The 03 Bordeaux dinner at RIS in DC
RIS Restaurant, Washington DC
Tasted Thursday, November 1, 2012 by dcwino with 1,273 views
Introduction
Jim C organized the 03 Bordeaux single blind dinner at RIS restaurant. Eight of us got together in this cost sharing event. As usual it was a good ole time also very educational.
I was extremely impressed with the 03s in general and my ratings felt between 93-97 pts for all wines. Despite the typical vintage characters none seemed to display any burnt characters or prune/raisin albeit very ripe fruit impression was quite obvious. All showed opulent generous sweet fruits but the firm tannin structure was also evident. Although very approachable and enjoyable, they all seem to be very youthful and at the right stage of the development. IMO, these are beautiful wines and there is absolutely no reason to think the wines will rapidly age.
Blind tasting can be really humbling and I was able to correctly guess ZERO wines! The closest was the first two wines which I swapped. It was interesting to note that for me the 03 Cos displayed the ripest fruit where the 03 Pavie showed cool fruit expression although sexy and opulent.
Most of the wines were purchased at EP and all had no issue with provenance. All except the 03 Latour were double decanted. We intentionally served wine cold as the room was a bit too warm.
Flight 1 - Starters (6 Notes)
The 94 Rayas developed beautifully with air, becoming great with four hours of decanting. Both the 96 Krug and the 04 Masseto were incredible as usual. The SQN white is not for everyone as usual but some may love it.
Flight 2 - First Bordeaux Flight (3 Notes)
The 03 LB was showing extremely well.
Flight 3 - Second Bordeaux Flight (3 Notes)
Flight 4 - Third Bordeaux Flight (4 Notes)
What is the chance of both of the Margaux being not correct! Some thought the second bottle showed great for the record.
Flight 5 - Fourth Bordeaux Flight (3 Notes)
If you are a Pavie fan, buy this wine NOW!
Flight 6 - Mystery wine No. 2 (1 Note)
Flight 7 - Stickies
We had the 03 La tour Blanche (93 pts) which was good but lacking acidity, the Rieussec (95 pts) which showed better acidity hence precision and the D’Yquem (95 pts) which seemed too reserved.
Closing
A last few thoughts;
Although some wines were bit too cold, I definitely prefer the wines to be a bit too cold than too warm.
The 03s show better with at least a couple hours of decanting.
The top 03s are quite youthful and will age like the 90 counterparts.
At least in 2003, FGs are not better than SGs.
2003 LB, LP and CF are some of the best Bordeaux QPRs.
2003 Pavie is coming together beautifully for the Pavie lovers.
The 94 Rayas with air rocks!
It was a great evening sharing great wines with great friends. Thank you Jim for organizing this great event.
1995 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Fully matured, as usual light caramel, vanilla, yellow fruits, and a hint of mint. Round palate, slightly lacking acidity, full body and good finish. Towards to the middle to end of the drinking peak. I prefer the 95 Folatieres or pucelles. It gets fresher with about an hour of air.
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1995 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
The color looks great but TCA tainted.
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2010 Sine Qua Non The Monkey 91 Points
USA, California
The nose reminds me la doriane, first note is lychee then pineapple, mango and other tropical fruits. Unctuous and big, a hint of sugar and noticeable alcohol for me. This is somewhere in between Kongsgaard Roussanne/Viognier and La Doriane. My rating may seem too high for some and too low for others. Not for everyone.
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1994 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 96 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Although expressive, slightly metallic that clips the finish. Smoked, earth, cherry liquor, garrigue and earth. Medium concentration, silky and excellent overall balance. Almost four hours in a decanter, it opens up and no hint of metal which results in long finish and also the nose becomes explosive. Started as 93 point wine but more like 96 at the end. If the wine is correct upon opening, I highly recommend minimum two hours of decanting.
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1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 97 Points
France, Champagne
It is always fun to compare this to the 96 Salon. The Salon is Kathleen Battle where the Krug is maria callas. Apple peel, copper, cinnamon, honey, a slight hint of brioche and limestone. Fully body, fine mousse, mineral and piercing acidity. It is a deeply toned yet very precise champagne. Although enjoyable now, will need at least ten more years to reach the peak. If I have to use one word to describe the wine is “resonate”
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2004 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT 98 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
I just had a small pour. This always flirts with perfection this was no exception. So expressive and hedonistic yet so perfectly balanced. For me, this is the best Merlot based wine in its youth.
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