistro du Sommelier (13 notes)
Red
2003 Château Cheval Blanc
93 points
Deliciously rich, ripe and round, combines warmth and freshness, noble wood, long, fantastic fruit, lovely tannins, sultry, decadent but maybe a bit skinny too?
Red
2004 Château Cheval Blanc
94 points
Same assemblage as the 2003 (56% CF, 44% M), a totally different wine. Much firmer and more focused, excellent energy and power, perfectly integrated oak, nice and creamy, lovely minerality, outstanding tannins and length, classic CB.
Red
2006 Château Petit Village
91 points
Barrel sample. Slender, elegant style, violets, lively acidity, some cream, still needs to be rounded out by the oak.
Red
2005 Château Petit Village
93 points
Classic, complete, well-balanced, enormous energy and potential, excellent tannins, oak completely abosrbed, lively acidity, violets, excellent length.
Red
2004 Château Petit Village
90 points
A much more charming and feminine interpretation, elegant and stylish, discreet oak, drinking well already.
Red
2001 Château Petit Village
92 points
Good depth, seems quite closed, stylish, excellent potential, masculine, good length, needs time.
Red
1998 Château Petit Village
90 points
Quite evolved on the nose, chocolate and coffee, good depth; ditto on the palate, but acidity seems high and tannin rather firm, excellent with food but hard to judge its potential.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1999 Château Suduiraut
93 points
Beautiful colour, white peach, lovely botrytis, very elegant and fresh, sweet but wonderful balance, very long.
Red - Fortified
N.V. Quinta do Noval Porto 20 Year Old Tawny
92 points
Somewhat discreet nose, turkish delight, elegant, good kick of acidity, semi-sweet, excellent length.
Red
2006 Château La Conseillante
93 points
Superb fruit (cherry and plum), complex, supremely stylish, ripe and fresh at the same time, perfectly integrated tannins, no noticeable oak, excellent length. Grand Vin.
Red
2001 Château La Conseillante
92 points
Much friendlier than the Petit Village, magnificent Merlots, structured, needs time but in five years' time: luxe, calme et volupté. Complex, excellent expression of its exalted terroir, carried by lively acidity and smooth tannins.
White
2005 Château Carbonnieux Blanc
90 points
Delicious, juicy, ripe acidity, elegant, fresh and ripe, oak well absorbed, good length. At Le Bistro du Sommelier, Bordeaux.
Red
1997 Château Latour Grand Vin
92 points
Shows its proximity to Saint-Julien this year, lovely expressive nose, cedar, slightly medicinal; relatively light, smooth and round, some richness, lively acidity, good length, a very lovely 1997. At Le Bistro du Sommelier, Bordeaux.
Flight 3 - Day 3 - Malartic, lunch at Haut-Bailly, de Fargues, miscellaneous wines (12 notes)
Red
2005 Château Malartic-Lagravière
88 points
Good fruit, nice weight, seems a bit disjointed and a touch dry, assez bien, but should do better.
Red
2005 Château Gazin Rocquencourt
88 points
Rich fruit, spicy and some cream, well-judged oak, good energy and length. Good wine, complete.
White
2005 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc
91 points
Expressive, well-balanced, clean and ripe fruit, well-judged oak, round, good length.
Rosé
2006 Château Haut-Bailly Bordeaux Rosé
87 points
Rosé de saignée, 100% CS, 30% new oak. A firmer, drier and less playful style than the Giscours, lacks some elegance and charm.
Red
2003 Château Haut-Bailly
90 points
Only 12.5%. Rich and sweet fruit, a little overripe, well-integrated oak, charming and velvety, low acidity, not very powerful, very attractive despite a slight greenness, lovely finish. Will not make old bones.
Red
1998 Château Haut-Bailly
93 points
Magum. Very lively colour; lovely evolution on the nose, hint of chocolate, depth, freshness and elegant oak too; charming, vital and energetic, lovely now but will be more beautiful still in ten years' time.
Red
1988 Château Haut-Bailly
92 points
Double-magnum. A classic Haut-Bailly, creamy and ripe, perfectly balanced, gentle but very rich, dried fruit, cedar, beautiful tannins, lovely length. At peak.
Red
1978 Château Haut-Bailly
90 points
Impériale. Completely evolved, elegance and finesse, molasses, raisins, tobacco, light but from this grand format still delicious.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1997 Château de Fargues
93 points
Very rich, truly liquorous, lovely botrytis, complexity, structured, excellent definition and length, needs time to come together. Drink 2012 - 2027.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1989 Château Coutet Barsac
92 points
Yellow gold, lovely nose with freshness, flowers, confit fruits and a touch of caramel; semi-sweet, elegant, lovely Barsac-style with lovely juicy acidity; excellent length with apricot and bitter orange.
White
2006 Dourthe Sauvignon Blanc No. 1
88 points
Fragrant, good typicity, crisp, cassis leaf, some tropical fruit and a hint of vanilla (not from any oak), lovely length. Very well done.
Red
2004 Domaine de Grandmaison
87 points
Good wine, still a bit hard, but nice weight, good Merlot-fruit and lively tannins that need a little time to integrate.