Château Margaux Tasting

A comprehensive tasting of Château Margaux wines. The group met the evening before to try a few wines that were brought along.

• 2007 Weingut Prinz von Hessen Johannisberger Klaus Riesling Erstes Gewächs 91 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  Peach, pear, lemon. Good minerality and nicely integrated acidity. Makes you want more.

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• 2007 August Eser Rauenthaler Rothenberg Riesling Erstes Gewächs 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  Passion fruit, lime, wet stone, full of energy. Very good.

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• 2007 Jakob Jung Erbacher Steinmorgen Riesling Erstes Gewächs 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  Lime, pineapple, passion fruit, very chalky almost sickening minerality.

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• 2009 F.X. Pichler Riesling Unendlich 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  (4/19/2013)

  I don't know where this is headed. It is almost cloying, thick with papaya, pineapple but not simple, but a bit hot for my liking.

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Ths included the best bottle of 59 Cheval Blanc I ever had, which shows that the négociants bottling are often better than the real thing. And 59 Gruaud was stunning ...

• 1959 Château Gruaud Larose 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (4/19/2013)

  This was a very nice bottle. Not as full-bodied as the Cheval Blanc 59 drunk alongside, but of similar elegance. Lighter, with some hint of spice, malty sweetness, cedar. A grerat great bottle.

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• 1959 Château Cheval Blanc 99 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  (4/19/2013)

  Calvet Bottling. This was an absolutely spectacular bottle. Sweet nose of malt, tea, raisins. On the palate a mind-boggling sweetness, harmonious and unbelievably elegant.

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• 1961 Château La Gaffelière Naudes Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  (4/19/2013)

  Unfortunately oxidised. This was supposed to be good.

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• 1988 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  (4/19/2013)

  From magnum. Still very young and almost forbidding. Still good fruit but tannic and dense. Opened up a little bit and become full-bodied, big and quite enjoyable.

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• 1999 Weingut Krone Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Auslese 92 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  Nose very typical German pinot with an insisting sweetness. On the palate quite round and fat but not uninteresting. Sweet cherries, herbs, cedar.

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• 2005 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Catherine 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (4/19/2013)

  Jumped out of the glass with aromas of raspberry, sweet cherries, herbs. On the palate youthful with silky tannins, underwood, forest floor, nice sweetness.

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• 1997 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (4/19/2013)

  A serious Bordeaux blend, I really like the mid-90ies at Pahlmeyer. Fruit still very present in the nose plus tobacco and cedar. On the palate cassis, dark fruit, silky tannins. All elegance and class.

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• 1998 Penfolds Grange 96 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  (4/19/2013)

  Another spectacular bottle, it even felt younger than the previous one. Nose of cassis, palate of dark fruit, minerals, tobacco, pencil shavings, wood.

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• 2005 Domdechant Werner Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Spätlese 88 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  Drinking nicely with quince, pear, some green apple, passion fruit.

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• 2003 Georg Breuer Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  A very nice Auslese. Filigreed sweeness good acidity and a nice nose of tropical fruit.

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• 2002 Weingut Krone Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Weißherbst Eiswein 94 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (4/19/2013)

  From half. Very nice Pinot Weißherbst Eiswein. The cloying sweetness is nicely balanced by pretty lively acidity which gives the wine a certain lightness and elegance. Honeysuckle, grapefruit, pineapple, lime, mango.

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This was a really memorable event that showed quite a few surprises with very solid wines in off years and the stars really shining.