2000 Bordeaux Left Bank, With Richard Brazier

We have a weird relationship with the 2000s and so far barring Pontet Canet and Talbot and the little gem of chateau Lanessan we haven't received any love from the 2000s. Second wines were actually a lot better than first like the beautiful dame de Montrose. In most verticals we liked the 2001s more which showed a lighter hand and more charm at this stage. And a disaster of an overpaid yet shut down Palmer last year in zermatt still haunted us as we begun to taste..

Big and mascular wines, dark and not showing any sign of ageing. Children of a big crop and ripe fruit, most of them with a high cab Sauv % ( some more than 80%). Wine that as we have seen required a mild hand in the cellar to let the wine show and not feel overdone.

Children of the hype too, this was after all the millennium and other than jack the prices up, a lot of chateaux tried to do something special which resulted in something atypical vs the style of the chateau but nonetheless like the beautiful Montrose and Lynch Bages still beautiful wines.

• 2000 Château Lascombes 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Dark in colour. Quite open on the nose. Classic in style, very cab Sauv, pepper, dark fruits. On the young side but in a way ok to drink now as the tannin is not a brick wall and the fruit is very much there. A good wine although has its fair share share of bitter edges. The nose is the highlight. Time could help here for sure. Ok to drink now and easily has 10 years in it. 89

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• 2000 Château Palmer 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This is the second time we have this in a year and once again the wine was muted, closed and buttoned down. The fruit is showing better this time with good ripe dark fruits, has a nice balance and the tannin although big is not hard. Just a shame the wine is so closed. This needs a good 10 years it feels before opening. Lots of hope for the future here, however now it's no more than an 89 ( 53% cab Sauv)

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• 2000 Château Montrose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  Starts of with a sweet ripe nose, an atypical in a way Montrose ( much like the Lynch Bages) with a lot more ripe sweet fruit than normal. A lets do something bigger for the millennium feel here but still very good. Maybe a touch overripe. Very welcoming nose, dark ripe fruit, lush wine. Young wine still and needs another 5yrs to get into its stride ( at least) but very promising. 92 for now. 63% Cab Sauv

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• 2000 Château Gruaud Larose 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Of the early bloomers of the 2000 ( along Pontet Canet, Talbot and Giscours). This is a glorious wine now and we loved it. The wine making is light much like what the 2000 needed and the wine expresses the essence of Classic Bordeaux. Still primary but very open, joyous nose, harmony on the palate and elegance. We felt almost guilty to like it so much so early! Beautiful wine at this stage and feels to have the stuff to go a long way. 93-94

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• 2000 Château Léoville Barton 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  We expected it to be very approachable but on the contrary it was closed down and backward . Not as ad as the Palmer but still not singing. Good amount of firm tannin , not harsh but big,a bit of a chewy finish too. Has a lot of things going for it and we expect this given 5 yrs to develop into a proper wine mid 90s wine. For the moment 91

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• 2000 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  We were scared that this would be an overdone wine( having tried the 96 recently which felt like it went on a Californian adventure) but alas it was not. The wine is young and is 5 yrs from entering its drinking window and has a feeling of "soft power". Lots of fruit, big wine, a touch on the very ripe but controlled, elegant albeit buttoned down. A wine for the future.92 for the moment but has a lot of potential given patient cellaring.

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• 2000 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A surprising coffee note on the nose, leftover from the new oak, but other than that a pretty solid wine with lots of ripe dark fruits, supple and not austere albeit you feel this is a very young wine.firm tannin , vibrant wine with lots of life ahead of it. Pretty now but time will only make it better. Patience. 92+

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• 2000 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Unfortunately it had a small note of TCA. Not enough to ruin the wine but enough .. Underneath the wine felt healthy and vibrant with solid fruit and this away from bad luck must be a beautiful wine.

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• 2000 Château Lynch-Bages 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Much like the Montrose this is a child of the "let's make something special for the millennium" and thus feels an atypical LB. Ripe and juicy wine, feels a bit modern on a way but with very nice balance and lots of substance. This once it ages some more, 5yrs min, feels like it can achieve the beauty of the 1990. Atypical Lynch Bages yes but still a beautiful wine. 93 now and easily with a high 90s potential in the future

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• 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Maybe shows the damage that a heavy hand in the cellar can cause to the 2000s. A touch of the norm in post 2000 Pichon Barons unfortunately. Clearly overripe , lots of new oak and felt overdone. Lots of ripe fruit, lactic feel on the palate, mocha notes . Solid wine still with a full core but shame that they decided to raise it this way. 91 and not sure where this goes.

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Overall we liked the wines at this stage, especially the St Julien wines which showed lovely fruit. We left the tasting feeling a lot better as the wines, even where closed down showed real promise. We saw no evidence of abuse of oak ( Pichon the exception) and we vowed not to attack them for another 5 years.. Barring the beautiful Gruaud Larosse.