WS Grand Tour Boston

Copley Marriott
Tasted Thursday, May 19, 2011 by RockinCabs with 1,068 views

Introduction

WS Grand Tour. My notes are in three areas; bordeaux, California cab, and "others" . A massive event as always with too many wines to hit them all so you pick and choose. This is by no means complete, but a good list of my hilights for the night.

Flight 1 - Bordeaux (9 Notes)

Mainly top name producers were there and a variety of vintages were being poured. The 2004's were drinking well and 2005's with enough decanting were spectacular. Few disappointments as well.

  • 2005 Château Mouton Rothschild 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Nose: very spicy nose. Sandalwood, cassis, red berries, nutmeg, cocoa powder and nice hint of clove. Palate: black fruits with a veil of licorice, baking spice and sexy silky tannin structure. Finish: So long. Wow. WOTN.

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  • 2004 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Nose: dense fruit, red cherry, blackberry, plum, cigar, leather and exotic spice. Palate: showing red and blue fruits with baking spices. Silky on the palate. Finish: long with spices, leather and black fruit tones. Still coming together but drinking well.

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  • 2004 Château Margaux 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Nose: horse hair, blackberry, pipe tobacco, vanillin, slight minerals. Perfumed and detailed nose. Palate: mid weight. Red fruit, cola notes, sassafras, black cherry, eucalyptus notes. Silky palate feel. Finish: Tanins clamp down at this stage. Black fruits emerge with exotic oak notes.

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  • 2005 Château Lynch-Bages 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Nose: very perfumed and classic pauillac. Blackberry, cigar and violets. Palate: silky with lead pencil, sweet cassis, cigar notes and nice complexity. Finish is long and lively. A great lynch bages.

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  • 2008 Château Pontet-Canet 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Nose: violet, lilacs, blueberry, blackberry, cassis and fruit tart notes. Palate: Very nice layered and elegant. Lots black fruit layers that create a sense of depth. Finish: very long with muscular presence. Can't wait to see how this evolves. Room to improve here.

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  • 2005 Château Giscours 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Nose: red fruits (pomegranate), cassis, leather and grilled plums. Also showing some horse hair and florals. Palate: silky with berries, cherries and leather notes. Some subtle herbs as well. Finish: Tanic and long, but not at the level of other Bordeaux here.

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  • 2004 Château Palmer 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Nose: barnyard, horse hair, red currents, cherry jam, and slight coconut notes. Perfumed nose shows some florals and spice as well. Palate: hits on the thin side, a very feminine wine. Red fruit, leather and sweet berry notes dominate. Finish: moderate, begins to show some herb notes late.

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  • 2006 Château Haut-Bailly 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Nose:bell pepper, blackberry, bitters and some tobacco. Palate: dark fruit, very packed and dense still showing some green elements beneath. Med body and nice. Finish: dark fruit and herbs. A bit clipped. Very closed, winery should not be showing this now.

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  • 2003 Château Brane-Cantenac 85 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Nose: grilled herbs, hearts of palm, some red fruit and sea salt. Palate: comes across very salt. Some red fruit, but asparagus shows up. Finish: quite smokey and salty. Not sure if this is the style here, but this was a strange wine.

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Flight 2 - CA cabernets (5 Notes)

Good representation from the CA producers, but few true "home runs".

  • 2006 Gemstone Cabernet Sauvignon Ten 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville

    Nose: white flowers, wild berry, black cherry, milk chocolate shavings and pepper. Palate: super silky, but definitely new world. Stacked palate is layered with fruit and herb/floral notes. Long finish. Peppery at times.

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  • 2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    Nose:black cherry, bell pepper, grape candies (in a good sense) and a creme de cassis note. Hints of pepper and red berry as well. Palate: very dak fruit, but delivers with elegance. Wine has evolved nicely since last tasted. Finish: tannins bite down quite hard at the moment. Plum, black cherry and oak are accented with dark chocolate notes.

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  • 2007 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Nose: blueberry, blackberry, vanilla bean, sweet oak and a bit of cassis. Jammy. Palate: more blue/black fruits. Significant oak presence. Long finish. Needs to develop. Promising plush cab.

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  • 2007 Signorello Estate Padrone 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Nose: cassis, blackberry,bakers chocolate and grilled fig. Palate: firm with nice density, blue/ black fruits and an espresso note. Finish: fairly long with dark fruit for days. Needs a lot of decanting. Very good.

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  • 2007 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Exzellenz Sacrashe Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    Big red fruit nose that is also somewhat buttery. Palate is loaded with cherry and some licorice elements. Very extracted. Almost over manipulated. Quite tannic with noticeable oak in the finish. A bit textbook and not at all worth this price. I like the Kathryn hall better.

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Flight 3 - Other (9 Notes)

I visited many booths to try new producers to me and found many appealing wines. Argentina and Spain had some notables for me.

  • 2005 Bodega O. Fournier Ribera del Duero 93 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    This was another stellar wine from this producer's Spanish vineyards. Tempornillo That is elegant and deep, yet also offers complexity. Pepper, cassis and violets dominated. Great wine.

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  • 2008 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla El Nido 93 Points

    Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

    Another very impressive wine made by Chris Ringland. Signature black fruits, tar, cresote, and almost a black currant jam note. Dense, but not out of balance. Some floral notes, blackberry and espresso bean on the palate. Not my normal style but fun to taste.

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  • 2007 Bodega O. Fournier Malbec Alfa Crux 92 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco

    Massive wine. Black as pitch in the glass. Dominant cassis and blackberry with cedary oak /cigar notes. A powerhouse that needs time to fully integrate.

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  • 2006 Ernie Els 91 Points

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Charcoals, plum, blackberry nose. Cedary oak, black fruits and bacon on the palate. Good finish with strong tannins.

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  • 2008 Evening Land Vineyards Chardonnay Summum Seven Springs Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

    Very nicely balanced. Nose: Apple, white flowers and Asian pear nose. Palate: weighty enough with some oak presence showing. Pineapple, lemon curd and more light floral notes. Finish: persistent and balanced.

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  • 2004 Chamisal Vineyards Pinot Noir 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

    Still very nice. Tart berry, cranchery and slight orange peel. Very good. Drink soon.

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  • 2007 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor 90 Points

    Chile, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto

    Nose: blackberry with a bit of metallic elements and gasoline. Bell pepper, cassis and some oak also show. Palate: gives the impression of blueberry syrup with some cigar and more earthy mineral notes. Finish: black fruits and cigar wrapper. Great wine this year wait to drink.

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  • 2009 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Nose: blackberry, spiced cherries, rhubarb and cranberry. Palate: nice flavors and represent Santa Lucia well. Maximally ripe and shows it with Heat as it finishes.

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  • 2007 Montes Purple Angel 92 Points

    Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley

    Nose: raspberry, tart blackberry, brown sugar, chocolate and earthy legumes. Palate: compact yet coating with lush fruit, Paine grille and strong tannin. Built to last. Finish: long with cherry, blackberry, floral notes and spice. Great carmenere.

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