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Jonathan's 2004 horizontal
Blacklock City
Tasted March 25, 2024 by NickA with 56 views
Introduction
20 years on: let's see how these wines are showing. The Calon aside, the wines were double-decanted 2-3 hours before we drank them.
Flight 1 - Pig's Head on Toast, Cull Yaw Crumpets, Blacklock Gravy (2 notes)
Red
2004 Château Calon-Ségur
91 points
A classic Left Bank nose, with some hints of spice to add interest. Despite having been double-decanted the morning before the dinner, still pretty tannic and lacking in mid-palate amplitude, although time in the glass did emphasise the sweet-fruited side of the wine. Grippy dark fruits and some graphite. Really benefited from being drunk with food.
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Red
2004 Château Montrose
90 points
Didn't show as well as a bottle a year ago, and I wonder if the green, leafy nose was in fact evidence of TCA (although no-one else mentioned it, and I decided to stay quiet). Juicy but slightly chewy on the palate, with more tannin with air, a saline estuarine quality and fruity but clipped finish. As with the Calon, better with food.
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Flight 2 - Lamb Rump, Barbecued Baby Gems & Anchovy Dripping (2 notes)
Red
2004 Château Léoville Barton
94 points
Such an underpriced wine - clearly brilliant from first sniff. Rather sweet, sexy and full-bodied (especially for a Barton), but retained its essential classicism. More red-fruited than the Poyferre, and surprisingly ripe for the vintage, but everything seemed well-integrated and the wine was drinking beautfully. My and (by far) the group's WOTN.
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Red
2004 Château Léoville Poyferré
94 points
Like its flight-mate, this is in a great place, and a particularly good 2004. Soft, rounded nose, with savoury notes and tobacco. Darker on the palate than the Barton, with cocoa and espresso as well as dark blue fruit, but with good acidity too, which (along with the attractive powdery tannins) made this excellent with the lamb. Really enjoyable even if it lacks the complexity and definition of a truly great wine. My #2 tonight, and the group's #3.
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Flight 3 - Prime Rib, Porterhouse, Beef Dripping Chips (3 notes)
Red
2004 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
93 points
A nice contrast to the Leovilles and its flight-mates, being light on its feet and rather delicate in character. Clean, leafy and drinkable, with a menthol note on the nose, and (based on my prejudice, if not tonight's evidence) more of a typical 2004. Just what was needed with the steak course. My #3 tonight.
Red
2004 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
92 points
This was one of the pre-match favourites, but somehow didn't manage to gain a single WOTN vote, despite showing pretty well; I suspect its relative youthfulness did for it. A big, well-oaked wine, with a touch of sweetness and a feeling of heat on the finish, not from the alcohol (13%) but the sheer concentration. Some leafiness too, and every indication that this will turn out well, but we all felt it would be showing better in 5, perhaps even 10 years' time.
Red
2004 Vieux Château Certan
93 points
Pretty damn tasty, even if this bottle seemed a bit buttoned-up compared to the one we drank last year. Rich purple fruit with a dusting of cocoa, then some leather coming through towards the finish. Plenty of brightness and a juicy quality; dare I say I detect some of the Lisa Perrotti-Brown characteristic black forest cake? Perhaps I shouldn't care, as it's a lovely wine regardless, and was voted group #2 favourite.
Flight 4 - "Say When" White Chocolate Cheesecake (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2009 Château Rieussec
93 points
Another excellent example: opulent without searing intensity, attractively viscous, gorgeous notes of treacle, apricot and honeycomb. It's a super Sauternes and likely to become even more attractive.
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Closing
A cracking dinner, with the wines and food showing nicely - and playing very well together. No sign of tiredness on any of tonight's wines, and indeed some seem yet to peak, let alone become particularly tertiary. Prices remain reasonable, so why not load up?