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Right Bank Bordeaux - Unnamed Atlanta Tasting Group
Paul & Deanne's Place
Tasted January 11, 2020 - January 13, 2020 by CWilliam with 260 views
Introduction
Got together for our quarterly tasting group to taste through some right Bank Bordeaux (the last 2 bottles were left bank ringers). Our host re-mixed the bags and we tasted blind in sets of two. We voted for everyone's top 3 wines and gave 4 points for favorite wine, 2 points for 2nd favorite and 1 point for third favorite. Wine #1 (by one point) was the Chateau de Lescours "L" followed by the Canon-la-Gaffeliere. In a distant third was the Chateau Clinet and the Clerc Milon got 4th place. Nearly everyone voted for the 1st two wines for a first or second place. My two favorites were consistent with the groups and I don't recall voting on a third place wine.
Flight 1 (10 notes)
Red
2008 Château Clinet
91 points
Wine #1 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
medium red color with slight meniscus. On nose, bell pepper/pyrizines (guessed this was Cab Franc and was wrong), tobacco, blackberry and currants. Similar palate (with no bell pepper). Full body, medium acidity/tannins and very long finish. Thought this was a '10-'12 St.-Emilion that had a large amount of Cab Franc in the blend - I was way off. 91+/-
Wine #3 overall (#1 and #2 was essentially a tie between an '05 Chateau De Lescours (St-Emilion Grand Cru) and '09 Canon la Gaffeliere)
medium red color with slight meniscus. On nose, bell pepper/pyrizines (guessed this was Cab Franc and was wrong), tobacco, blackberry and currants. Similar palate (with no bell pepper). Full body, medium acidity/tannins and very long finish. Thought this was a '10-'12 St.-Emilion that had a large amount of Cab Franc in the blend - I was way off. 91+/-
Wine #3 overall (#1 and #2 was essentially a tie between an '05 Chateau De Lescours (St-Emilion Grand Cru) and '09 Canon la Gaffeliere)
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Red
2012 Clos Beauregard
92 points
Wine #2 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Darker than the '08 Clinet that proceeded it. Didn't note color. Nose/palate of slate, earth and black cherry. Full body, medium tannins, medium acidity, rich palate feel and very long finish. Guessed 2012 vintage. Will likely try and buy a few bottles - 92-93+
(#1 and #2 was essentially a tie between an '05 Chateau De Lescours (St-Emilion Grand Cru) and '09 Canon la Gaffeliere)
Darker than the '08 Clinet that proceeded it. Didn't note color. Nose/palate of slate, earth and black cherry. Full body, medium tannins, medium acidity, rich palate feel and very long finish. Guessed 2012 vintage. Will likely try and buy a few bottles - 92-93+
(#1 and #2 was essentially a tie between an '05 Chateau De Lescours (St-Emilion Grand Cru) and '09 Canon la Gaffeliere)
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Red
2005 Château de Lescours "L"
93 points
Wine #3 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
I loved this. Brick red with strong change in color from center to rim. On nose, coffee grinds, wet earth, tobacco, red currants and pencil lead. More fruit on palate than nose suggested with tobacco, currants, blackberry flavor profile. Medium+ body, medium acidity, integrated tannins and long finish. Guessed this was my '06 Canon. I was wrong.
Available in Atlanta and will pick up some bottles. You have to guess where so you don't beat me to the wine. 93-94 range.
Group's #1 and my #1 (was essentially a tie between this and an '09 Canon la Gaffeliere)
I loved this. Brick red with strong change in color from center to rim. On nose, coffee grinds, wet earth, tobacco, red currants and pencil lead. More fruit on palate than nose suggested with tobacco, currants, blackberry flavor profile. Medium+ body, medium acidity, integrated tannins and long finish. Guessed this was my '06 Canon. I was wrong.
Available in Atlanta and will pick up some bottles. You have to guess where so you don't beat me to the wine. 93-94 range.
Group's #1 and my #1 (was essentially a tie between this and an '09 Canon la Gaffeliere)
Red
2012 Vieux Château Certan
91 points
Wine #4 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Bad notes on this one. The nose was shut down - guessed 2012 given that was the youngest a wine was supposed to be in the tasting. Gave it a 91+/- rating but this didn't do this wine justice - should score 2-4 points higher with age. Would sit on this for 5-10 more years before opening. It was enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but not showing what it will be.
Not in the top 5.
Bad notes on this one. The nose was shut down - guessed 2012 given that was the youngest a wine was supposed to be in the tasting. Gave it a 91+/- rating but this didn't do this wine justice - should score 2-4 points higher with age. Would sit on this for 5-10 more years before opening. It was enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but not showing what it will be.
Not in the top 5.
Red
2006 Château Canon
flawed
Wine #5 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Dang - corked! Purchased from Sokolin in 2010, all other bottles were excellent. Bummer.
Dang - corked! Purchased from Sokolin in 2010, all other bottles were excellent. Bummer.
Red
2005 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
90 points
Wine #6 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Guessed this was an '03 Right bank given the stewed fruit character on the nose & palate - I don't think JHaslam stored this properly...
