Community Tasting Note
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Arch57 Likes this wine: 94 points
November 7, 2015 - Celebrating my birthday "weekend" I was combing my cellar for something special, looking at my Cali-Cabs when I realized I haven't had a good Bordeaux all year. Checking my CT notes I last had a 2003 Château Haut-Maillet in May that I rated a lousy 83 and an '05 Pavie-Macquin that we had to ring in 2015 was underwhelming so I guess I shied away from Bordeaux for a bit after those 2 experiences.
Well glad I found ole reliable Leoville Barton waiting to restore my faith and love of aged Bordeaux. From the initial opening as I poured it into the decanter I zeroed right in on the nose that you takes you right to this region (I'm not good at the language of describing what I smell and taste with words like caramelized truffles, etc. but we all know that aroma that is unmistakably Bordeaux.)
After a proper decant I poured a glass for the best wine critic in our house my lovely wife who immediately said "wow". She is not a wine geek at all and puts up with my passion for wine but calls them like they are without bias (as I often have based on price, reviews, etc.) Anyway we drank this with grilled lamb chops, which was a perfect complement as the wine washed down the med/rare meat and provided a fantastic finish.
Alas it was my only bottle of this vintage as my modest collection of Bordeaux in my cellar contains 84 bottles but from 70 different producers so I rarely have more than one. I tend to be a wine explorer, trying lots of different producers and regions rather than a "collector" buying cases in a more narrow field but I now realize that great producers like Barton deserve a little more space on my shelves.8 people found this helpful 8,063 views
3 Comments
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Omar Khayyam commented:
11/8/15, 11:35 AM - Great, personal, educational and inspiring note. Thx
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aChave commented:
11/8/15, 4:53 PM - Amusing and entertaining story. As a fellow "explorer" I finally decided to make myself stop buying singles and at least buy 2 or 3. Probably just delays the "darn, it's the last one" feeling, but at least I feel better about it. -- Comment from a former Connecticut Yankee.
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Arch57 commented:
11/8/15, 5:20 PM - Yes the world of wine is so "huge" that it is hard to focus on a certain region, style or producer because so many people are investing so much time, effort and money in trying to take a common grape and turn it into something special.
I have invested in Kosta Browne since 2005 and their wonderful Pinot's and Anderson's Conn Valley Cabs and Right Bank wines. All good stuff and passion and family and friends pay a big part of it all.