Berry Bros. & Rudd Bordeaux Tasting Evening

4 Right Banks, 5 Left Banks, and a Rosé.

• 2006 Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of toasted oak and sweet red fruit - strawberry and cherry. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, grippy medium+ tannins a little on the coarse side, medium body. Medium- flavor intensity, with flavours of mild vanilla, toasted oak, strawberry. Medium- finish.
  Good quality. Overall typical easy drinking Right Bank style but nothing truly memorable. Rather dilute actually - probably due to rain during the harvest in 2006? Drinking well now. Will last for a few more years, but will probably only improve marginally.
  High percentage of Cab Franc with Merlot.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2004 Château Moulin Saint-Georges

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of toasted oak, vanilla, chocolate, and dark red plums. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, soft medium tannins, medium body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of toasted oak, vanilla, chocolate, and dark red plums. Medium+ finish.
  Good quality. Drinking well now, and will improve slightly over the next 2-3 years.
  Indicative blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1997 Château Nenin

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
  Initially tight, opened up gradually with time in the decanter.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of toasted oak, black cherries, plums. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, soft medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium flavor intensity, with flavours of toasted oak, black cherries, plums, earth, and spice. Medium+ finish.
  Good quality. Can drink now, and will improve with further age, maybe another 3 years. Balanced with good mix of primary fruit and secondary and tertiary notes now.
  Interesting note: Ownership of the chateau changed in 1997, just before the harvest. From the Despujol family to the Delon family.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1986 Château Balestard La Tonnelle

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour, with brown rim. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of dried fruit, savoury earthy forest floor, and old leather. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium- alcohol, soft velvety medium tannins, medium body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of dried berries, savoury earthy forest floor, and old leather. Medium finish.
  Good quality St. Emilion that has made it to a grand old age. Drink up now, not for further ageing.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2009 Château Cissac

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of blackberries, blackcurrant, toasted oak. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol, firm lively high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of ripe dark fruit - blackberries and blackcurrant, with toasted oak and little bit of tobacco. Medium+ finish.
  Good quality. Boosted by the excellent vintage of 2009. Too early to drink now. Will do well with further ageing.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2002 Château Bournac

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of toasted oak, sweet blackcurrant and dark cherries. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, firm medium+ tannins, full body. medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of sweet blackcurrant, dark cherries, blueberries, and a touch of spice and leather.
  Good quality. Doesn't seem to be going downhill yet, but theoretically the vintage report for 2002 is not optimistic. Good price and I will drink it up very soon.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2004 Château d'Issan

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of green herbaceousness, green bell peppers, toasted oak. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, grippy medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of green bell peppers, blackcurrant leaf, mint, and some red plums. Medium finish.
  Good quality. Can drink now, and may improve with further ageing. I did not like the unripe green notes.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2004 Château Haut-Bages Libéral

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of toasted oak, sweet ripe blackcurrant, licorice, and cassis. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium+ alcohol, fine velvety high tannins, full body. Pronounced flavor intensity, with lots of fresh flavours of toasted oak, sweet ripe blackcurrant, licorice, cassis, and spice. Long finish.
  Very good quality. Power with balance. My favourite of the tasting. Much better compared to the 2004 Chateau d'Issan tasted side by side. Can drink now, and will improve with further ageing over the next 5 years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1998 Clos du Marquis

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of toasted oak, earth, spice, dark plums, blackcurrant. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, medium- acidity, medium alcohol, soft integrated medium tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of toasted oak, earth, spice, dark plums, blackcurrant. Medium+ finish.
  Good quality. Elegance and balance of St. Julien. I feel that this is at its peak and already plateaued. Drink up now. Not for further ageing.
  According to Berry Bros & Rudd: Not the second wine, but in fact a completely separate offering from Château Léoville-Las-Cases.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2012 Château Giscours Le Rosé de Giscours

  France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Rosé

  From a magnum bottle. Pop and poured.
  Appearance is clear, medium intensity, salmon-pink colour. Slightly darker shade of pink than the usual Rosé, could pass off as bright red. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of redcurrant, strawberries, spice. Youthful.
  On the palate, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol, very light tannins, light body. Medium- flavor intensity, with flavours of redcurrant, strawberries, and spice. Medium- finish.
  Good quality Rosé. Drink while fresh.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Nice session. Some familiar faces. Some new friends. Looking forward to the next session already.