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Bordeaux WIMPS #166 30th June 2023
La Trompette, Chiswick
Tasted June 30, 2023 by Vinumming & Ahhing with 137 views
Introduction
Thanks to Don for all his hard work pulling this together, my table mates for their lovely wines and company and to the team at Trompette for their attentive service.
Flight 1 - Canapé (1 note)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Paul Dethune Champagne Grand Cru Brut
92 points
Yeasty, lemon pith nose. Palate very well balanced and long with more citrus interest. Lovely start to proceedings.
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Comment
Flight 2 - New season tomatoes with crushed green olives, crostinis and smoke paprika aioli (1 note)
White
2005 Château Pape Clément Blanc
89 points
Feels evolved if not overly so, there is Werther's Original character to the nose with some lime oil and a little tarragon. Palate has good acidity with some nougat and sweated leeks. More pleasant than I have made it sound.
Flight 3 - Rabbit pot au feu, Toulous sausage, sauce verte (4 notes)
Red
2005 Château Certan de May
91 points
Redcurrant coulis sweetness / sourness with some bresaola meatiness to the nose. Later some fruit pastille with a touch of smoke. Palate is youthful with resolving tannins and good, puckering acidity. Returning at the end of the lunch this is opening out nicely. One to watch.
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Red
1995 Château La Fleur-Pétrus
93 points
Red fruits with the faintest hint of grated dark chocolate and some subtle exotic hoisin richness. Palate is cool fruited, elegant and fine boned. Excellent. My second favourite wine of the lunch.
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Comments (2)
Red
1988 Château Magdelaine
92 points
Understated but gorgeous. The rich, red fruits delightfully complimented by a few drops of Earl Grey tea and some cherry Tune. Palate has lovely balance and length. A joy. My third favourite wine of the lunch.
Red
1998 Clos René
92 points
Dark raspberry note to the nose with a few, subtle flakes of tobacco and some Goji berries. Palate has lovely texture and balance. Really à point for me. Returning after some time and after we had scored I think I might have been a little mean with this, there is additionally a slight blackcurrant macaron sweetness to the nose and a layer of meatiness to the palate. Chapeau.
Flight 4 - Aged beef fillet, bacon, fondant Lyonnaise, mushrooms and white asparagus (4 notes)
Red
2010 Château Pontet-Canet
92 points
Whilst I really enjoy this I don't love it as much as some around the table the 14.5% alcohol and modernity are not my thing really. There is a pleasant marron glacé interest to the nose with some kirsch and little pine need / resin. Dark, rich fruits with a very pleasant salinity. Palate is very young and tight. Benefited from being double decanted which had to be negotiated.
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Comments (3)
Red
1996 Château Léoville Barton
92 points
I like this but have had better bottles of this wine. The nose has some of the usual St Julien cedar with a few additions around the edges there is a little olive salinity, some pickled mushroom and a little crumbled Madeleine sweetness. With some air becomes a lot more classical with lacy blackcurrant fruit more of the cedar and a couple of drops of Quink ink. I like this even if its not at its very, very best.
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Red
1999 Château Léoville Poyferré
91 points
This is showing well. Have quite a few 1999s for sentimental reasons and they have been a mixed bag. This has some fine red fruits with a contrasting and very pleasant nettle / green bell pepper note. With some air jus the suggestion of a couple of pipette drops of tangerine oil. Palate is youthful with resolving if not fully resolved tannins. Just a spot of ginger adds to the mix. Very enjoyable.
Red
1988 Château Léoville Barton
93 points
A wine I've had the pleasure to drink on several occasions. On pouring there is delightful if short lived florality to the nose - some elderflower highlights around the core of brooding dark fruits. Palate is, as ever, beautifully savoury with a slight pepperiness and just the right amount of acidity, the tannins aren't quite as resolved as the stellar 1985 from this producer but, this is an utter joy. My wine of the lunch.
Flight 5 - Crême Brûlée (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2001 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes
93 points
What a fabulous sweet wine to wrap up with. Nose has crystalised papaya with some blood orange marmalade. Palate has layers of quince fruit, perfect balancing acidity and length. Every bit the equal of a delightful Lafaurie Payraguay last week.
Closing
Some lovely and qualitatively closely grouped wines, another 3 would have been equally easy to vote for on the wine of the lunch voting.