Pale lemon green colour with a clean, fresh nose, fully developed with floral, grassy notes of cat's pee on a gooseberry bush. The slight spice on the palate would suggest that some part of the blend may have seen time in either oak chips or barrels. There is good balance yet lacking in any real complexity. ***
Clear, pale golden colour. On first tasting, the nose was filled with ripe tropical and exotic fruit and the palate had similar overripe fruity qualities. However, the body felt rather light to begin with. Over a period of half an hour, the flavours began to open up with a more caramelised richness coming through. Despite being 11 years old, I felt the flavours were very fresh and youthful, but I did feel it to be a little flabby; a bit more prominent acidity would have lifted it a little. ***1/2
Clear ruby colour with that classic zingy red fruit nose that I find attactive about young Bordeaux. Perhaps the smokiness and vanilla aromas were a little too dominant on the nose. The palate had a very pleasant austere bitterness which gives the wine a very "old school" Bordeaux feel. However, the bright red fruits of raspeberry and redcurrants give a bracing acidity, creating a well balanced wine. Would be interesting to see this develop in 3 years. ***1/2
Light ruby colour, with a surprisingly brownish rim, considering the young age. The aroma had a very dirty farmhouse feel about it but the cherry and red fruit aromas are present.However, perhaps due to this not being a brilliant vintage, the palate felt rather watery and insipid, with wooden and stale flavours lingering long in the finish, not overly pleasant. **1/2
In comparison to the Terre de Mont, the colour is a much more inky purple accompanied by a rather chemically sweet nose, which lends me to believe this wine has been coarsely oaked with oak chips. Although this would be rather pleasant as a food wine, it feels generic and vacant of fruit or any overriding complexity. **1/2
The colour is a dark ruby with rich pungent super-ripe red fruits on the nose. I seemed to be getting a lot of jammy Merlot characteristics coming through. A wine made very much in the rich Michel Rolland style, and the greatness of the year is refelcted in the richness of the fruit. This wine is quite a beast, yet lacking in the real delicacy that makes great Bordeaux so intriguing. ***1/2
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Another dark ruby colour charred oak on the nose. Pleasant, young, tannic and slightly stewed. Once again I would say that the oak is perhaps a little too present. Won a Decanter Bronze medal at this year's awards. A wine that would benefit a few years age. ***
Opaqueish deep colour, the nose was classically austere and reserved, yet the high acid and voluptuous fruit led us to believe that. although this wine may have a decade in it, the flavours and the concentration are abundant now and is approaching its peak. The earthiness and the red fruits combined witht the tertiary oak characters make this an exemplary wine, I just wish that there was more time in class to go into more detail! ****
Another classic Bordeaux (but unlike the rich, jammy Batailley, this seemed a more classic, older style) with more notes of cedar and pencil shavings as well as green peppers with luscious red fruit and ripe tannins that make it beautiful drinking now. However, I'm sure this will last for another decade at least. I'm a little disappointed that I did not have time to make a full and detailed tasting note! However, this is more of your roast-lamb-classic-Bordeaux in comparison to richer, jammier Parker influenced styles that are increasingly common. ****
2008 Château Thieuley Les Demoiselles de Thieuley
France, Bordeaux
Pale lemon green colour with a clean, fresh nose, fully developed with floral, grassy notes of cat's pee on a gooseberry bush. The slight spice on the palate would suggest that some part of the blend may have seen time in either oak chips or barrels. There is good balance yet lacking in any real complexity. ***
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1999 Château Filhot
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Clear, pale golden colour. On first tasting, the nose was filled with ripe tropical and exotic fruit and the palate had similar overripe fruity qualities. However, the body felt rather light to begin with. Over a period of half an hour, the flavours began to open up with a more caramelised richness coming through. Despite being 11 years old, I felt the flavours were very fresh and youthful, but I did feel it to be a little flabby; a bit more prominent acidity would have lifted it a little. ***1/2
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2007 Château Liversan
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Clear ruby colour with that classic zingy red fruit nose that I find attactive about young Bordeaux. Perhaps the smokiness and vanilla aromas were a little too dominant on the nose. The palate had a very pleasant austere bitterness which gives the wine a very "old school" Bordeaux feel. However, the bright red fruits of raspeberry and redcurrants give a bracing acidity, creating a well balanced wine. Would be interesting to see this develop in 3 years. ***1/2
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2006 Terre de Mont
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Light ruby colour, with a surprisingly brownish rim, considering the young age. The aroma had a very dirty farmhouse feel about it but the cherry and red fruit aromas are present.However, perhaps due to this not being a brilliant vintage, the palate felt rather watery and insipid, with wooden and stale flavours lingering long in the finish, not overly pleasant. **1/2
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2008 Château Lauduc
France, Bordeaux
In comparison to the Terre de Mont, the colour is a much more inky purple accompanied by a rather chemically sweet nose, which lends me to believe this wine has been coarsely oaked with oak chips. Although this would be rather pleasant as a food wine, it feels generic and vacant of fruit or any overriding complexity. **1/2
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2005 Château Batailley
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The colour is a dark ruby with rich pungent super-ripe red fruits on the nose. I seemed to be getting a lot of jammy Merlot characteristics coming through. A wine made very much in the rich Michel Rolland style, and the greatness of the year is refelcted in the richness of the fruit. This wine is quite a beast, yet lacking in the real delicacy that makes great Bordeaux so intriguing. ***1/2
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2007 Château Cantin
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Another dark ruby colour charred oak on the nose. Pleasant, young, tannic and slightly stewed. Once again I would say that the oak is perhaps a little too present. Won a Decanter Bronze medal at this year's awards. A wine that would benefit a few years age. ***
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2003 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Opaqueish deep colour, the nose was classically austere and reserved, yet the high acid and voluptuous fruit led us to believe that. although this wine may have a decade in it, the flavours and the concentration are abundant now and is approaching its peak. The earthiness and the red fruits combined witht the tertiary oak characters make this an exemplary wine, I just wish that there was more time in class to go into more detail! ****
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2001 Château Montrose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
Another classic Bordeaux (but unlike the rich, jammy Batailley, this seemed a more classic, older style) with more notes of cedar and pencil shavings as well as green peppers with luscious red fruit and ripe tannins that make it beautiful drinking now. However, I'm sure this will last for another decade at least. I'm a little disappointed that I did not have time to make a full and detailed tasting note! However, this is more of your roast-lamb-classic-Bordeaux in comparison to richer, jammier Parker influenced styles that are increasingly common. ****
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