Bordeaux: Second wines in great vintages.
Valuas
Tasted Friday, December 2, 2016 by Zweder with 900 views
Introduction
This was a very interesting exercise with more than twenty second wines of chateaux which scored 100 points with their first wine in that particular vintage. There were also five 100 points wines in the line-up. The tasting was single blind. We knew the wines, but not in which order the wines came. That was decided by the sommelier.
I had a tasting before, where we tasted the first and second wine beside each other and then it was quite simple; in all cases the first wine was the better one and also blind that was easy to determine.
At this tasting there were no wines of the same vintage and the same domain directly beside each other. So impossible to compare.
The outcome was that no-one recognized the 100 points first wines. (Except for the Pontet Canet 2009)
This is not really a surprise for me because all wines were beautiful and from different vintages in different maturity stages.
Flight 1 (30 Notes)
Closing
It was a great tasting in great company. And thank you John for the initiative!
1988 Bollinger Champagne Brut Rosé 88 Points
France, Champagne
In the bouquet roses, small red berries and nutty flavors. On the palate apples, nuts, a bit reductive, fresh acidity and grapefruit bitterness. Still a good mousse. Special and beautiful mature bubble.
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2000 Réserve de la Comtesse 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful and classical bouquet with dark fruits like cassis, lead pencil, cedar and beautiful oak. On the palate dark berries, smoke, luxurious oak, cedar, cassis, beautiful acidity and tannin with still a pleasant bite. Overall a beautiful and mature wine with still a future of 4+ years. 93 - 94
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1995 Pensées de Lafleur Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
GRRRR! Another wine from the Lafleur domain which is corked. Overall I have had at least 8 bottles from this domain by now and more than half were corked!!!!
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1982 Les Forts de Latour 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful and classical bouquet with barnyard, mature cassis, caramel, cedar, earth, autumn etc. Same on the palate. Mature, rustic, earthy, cedar, tobacco, mushrooms, still juicy mature cassis and good acidity. Overall a truly great wine. At first I scored the wine 93/94, but after several hours of air time it had gained in subtlety and complexity, so in the end I score the wine 96. What a treat!
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1988 Le Petit Cheval 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Bouquet with creamy and ripe red berry fruits, some earth and rustic flavors. On the palate a mature wine with cassis and dark berries still, but also a horse stable, good oak and length. Tasted fully blind and in fact a great surprise this wine still offers so much pleasure.
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1996 Château Léoville Las Cases 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Beautiful and classical bouquet with red an dark berry fruits, earth, autumn and rustic flavors. On the palate elegant dark and red berries, earth, autumns and mushrooms and firm acidity. The tannin still has a good bite, but overall the wine is quite mature.
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1996 Carruades de Lafite 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
In the bouquet a lot of barnyard smells, cassis and autumn flavors. On the palate a firm amount of red fruit acidity, dark berries, bell pepper, tannin with still bite, good length and some luxurious elements. Pleasant, complex and mature wine.
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1998 Réserve de la Comtesse 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
In the bouquet a beautifully developed wine with autumn, mushrooms and earthy flavors. On the palate oak, earth, bell pepper, rustic impressions and good acidity. A mature, complex and still lovely wine. Ready now, but no extreme hurry.
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1996 Les Forts de Latour 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautifully mature and still fresh bouquet with good dark fruits, lead pencil , smoke and luxurious oak. On the palate a wine with great extraction, dark berries like blackberries and cassis, good acidity, round but still powerful tannin and full bodied. Beautiful and with a future of 5+ years.
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1990 Les Forts de Latour 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful bouquet with earth. autumn forest, tobacco, dark berries and luxurious oak and cedar. On the palate the same impressions with great and beautiful acidity, some pleasant barnyard, silky tannin with a soft bite. Overall harmonious and a great length. Lovely and luxurious wine, ready now and the next few years.
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1990 La Dame de Montrose 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
In the bouquet a beautiful wine with smoke, butterscotch, toast and beautiful dark berries. The bouquet is a feast and just sniffing is almost enough. On the palate red berry fruits, some green bell pepper, firm acidity and tannin. The bouquet is not in harmony with the taste at this moment. Possibly in some years. 93+?
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NV Mailly Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
A lot of apples., citrus and minerals in the bouquet. Young and fresh, Minerals, a lot of good citrus acidity, minerals and some bitterness in the finish. 89 - 90
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1990 Château Montrose 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Beautiful and mature bouquet with red and dark forest fruits, beautiful oak, some earth and forest floor. On the palate luxurious oak, dark and red berries, good acidity and tannin with still some bite and even a bit green. This wine is not tired yet.
