Entre Deux Rives: A Night of Inspired Bordeaux

An every other event put on by the big box winestore, this being my first time in attendance with new but already great wine friends Michael and Rishi. Wow, was this ever good! Wished for a different, better red meat course at the price point (it was short ribs, so I ordered the sea bass, which was, unsurprisingly, a non-match for the wines), but that wasn’t a fatal flaw. M, R and I seem to be egging each other to further out points of wine depravity, even though we managed to eschew the $9.5k wine DRC wine dinner at 11 MP. Really excited for our next big tasting in January!

• 2016 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Opening salvo on arrival. On the nose and palate, medium notes of white orchard fruit and melon with the slightest note of strawberries, baguette, chalk, white florals and river rocks. Medium+ acidity, nice, frothy mousse. VG complexity, VG++ intensity and persistence. Opened shortly before I got there, this was unsurprisingly tight (a bit of a theme) but with this label’s notable tension. Still, this didn’t present with the remarkable frame and focus of the ‘13, right there with Selosse as the best bubbles I’ve had. I’ve written extensively in TNs about how my palate doesn’t feel as confident to me with bubbles as it does with still wines, and I echo that here, but I’m sure that there’s immense potential here. That said, while this was far from unenjoyable on this night, I’d be putting my shekels on the earlier vintage if I wanted something to quaff in the near future.

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• 2010 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  First still wine, still served before any food. On the nose and palate, medium to vibrant notes of red berries, red florals, earthy minerality, graphite, char, asphalt and a light oak note. Quite an intense tannic attack off the pour (this had 3 hours of non-decanted air; all wines opened at 4 and serving started at 7, concluded a bit past 9, so the others between 3 and 5+ with the same treatment), although the tannins were powdery enough so that enjoyable drinking was possible. With 20+ minutes of slow drinking and swirling, this began to incrementally open and the tannins to (somewhat relax), giving a hint of what this is likely to be in 5+ years, then holding for a decade plus thereafter. I think ‘10 in BDX will be a vintage like ‘13 here, with distinctions noted between locales, since those have mostly been opening beautifully in the past 12-18 months, much more slowly than the vintages on either side but still far quicker than the ‘10 in BDX, slow to peak, but brilliant once it does. Hard hold on these now, but will be excellent and maybe great at peak. 95++

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• 2016 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Follow up to the ‘10, and interestingly, both similar and different. Still lots of red fruit, florals and earthy minerality, but the higher percentage of CS makes this a bit more masculine, with some darker fruit, pencil shavings, even some coffee and cigar box. That said, while the earlier wine’s drinkability at the moment was somewhat compromised by a heavy tannin load, this wine has more moderate tannins but far more intense acidity. Not unpleasant, but still eclipsing the fruit to a more than optimal degree, IMO. Interestingly, again, while this is 6 years younger than the earlier LCL, I think it hits maturity around the same time, around decade’s end, and stays there similarly. Definitely upside potential here, too. 95++

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• 2010 Château Haut-Bailly 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Quite a contrast coming after the LCLs, this presented with much more dark fruit, cassis and plums in particular, graphite, asphalt, espresso and a more foresty herbality. But like the ‘10 LCL, this was fairly locked up, with stout tannins ruling the roost, definitely shortening the delivery. Interesting again, since its younger the ‘15, was so completely open for business. Suspect that there’s greatness here, too, but I’m with the second and third CTers back in thinking that’s not likely until decade’s end. 95++

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• 2015 Château Haut-Bailly 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  The second HB, and the only wine of the tasting from a vintage I’d had. Napa-like vibrancy of dark berries and cassis, cigar box, dark chocolate, graphite, dark earth, cedar, graphite and pencil shavings. When I had this almost exactly 2 years ago (94), I noted its potential but felt it was largely locked up. Well, guess what, this was one of the 2 most purely open wines of the tasting, along with the ‘12 Cos, and an almost slutty eagerness to please—nothing wrong with that—I absolutely dug. The ways of BDX continue to mystify me and this could lock up again, but this was bang on tonight, almost hitting the medal stand (but if you’re going to miss, you could do worse than coming in behind 2 Moutons and a Hosanna), and at its tasting-low price point of $159.99, real value. I’d drink these if you have them (bringing in my window from 2 years ago by 2 years), not because they’re likely to get worse anytime soon because there’s structure to burn—but because they’re so giving now, especially if you have more than one. Really loved this. 97+

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• 2005 Château Mouton Rothschild 100 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Easily atop the medal field in an incredibly strong lineup. On the nose and palate, medium vibrant notes of red cherries and berries, plums, cassis, earthy minerality, red florals, forest floor, exotic spice and incense. Immaculately balanced acidity and tannins. Sexy, earthy, elegant and just all around stunning. If my other favorites of the night—particularly the ‘15 Haut Bailley and the Hosannas—seemed like Napa-light, this was through and through BDX at its finest, showing me why, when price isn’t a consideration, BDX is right there in my pantheon with Napa. Surprisingly mature, this drinks like mid drinking window to me, seeming a decade+ older than the ‘09 served beside it, which I don’t think had even entered into its drinking window. I doubt this recedes anytime soon, but again, pop it if you’ve got it, as I don’t see it getting longer, deeper, more complex or even better, and it does’t need to. Solid century here.

