Bordeaux 2014, 10-years on tasted blind

2014 was a solid but not a great vintage. A balanced, moderate temperature year cut from the cloth of 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012. The wines showed well today overall. The wines are drinkable without any ripeness excess or harsh tannins. The wines are good, but aromatically and structurally a clear step down from 2016 for example.
The mid-level Grand Crus have reached an early drinking window, while the big names, especially from the Nothern Medoc will definitely need another 5 years in bottle.

Tasting notes to follow.

• 2014 Château de Fieuzal Blanc 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  After an oxidized 2014 Lynch Bages white, this wine puzzled as well. Not oxidative but little energy left and strangely with an un-expressive nose, some tertiary funk intermixed with stone fruit, aromatically uninteresting.

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• 2014 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc de Lynch-Bages Flawed

  France, Bordeaux

  Unfortunately oxidized

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• 2020 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Expressive nose, fresh lively with a touch of grass, lemon nose, minerals and maritime notes. Really nice. On the palate a little too light to follow up from the great nose. Very good nevertheless. Compared to the two 2014 whites, it confirmed that most white Bordeaux are to be consumed in the first 5 years after release.

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• 2014 Château Montrose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Discrete nose, needed swirling to express itself. Aromas of pine, pencil shavings, earthy elements, easy to identify as Northern Medoc. On the palate quite light, fine tannins. Surprisingly drinkable. Not a grand but a pleasant Montrose. Group Rank 6/15

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• 2014 Château Rauzan-Ségla 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  The nose is dominated by cassis with still some oak to work through. Modern wine making, polished tannins, good mid mouth presence and finish. Still early in its drinking window. I liked this quite a bit more than the group. Rank 14/15

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• 2014 Château Lynch-Bages 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Dark and brooding, earthy notes with dark fruit, with a touch of bell pepper. Clearly closed and not wanting to show anything. Medium+ palate, on the rustic side. Hard to assess today, definitely a wine to wait till 2030. 87-91. Group Rank 12/15

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• 2014 Château Palmer 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Ripe and expressive nose. Coffee, toast, dark fruit, underbrush. Generous palate, round lots of stuffing, but holding back and tannins need further integration. Overall it felt still very young. Give it time till 2030. Group Rank 6/15

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• 2014 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Complex nose of forest floor, sweet spices, oak, dark fruit, complex. Succulent palate, elegant with very good aromatic complexity. Textbook Medoc. My personal WOTN and also Group Rank 1/15

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• 2014 Château Léoville Barton 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Hmm, the nose had a lot of prune here, some farmyard funk, rhum pot. Despite the ripeness the palate was a little thin with a bitter finish. Not my cup of tea but the group liked it better. Rank 4/15

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• 2014 Clos Manou 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc

  Discrete nose with pencil shavings, dark cherries. The palate is relatively light and strict. I was guessing Pauillac or St.Julien. It did not get votes for being among the top wines but was liked for its drinkability. Group Rank 14/15. I liked it quite a bit more, due to my preference for elegant Bordeaux.

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• 2014 Château Malartic-Lagravière 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Expressive nose with ripe, dark fruit, oak spices. Polished palate, not the last word on complexity, but hard to dislike. Drinking well already. Group Rank 12/15

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• 2014 Château Ferrière 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Expressive nose with cloves, blueberries, toast. Light but not thin on the palate, a pleasure to drink now. One of the wines that was most ready in my view. Group Rank 9/15

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• 2014 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From MAG. Discrete nose, needed a bit of swirling, then forest berries and spices. The palate was well judged as well. A wine that does not want to be more than in can in 2014 and may be that is exactly its strength. Classic Claret. Group Rank 9/15

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• 2014 Château Pontet-Canet 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  The nose is ripe here with dark fruit and oak spices. Polished palate, again good ripeness and dark berries. Well made, but aromatically a bit foursquare, but it did very well with the crowd. Rank 2/15

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• 2014 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Lovely nose here with good ripeness, some oak spice, earthy notes. Charming palate, similar to Ducru, elegant and light, your typical elegant Medoc wine, could be St.Julien. One of my favorites tonight but only Group Rank 9/15.

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• 2014 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Expressive nose with dark fruit, herbs, spices, lovely complexity. Well-judged palate keeping the ripeness and the structure in balance. Another good Pessac wine. Group Rank 4/15

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• 2014 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Ripe nose with dark cherries, some prunes as well. Lots of power here up front but then bitter notes on the finish. Felt over-worked to my palate. I wished for more balance, but it was very popular at the table. Group Rank 2/15

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• 2014 Château Pape Clément 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Wonderful nose here with dark berries, good ripeness, intermixed with oak spices and farmyard funk. Well-judged palate. Among my favorites to night. Group Rank 6/15

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• 2004 Château Latour Grand Vin 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  One of the encore wines. Despite a double decant, this was still closed, after 20 years. Good density, mineralic but with an austerity that needs to disappear. May be one of these 1986/88 wines that need 30 not 20 years. 92-94

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• 1994 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  One of the encore wines. I liked the forest floor nose here a lot, with tertiary aromas of a mature Claret. Elegant palate, tannins finally dissolved, dark berries, restraint and mineralic. Drink up, with food.

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• 1988 Château Climens 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  At the end of an extensive 2014 Bordeaux tasting, this was a welcome closure. Great nose here with apricot, smoke, orange rind. True to the Climens style, remains elegant within the liquoreux category.

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