K&L Top Bordeaux Tasting
San Francisco, CA
Tasted Saturday, November 20, 2010 by aagrawal with 975 views
Introduction
This was an interesting tasting of 10 2007 Bordeaux wines, including 2 first growths (my first experience with 1st growths).
Overall, I think the vintage is still overpriced though very enjoyable as a drink-now or restaurant wine. The only wine that I think I would purchase is the Malescot, and that's because the nose is so intoxicating. The Pontet Canet would be great at $50-60. The Leoville Barton is a great drinkable wine... if only it was $10 cheaper.
The upper level wines are just ridiculously priced. They are good, but the Mouton and Haut Brion should be about half as much or less. That said, I wouldn't decline if I was offered another taste.
The Suduiraut was pretty good, as always. I'm generally more of a Rieussec fan myself, but the Suduiraut is always respectable and continues to show well, even if very young.
2007 Vieux Château Certan 82 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Nose has some dark fruit flavor. Palate is very thin and acidic. Tastes like a $15 wine. My first experience with this Chateau, and they have not fared well with this admittedly poor vintage. A huge pass at $80/bottle.
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2007 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Love the nose: a bit floral, black and red fruits, a bit of earth and a hint of manure. Palate has medium weight, balanced fruit. A buy for the nose alone, though the palate could use a bit of work. $45/750
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2007 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Lovely nose, dark sweet fruit. A little closed perhaps. Big tannic structure, lots of raspberry/strawberry, nice sweet finish. High acidity with moderate-thin palate. Solid, but not worth $90. 90-91
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2007 Château Léoville Barton 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Nose of dark fruits with hint of minerality, which I love. Hints of complexity, but really just burly/brawny right now. Big structure but drinkable. Good fruit, balanced. Worth $60? Maybe... 90-91+
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2007 Château Léoville Las Cases 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
My first LLC. Lovely nose with good minerality, dark fruits, bit of dust and earth. Palate at first has a bit of tartness that doesn't sit well, but then quickly has good medium weight/balance, nice tannic structure, some raspberry and blackberry. Elegant, but not worth the price ($150). 91-92
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2007 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Notable earthy nose, big structure. Elevant, nice finish with some metal/iron notes. 90
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2007 Château Pontet-Canet 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Completely different from the other 07 bordeaux at the tasting. Vanilla, spice. Palate has huge flavor and is more creamy/smooth than the others. Medium weight, balanced acidity. Very nice, and would be killer if it was $10-15 cheaper instead of at $60. 91-92+
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2007 Château Mouton Rothschild 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
My first first-growth! It was excellent, though just short of superb. Lovely clean nose with minerality, notable graphite, earthy hints. Structured palate with good complexity, but needs some time. An incredibly long finish. A superb effort in the vintage and a great wine, but not worth the $400 price tag. 94+
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2007 Château Haut-Brion 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Tight on the nose, showing some blackberry and black currant but not much else. Palate is nice but less spectacular than the 07 Mouton. Good weight and balance but lacking exuberance of flavor. Moderate-long finish. A great effort and perhaps a bit closed, but not worth the $430 price tag. 92+
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2007 Château Suduiraut 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Nice tropical fruit nose with good botrytis spice, but also tastes very clean and lean line a barsac. Excellent wine, but still has the saccharine flavors of youth. Suggest holding 5 years before opening another (I don't have any more). 90-91+
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