Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux 2013 and Older

This was the monthly tasting of the big group. We had a nice group of 12 for this event at the Capital Grille (JG/CG. JV/MV, JG, JP, GA, CV, KB, MB, BT, TS). There were some outstanding wine flights to go with the always delicious steaks at CG. As always great service too.

• NV Jose Dhondt Champagne Grand Cru Grande Reserve Blanc de Blancs 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Light gold color. Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. Yeast, apple pie and lemon zest on the nose. The palate is brisk, lemon zest, citrus, grapefruit, woodsy with a somewhat angular finish.

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

• NV Hugues Godmé Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Ultra pale pink color. Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. Elegant, cherry, white apple flesh, yeasty, delicate red berries, apple peel finish. Very nice, maybe not quite as impressive as a bottle a couple years ago.

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

• 2018 Château Climens Asphodèle 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Pale gold color. Drank a small glass over an hour. Truly impressive again. Very bright on the nose and palate. The nose shimmers with sea breeze, lemon and lemon blossom, very fresh. The palate brings Meyer lemon, tangerine, light bodied yet driven, stone and a slightly tropical edge. Loved it.

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

• 2013 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Light gold color. Drank a small glass over 45 minutes. Five years since last tasting this. Buttery nose, baked pear, hint of orange peel. On the palate there is pear, slightly tropical, very creamy, lush texture though somewhat acidic with some unresolved wood on the back end. Based on my previous note, I have to assume that this is on the down slope.

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

• 1975 Château Talbot 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Dark red color with a 12mm bricked margin. PNP, with a disintegrating fully saturated cork. Drank a small glass over 90 minutes. The palate is the blissful star here. Sublime mature Bordeaux, pretty red fruits, iron, minerals, medium bodied, with a grace and soul about it that improved over an hour. The nose was a somewhat different story; starting off with red fruits, iodine and iron, sauvage, but an overbering vegetal element that lingers on but is nowhere to be found on the palate. The nose continues to improve over time actually, the purity of the fruit expresses itself better and there is little potpourri perfume that emerges while the vegetal notes disapate significantly, though not entirely. Still, a pretty aged claret that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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

• 1989 Château Olivier 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Very dark red color with a 3mm clear edge. Drank a small glass over 90 minutes. This was lovely; showing graphite, damp earth, red cherry, red berries, gravel, touches of cassis, good purity, medium bodied with lingering tannins. This was in a nice place and showing enough structure to keep this going another 10 years.

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

• 1995 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Very dark red color. Double decanted for 1.5 hours. Drank a small glass over 45 minutes. Gorgeous and oozing deep dark berries, black berry, black raspberry, cigar, earth, perfumed, dried wood spice; and adding cassis, plum and lacquer on the full bodied frame. This showed very well tonight and bodes well for the 95's to be coming into their own, hopefully. Anticipating even more to come, 94(+)pts.

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

• 1996 Château Kirwan 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Very dark red/purple color. Unknown prep - I think PNP. Drank a small glass over 90 minutes. Had this last 5 years ago. Showing nicely with scorched earth on the nose, an elixir of cassis, earthy, cinnamon and purple flowers. The palate shows the scorched earth too, cassis, dark raspberry, huckleberry, nice sllek tannins and subtle complimentary wood notes. Very good and a step up from the last showing; 93+pts.

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

• 2000 Château Monbousquet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark red color, 2mm clear edge. Drank a small glass over 90 minutes. The nose is savory, cassis with leather ahd more ripe dark fruits. On the palate this comes off big, intense, blackberry, plum, blue fruits, firm tannins, minerals, scorched earth and dried wood. This still felt youthful, but also in a bigger style. 91(+)pts.

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

• 2005 Château Monbousquet

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark red/purple color. PNP, followed a glass over an hour. Holy cow, last had this 11 years ago. Tonight's impression was a bit dampened by it being a PNP backup bottle for a corked '85 Kirwan. More air would certainly have helped here tonight. This was even bigger tha the '00 served alongside it. Very similar in profile however with a ton of scorched earth, dense and burly, cedar, dark, dark berries, and firm dry tannins. Score reserved, gut impression 89/90pts.

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

• 2000 Château Talbot 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Very dark red color. One hour double decant; drank a small glass over an hour. Last had this about 2 years ago. The nose starts off with notes of rosin, then cassis, and damp forest floor. The palate is full, deep with cassis, green wood, firm gritty tannins and a some earth. Solid, youthful, not a lot of movement over 2 years.

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

• 2000 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Very dark red plus color. Unknown prep; drank a small glass over an hour plus. High toned palate, blackberry liqueur, dense, woodsy, sharp, tobacco leaf, firm tannins with some heat noted. Where's it going? Not sure.

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

• 2000 Château Léoville Barton 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  VEry dark red/purple color. PNP, (back up bottle); drank a small glass over an hour plus. Last tasted this 4 years ago. Wow, impressive, gorgeous nose, perfumed, floral, damp and susltry, deep red fruits, leather, pencil, very long and velvety with an awesome inner beauty. Love LB, loved this, and that was with no air. 94(+)pts . Strong upside still.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Château Pape Clément 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Very dark red color. Slow-O for 5 hours; drank a small glass over an hour plus. Classic scorched earth nose, blackberry, violets, farmyard, and cassis. The palate is dense with ripe black fruits, blackberries, cassis, creosote, gravel, and plum. Delicious.

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

• 2003 Château Léoville Poyferré 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Very dark red/purple color. Slow-O for 5 hours and then splash double decanted; drank a small glass over 75 minutes. Four and a half years since last tasted. The air served this well. There's a powerful nose; earthy, funk, potpourri, black cherry, cassis, dried earth, lifted, dried herbs. The palate is full bodied, concentrated and layered with blackberry liqueur, ripe blackberry, juicy fruits, nice acid, very sleek and caressing, earth, funk, and quite long. The air served this very well. Impressive. 94+ to 95(+)pts.

  Read 4 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Château Duhart-Milon

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Very dark red/purple color. Unknown prep. Drank a glass over a hour. Last had 18 months ago. This came at the end of a long line of wines. For me it showed its youth with a green edginess, but there's a lot of juicy, sweet ripe berries in here. It didn't stand out tonight for whatever reason. Gut impression this evening was 91, but context matters, so no offical score tonight.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue