brucef
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2003 Château Duhart-Milon
10/30/2014 - brucef wrote: 90 Points
Although this has been in my cellar for six years, there was not any sediment in the bottle. This is a modern claret, and is not much like the wines of fifty years ago.
Nose reminiscent of cigar box, but it is not very intense. Tannins fully resolved, some acid backbone, not fruit forward, no heat - doesn't show any effects of a hot year, but alcohol is evident. Medium finish, smooth, but nothing special. Color very deep garnet. no orange or brown. This bottle was opened two hours before dinner and was decanted with aerating, but that was unnecessary. I'm pretty much resigned to not finding any French clarets that are made the way they were made fifty years ago and produce such enjoyment. You had to decant a ten year old bottle from any halfway decent vintage because there would be a half inch of sediment in the bottle. And the nose and mouthfeel are practically gone. I still remember wines from '62 and '66 that had a nose that you could continue to enjoy after your glass was drained. When you opened the bottle, even a third growth's bouquet would be evident immediately. But, for such a decent vintage and chateaux, this was a disappointment. If you like the modern style bordeaux you may like this. I know why my son does not hold bordeaux in high regard. In my mind this bottle was worth maybe $15, definitely not $75.
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2003 Château Prieuré-Lichine
8/25/2011 - brucef wrote: 85 Points
Opened but did not decant. The reason for decanting used to be to separate the wine from the sediment. I can remember perhaps two bottles I drank in the past 10 years that had any sediment. Most of the wine produced nowadays is made to drink young but it removes some of the components that produce sediment and a wine that has tremendous bouquet, finish and body. I remember bordeaux from the 60's that had such a terrific nose that you could contine to enjoy it long after you had emptied the glass. And, these were not first or even second growths. Bordeaux, even those bottles with age, are now pleasant and innocuous, but often thin, and you can taste the fact that the complex tannins are missing. This bottle was one of those. Prieure-Lichine in the 60's like most of the wines in that era, were different. This bottle had some nose, and that telltale mouthfeel and taste that indicate too much fining, but little complexity and finish. Not even a trace of sediment, even though it was cellared for 4 years. I might as well drink California Cab - I get the same quality of wine at half the price.
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2000 Château La Croix du Casse
6/22/2010 - brucef wrote: 91 Points
Nice Pomerol. Quite a bit of fruit for a bordeaux. Blackberries, maybe cherries. Fair nose, but difficult to describe. I've had many different wines from the other bank, but not much from Pomerol, so a more experienced person in this appelation tasting this would be more helpful. Tannins well integrated,medium finish. Closed upon opening, but after 2 hours there was a fair-to-good nose. On second night the nose reminded me of cognac or armagnac at first, quite distinct. Later on I smelled Port! But the wine is not hot or too alcoholic. Quite interesting and unusual in my experience, not at all unpleasant - quite the opposite. The wine has excellent body, sheets on the side of the glass, and the color is rich. It would be interesting to try tis again in 2 years, but it is definitely ready to drink now, and it drinks very well! Would be perfect with a rib roast. I wish I had more.
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