Tasting Bordeaux Blind

Tasted 8 Bordeaux-blend wines single blind.

• 1986 Château Prieuré-Lichine 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Tasted blind with approximately 90 minute decant. Light ruby color. Funky nose full of brett and brie rind. Elegant, round, and rather light on the palette. Plum and raspberry. Soft tannin, medium finish. Have had other bottles of this that drank more lively, but this one felt a little tired and possibly over the hill. I guessed it was 2000 Sanctus.

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• 2005 Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Tasted Blind. Roughly 2h decant. Nose was tight and muted. Full body and dark purple in color. Powerful, even hot perhaps. Nondescript red fruit on the round, clean palette. A bit shallow on the mid-palette. Tannin seems unresolved, with too much grip still at this stage. I guessed '96 Canon-la-Gaffelière. Hold.

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• 1983 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Tasted blind with approximately 90 minute decant. Rustic, funky nose, but also with nice notes of caramel and smoke. Ruby to garnet color with some bricking. Rich red fruit profile clings to and hangs on the palette. Velvety tannin. Finishes long. I guessed '86 Prieuré-Lichine. Drinking fantastic. This bottle from Benchmark Wine Group.

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• 2009 Larkmead Vineyards LMV Salon 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Tasted blind in a lineup of Bordeaux. Decanted 2.5+ hours. Plum and vanilla on the nose. Sweet oak, round, jammy, juicy and a bit sweet on the palette. Some date and fig in there too. Yet this was not a fruit bomb; it had commendable balance with nice, medium acidity and silky tannic structure. Finished very long. I, along with basically everyone else, pegged this for the single new-world wine. Fantastic wine, but styled completely different.

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• 2002 Château Léoville Poyferré 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Tasted blind with approximately 2h decant. Dark purple color. Full body. Great, deep entry carries through to mid-palette. Chewy tannin migrated toward velvety with time in the glass. Good, fresh acidity. I guessed '03 Sanctus. Probably continue cellaring this, but drinks fantastic now too if given adequate air.

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• 2003 Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Tasted blind with approx. 2hr decant. Nose of violets. Ruby color, with just a hint of bricking. Juicy attack carries substantial weight through to the round mid-palette. Backbone of smooth, peppery tannin. An absolutely fantastic wine. I guessed '02 Léoville-Poyferré. Drink or hold.

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• 2000 Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Tasted blind with approx. 2h decant. Fantastic nose of candied violets. Rich and velvety on the palette, with notes of blackberry, black cherry and cranberry. Nice acidity and balance; velvety tannin. Drank so fresh I guessed this was the '05 Sanctus. My guess is that this is near its peak.

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• 1996 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Tasted blind with approximately 90 minute decant. Didn't take detailed notes, but this was one of the top wines tasted and was my WOTN. Complex nose of asian spice. Rich, round and fresh on the palette. Great intensity, yet perfectly balanced and harmonious. 95-96 pts. I thought it was the '83 La Mission Haut Brion. In a perfect place.

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