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• 2009 Château Mouton Rothschild 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Following up the splendiferous ‘05 of this bottling, not dissimilar to whomever replaces Aaron Judge in right field. A lot of the same red-black fruit, spice and floral notes, but with perhaps amore masculine feel with more leather-like qualities. Not shut in the way the ‘10s of the tasting were, it just wasn’t as wide open and immaculately balanced at the moment as the ‘05, although everything seems there for this to make a run at that as some point, but for a ‘09, this is truly a baby, and if I had one, I wouldn’t look to be popping until a year with a 3 in it (that’s the next decade, not the next century). The food at this event was good, not great, especially considering the prices and quality of wine, and I didn’t love the red meat option—short ribs—so just chose the sea bass, which, while excellent, didn’t pair at all. All that said, if you do disregard my advice—you won’t be the first, either here or elsewhere—do back it with something red and fatty, and with that, it may feel close to apogee. 98+ for now

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• 2010 Château Cos d'Estournel 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  Rocks, stone, asphalt and a cement wall. This was, without a question for me, the single most inhospitable wine of the night off the pour. But using vigorous self-discipline—it wasn’t hard because so many wines were available—I held this for 40 minutes and practically got carpal and tunnel from vigorous swirling (where’s a vegomatic when you need one?)—this began opening just as I was finishing it, and it was gleaming. Gobs of dark fruit including cassis, cigar box, the darkest chocolate, almost reminiscent of that magical ‘14 CL BTK I drank with the boys a couple of months ago. But still not nearly that open, especially on the palate, where the opening was far less developed. Unscorable off the pour, easy 95+ when I finished, who knows where it could have been a couple of hours later. Hold for now, will be a banger.

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• 2012 Château Cos d'Estournel 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  To rework the old standard, what a difference 2 years makes. The ‘10 of this was dense bordering on impenetrable on opening, and even after becoming much more drinkable 40 minutes later, wasn’t anyone’s idea of a quaffing wine. But this was a horse of an entirely different color. Some similar dark-fruited notes but with far less tannic structure and acidity, more noticeable vanilla and oak, this tasted more like a mid-spectrum Napa cab, and while quite tasty, not a terribly interesting one at that. Would undoubtedly have fared considerably if not put up against this murderer’s row of bottles. BDX more often than Napa like the little girl with the curl, when it’s good, it’s very, very good, and when it’s not, it’s, well, not that. A lot cheaper than the ‘10 because, well, as my sis the economist is fond of putting it, markets work. Drink now-soon.

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• 2010 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Another tight ‘10. More black than red fruit, foresty and exotic spice notes, graphite, cedar, black currants and a hint of cassis. Especially closed on the nose. Like the ‘10 Cos, I held this a particularly long time and swirled vigorously, and it did improve, although it didn’t quite to the point of that wine, nor am I sure it has the potential to go as far, even though I think improvement likely. I’ve liked but not loved several Ducrus in the past, and while this could be near the top of that bucket, it was toward the bottom of the bunch of outstanding wines this night. Hold for now. 94-95

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• 2015 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Pretty similar to the ‘10 tasted alongside it. Not exactly unyielding off the pour, but not exactly giving either. Would have benefitted from having something red and bloody next to it. Lots of dark notes—fruit, earth, rocks, etc.—which I can love, think LPV—but feeling a bit out of balance, like the structure needs to take a chill pill. I think time improves this wine, but how much, both time and improvement, an open question. Hold for now. 94+

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• 2005 Château Hosanna 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  We come to the end of this extraordinary event with a producer I’ve not had, had barely heard of. But wait, my tablemates are the charming proprietor, Christian Moueix, and his equally charming wife. The only RB entry of the night—more below—this presented exuberantly, with brambly red and black fruits, cassis, exotic spice, cigar box, dark chocolate, fruit cake, and earthy and foresty herbality. This was open for business, with a powerful nose and tangy palate, with wonderful structure leavening that enthusiastic fruit. Messr. Moueix holds the view, no doubt sacrilegious on the other Bank, that BDX is meant to grow merlot, and secondarily CF, and not CS, and Napa is the greatest place in the world to grow CS (can I get an amen from everyone outside the Antinori family?). I just loved this, tied for second with the very different ‘09 Mouton in this field of champions. Not sure there’s upside, but this should hold well for 5-10+ years. Killer juice. 98+

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• 2016 Château Hosanna 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  The last wine of the night, and another killer showing, if just behind its ‘05 stablemate, which was both redder and more brambly. Tons of youthful enthusiasm here, balanced out nicely with mostly silky tannins and vibrant acidity, drinking with impressive length, depth and complexity already, but offering the promise of at least incrementally better things to come. As with so many of these wines, I longed with a great filet as a complement, but you know what the poet Jagger said about such things, so I’ll take what I got and call it a win. Messr. Moueiux sure knows his way around a vineyard. 97++

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Well, what could have made this night better than it was, other than the food? If some DYQ had shown up at the end! Alas, it didn’t, but the event already far exceeded expectations. Glad we could all share it together!