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Bordeaux Tasting at Cafe Levain
Tasted March 8, 2009 by Mattshank with 822 views
Introduction
Many of us gathered for a wonderful evening of classic Bordeaux wines. We had a good array vintages and appellations. My notes are a little sparse, but given the fast and frenetic pace of the wine pouring I was not able to spend nearly as much time with the wines as preferred. Apparently not all of the wines were decanted which may have also contributed to scores which otherwise might have been higher.
The wines were only rivaled by the tremendous cuisine of Chef Adam at Cafe Levain. The event was a blast and a special thanks to Craig V for putting together another winner event!
Flight 1 - Starter Whites (5 notes)
White
2000 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett
88 points
Nose: Slate mineral with some apple. Palate: Good crisp acid with ripe apple. Fairly simple but a good starter Riesling.
White
1998 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Turckheim
Nose: Not much showing. Palate: Quite bitter with no fruit. Not sure but I think this bottle was not representative. Perhaps a tad oxidized?
White - Off-dry
2004 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Spätlese 303
90 points
Nose: Bright apple and some slate. Palate: Candied apple with an almost Auslese-like RS level. This wine was nice and a popular pick of the Rieslings. I could see this wine easily scoring higher with some age.
White
1995 Château Carbonnieux Blanc
89 points
Nose: Slight peach aroma and a little mineral. Palate: Nice acid with some subdued grapefruit and gravel hints. Clean finish.
White - Off-dry
2001 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken
Nose: A little funk (not sure if sulfur). Acidic with a bitter taste on the mid palate. Others suggested this was off. I have not drunk enough Halbtrockens to know if this was representive, but I am inclined to agree.
Flight 2 - Bordeaux (14 notes)
Red
1994 Château Montrose
90 points
Nose: Ink and cigar box with a rustic, old desk drawer aroma (that was unique and enjoyable). Palate: Sour cherry with gravelly mineral hints. This wine has held up well for 14+ years of age.
Red
1994 Château Angélus
90 points
Nose: Dark fruits with some ink and scorched earth. Palate: Still amazingly youthfull tannins. Dark fruits but tight and closed. I think this wine was not decanted first and could have scored higher with more aeration. I have always liked Angelus.
Red
1990 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
91 points
Nose: Not much showing on the nose initially. After some glass air some ink and pencil lead. Palate: Still firm tannins with dark fruits. Softened with air and the ink qualities showed more. A little too subtle for me but certainly one of the better wines of the night.
Red
1990 Château Brane-Cantenac
88 points
Nose: Sweet red fruits. Palate: Soft red fruits that were very ripe. Decent wine, but seemed simple in comparison with some of the other star wines of the night. Perhaps if it were earlier in the rotation it might have been more impressive.
Red
1995 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
89 points
Nose: Pencil lead aromas. Palate: Soft and accessible now. Dark fruits with a nice finish. Simple but good for 13+ years of age.
Red
1999 Château Cos d'Estournel
90 points
Nose: Dark, brooding and a little closed up. Palate: Unlike what the nose promised bright red fruits were evident. Good finish. For me this was showing better than the 2000.
Red
2001 Château Lynch-Bages
87 points
Nose: Youthfull with pencil lead hints. Palate: A little green and closed but soft tannins and a decent finsh. The 1998 was more to my liking.
Red
1998 Château Lynch-Bages
90 points
Nose: An almost floral, fresh quality that was unique. Palate: More deep and tannic versus 2001, but the tannins were still soft and accessible. Nice lengthy finish.
Red
2000 Château Léoville Poyferré
90 points
Nose: Subtle with some inky qualities. Palate: Very soft with the ink qualties showing and dark fruits. Well balanced wine.
Red
2000 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux
92 points
Nose: Deep complex aromas of spicy dark fruit and rusted pipe. This was by far the most interesting nose of all the wines. Palate: Deep, dark fruits with perfectly balanced tannins that were refined. Soft, elegant yet persistant finish. Despite the interesting palate the nose was the highlight of this wine. Tied for my WOTN (along with the 2000 Giscours).
Red
2000 Château Calon-Ségur
88 points
Nose: Not yielding much. Palate: Very soft and simple and not showing much now. Like some of the wines I went by this one fast given the pace of the tasting.
Red
2000 Château Giscours
92 points
Nose: Nice pencil lead and dark fruit aromas with some earth and coffee. Palate: Soft with complex dark fruit, pencil lead, coffee and a very supple and lengthy finish. My WOTN with the 2000 Pavillon Rouge.
Red
2000 Château Cos d'Estournel
87 points
Nose: A very pronounced green quality. Palate: Like the nose this showed very green, but the tannins were soft and pleasant. Liked the 1999 much better. Perhaps this is in a closed phase now?
Red
2000 Château Rauzan-Ségla
91 points
Nose: Deep pencil lead and earthy aromas. Palate: Soft yet complex with dark fruit, earth components and a fresh, lenghty finish. A very close 2nd for my WOTN.
Flight 3 - Finisher Wines (3 notes)
White - Off-dry
2003 A.J. Adam Dhronhofberger Tholey Riesling Auslese
90 points
Nose: Fresh nose of apricot and slate. Very subtle nose. Palate: Not much RS for an Auslese but very nice.
White - Off-dry
1995 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese
91 points
Nose: Big petrol and spice with floral hints. Palate: Good acidity buttresses the sweetness and keeps everything in check. Pear and apple showing. Very nice and many years of life ahead. My favorite Riesling of the night. Prum rocks!
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Guiraud
91 points
Nose: Heavily botrytised nose with fresh fiberglass glue. Very cool nose. Palate: Deep, sweet flowers and apricot. Lengthy finish. Very nice and primary with a good life ahead. No doubt this will score higher with time (93+ points?).