Thought this could have been a ringer given color - very large change from rim to center. On nose, stewed fruits, vegetal notes and tobacco. On palate, full body, medium acidity and medium+ tannins. Given other notes on this wine I think there were storage issues - or was this wine just over-extracted at creation and not made to go the distance? That is the question that I don't have the skill to answer. I look forward to some comments on this from more experienced tasters.
Other than the corked wine, this was my least favorite bottle in the tasting.
Guessed this was an '03 Right bank given the stewed fruit character on the nose & palate - I don't think JHaslam stored this properly...
Thought this could have been a ringer given color - very large change from rim to center. On nose, stewed fruits, vegetal notes and tobacco. On palate, full body, medium acidity and medium+ tannins. Given other notes on this wine I think there were storage issues - or was this wine just over-extracted at creation and not made to go the distance? That is the question that I don't have the skill to answer. I look forward to some comments on this from more experienced tasters.
Other than the corked wine, this was my least favorite bottle in the tasting.
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Red
2009 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
93 points
Wine #7 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Loved this. Guessed left bank ringer. Got vintage right ('09). Didn't note color. Fresh fruit on palate - black cherry, currants, sweet cherry and gravel. On palate, full body with medium acidity, medium tannins and very long finish. Velvety on the palate with similar flavor profile to nose. A Napa drinker's Bordeaux. 93-94 range.
Group's #2 and my #2 (was essentially a tie between an '05 Chateau De Lescours (St-Emilion Grand Cru) and this wine - the '05 won by 1 point so I'd argue a tie)
Loved this. Guessed left bank ringer. Got vintage right ('09). Didn't note color. Fresh fruit on palate - black cherry, currants, sweet cherry and gravel. On palate, full body with medium acidity, medium tannins and very long finish. Velvety on the palate with similar flavor profile to nose. A Napa drinker's Bordeaux. 93-94 range.
Group's #2 and my #2 (was essentially a tie between an '05 Chateau De Lescours (St-Emilion Grand Cru) and this wine - the '05 won by 1 point so I'd argue a tie)
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Red
2015 Château Pavie Macquin
90 points
Wine #8 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Given other notes on CT, I think we had an off bottle- guessed this was an '03 vintage St-Emilion given the stewed fruit flavor profile. The wine was recently purchased by a member of the group and decanted. I would think it would be shut down now, but the stewed fruit seemed wrong for a '15.
Didn't note color. stewed red fruit, tobacco, earth on nose. Medium boyd, medium acidity/tannins with a medium+ finish. 90-91 range. Was really surprised when this was revealed.
Did not score in top 5 for group or for me.
Given other notes on CT, I think we had an off bottle- guessed this was an '03 vintage St-Emilion given the stewed fruit flavor profile. The wine was recently purchased by a member of the group and decanted. I would think it would be shut down now, but the stewed fruit seemed wrong for a '15.
Didn't note color. stewed red fruit, tobacco, earth on nose. Medium boyd, medium acidity/tannins with a medium+ finish. 90-91 range. Was really surprised when this was revealed.
Did not score in top 5 for group or for me.
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Red
2010 Les Pagodes de Cos
90 points
Wine #9 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Notes getting pretty poor now. Darkest color of the tasting. On nose, strong alcohol, mint/eucalyptus and black currants. Full body, medium+ acidity, low tannins and long finish. Softest wine from a tannin perspective of the tasting. 90+/- Overall a well made wine that is ready to drink.
It did not score in the top 5.
Notes getting pretty poor now. Darkest color of the tasting. On nose, strong alcohol, mint/eucalyptus and black currants. Full body, medium+ acidity, low tannins and long finish. Softest wine from a tannin perspective of the tasting. 90+/- Overall a well made wine that is ready to drink.
It did not score in the top 5.
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Comments (1)
Red
2010 Château Clerc Milon Pastourelle de Clerc Milon
91 points
Wine #10 - Blind tasting of 10 "Right Bank Bordeaux" - Bottles sampled in flights of 2 then revealed.
Shocker, last bottle had the least notes. Was told this was a left bank wine so no real guessing. Didn't note color. Relatively modern nose/palate style - blackberry, currants, coffee and cassis (on nose & palate). Good structure. Enjoyed more than the bottle before in the tasting. 91+/-
Glad I have a few bottles in the cellar. This should continue to age well.
Shocker, last bottle had the least notes. Was told this was a left bank wine so no real guessing. Didn't note color. Relatively modern nose/palate style - blackberry, currants, coffee and cassis (on nose & palate). Good structure. Enjoyed more than the bottle before in the tasting. 91+/-
Glad I have a few bottles in the cellar. This should continue to age well.
Closing
Overall an excellent tasting - didn't like the stewed fruit profile of two of the wines ('05 Beau-Sejour and the '15 Pavie Macquin) and we had one definite corked wine (Canon). Plan on buying some of the 2005 Chateau De Lescours "L" in the next week or two. Also, this tasting reinforced my view that 2009 is the Napa Drinkers Bordeaux vintage. With that said, the wine from '09 was still fresh and I thought the 2010s are still not at peak.