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2000 Château Margaux 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
I knew this wine would be in the single blind line-up (28 wines) and I was really looking forward to it. I did not recognize it. In the bouquet still youthful dark forest fruits and some hidden oak. On the palate concentrated dark forest fruits, still much too young. Is still developing for the better. Till so far my blind notes. Even though the wine is in a locked phase (Compared to when it was 7 or 8 years old, see my older notes.), you can taste this is something special and very luxurious, but needs more time to fully show itself. Try again around 2026 is what I suggest now. Great wine, now as well; For this moment I scored the wine 96 – 97.
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2005 La Petite Eglise 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
In the primary and youthful bouquet cherries, yoghurt and beautiful oaky flavors. On the palate creamy red and dark berry fruits, a lot of vanilla, oak and cedar. Firm acidity, some sweetness and bitterness. Still too young, but a wine with great potential. This wine was from magnum and based upon this glass I would say; wait until 2025+. 95 – 96+ (While posting this note I see I differ quite much from the community, so I hope to taste this wine again around 2025 to see if I was completely wrong ;-))
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2000 Carruades de Lafite 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful, youthful bouquet with raspberries and cherries as well as luxurious oak and vanilla. On the palate red and dark berries, oak, cedar, some lead pencil, a touch of sweetness, good acidity, slightly sticky tannin which still has a green note. Beautiful wine and still a bit too young, Around 2020+ For tonight 93 – 94.
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2000 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
In the bouquet youthful dark and red forest fruits and yoghurt. On the palate a luxurious wine with beautiful oak, a good concentration, good acidity and tannin and a good length. Full bodied, still youthful luxurious wine. Waiting until 2022 might be rewarding. For now 93+
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2000 Les Forts de Latour 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful bouquet with smoke cedar and graphite. On the palate a lot of beautifully toasted oak supported by beautiful and ripe dark forest fruits. A really beautiful wine with still enough future for 5+ years. I really like the wine in this stage of its development. 95 – 96
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2005 Chevalier de Lascombes 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
In the bouquet dark forest fruits and good oak. On the palate red and dar berries, firm acidity, round and still youthful tannin. Overall a good wine with a pleasant balance between acidity and sweetness.
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2005 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Luxurious bouquet with smoke and beautiful oak and cedar. On the palate good red and dark forest fruits, graphite, firm acidity and tannin. This wine will improve with 5 – 8+ years of ageing. 93 – 94+
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2005 Château Troplong Mondot 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Luxurious bouquet with dark forest fruits, smoke and licorice. On the palate very luxurious with good fruits, oaky flavors, chocolate, mocha, sweet licorice, cedar etc. Very tempting and luxurious now already and there is plenty of future in this wine. Hope to taste again around 2025. 96 – 97
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2005 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Very luxurious bouquet with beautiful oak and cedar and dark forest fruits. On the palate still a very youthful wine with good dark berries, luxurious oak, firm acidity and round tannin. Still extremely youthful and with a lot of potential. Start around 2024. For this evening 93 – 95+
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2008 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Red and dark forest fruits in the bouquet. On the palate dark berries, graphite, good oak and acidity. Round, full bodied, some graphite. Complex wine but much too young. Around 2022? 92+
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2010 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Corked
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2009 Les Pagodes de Cos 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
In the bouquet a full bodied wine with lush dark berry fruits and luxurious oak. On the palate the same impressions; full bodied, luxurious and delicious. Already a feast but a great promise for the future.
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2009 Pensées de Lafleur 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
In the bouquet a full bodied wine with dark chocolate. On the palate dark and concentrated juice with a lot of power, graphite and luxurious elements like beautiful oak. Great wine with a good future.
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2010 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Croix de Beaucaillou 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
In the bouquet beautiful dark berry fruits like blackberries and cassis. On the palate good acidity, dark chocolate, dark berries, chocolate and some good oak and acidity. Beautiful and youthful wine. 93 - 94
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2009 Chapelle d'Ausone 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
In the bouquet beautiful black forest fruits, smoke and luxurious oak. On the palate dark berries and cherries, luxurious oak and cedar, good acidity and tannin. A beautiful and youthful wine. Can easily last another 10+ years.
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2009 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Croix de Beaucaillou 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
In the bouquet red and black berries, luxurious oak and some bell pepper. On the palate good herbs and spiciness beside the dark and red forest fruits. Luxurious oak, good acidity, tannin and bitterness and an enormous length. Beautiful wine and a great promise for the future. Hope to taste again around 2030. 95 - 96
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2009 Château Pontet-Canet 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is my 20,000th Tasting Note in Cellartracker and that should be a special wine. A few weeks ago I tasted this wine (with 100 Parker points) again, and it is really great! I have a few and many users of Cellartracker have it as well, so that is why I saved this tasting note to be my 20,000th. In the bouquet beautiful cassis, cedar, smoke and luxurious oak. On the palate enormously concentrated black berry fruits with a beautiful harmony between acidity and sweetness. Soft but powerful tannin. This is a true beauty and will probably last for at least another 30+ years. 98+
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