Community Tasting Note
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BenBlu Likes this wine: 98 points
July 3, 2019 - Berry Brothers 2018 Bordeaux en primeur (plus back vintages) (Lindley Hall, London): At last year's event they also brought the 2010 and it was one of my wines of the evening. This time it felt like it has further blossomed with the additional year and again one of the wines of the evening. One of the few 2010s where most other wines were 09 samples. Killer line of graphite, some vanilla. But also so pure and interwoven with silky tannins. Absolute top notch edging 1st growth quality for me on this sample.
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7 Comments
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Ibetian commented:
7/4/19, 6:30 AM - Thanks very much for your notes from this tasting. I haven’t purchased any 2018 EP, but I have 10 of the wines you reviewed in my cellar, including multiple cases of the 2010 PB. Glad to see that it any the others are developing nicely.
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LiteItOnFire commented:
7/4/19, 11:03 AM - Wow while your tasting made you feel like a kid in a candy store, your tasting notes and commentary made us (me) feel as if a part of me was right there with you. Thank you for taking the time to enter in the notes. Great job!
Look forward to tasting the ‘10 again as I only had one experience previously at their Chateau last June (which is a must do for those that have not had the opportunity). I immediately bought 12 I enjoyed the 10 so much. -
BenBlu commented:
7/5/19, 1:51 AM - Many thanks for your kind words - I am very glad you found my notes useful! With PB10 you have a great wine in hand that I think will be giving crazy pleasure between 2030-2050. This is top fine wine sweet spot in terms of value in my view. There are not much better wines in Bordeaux and if there are then any incremental is paid for very dearly. To me PB10 is the best Bdx 10 I have had after Mouton 10 which to me is a perfect wine.
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jviz commented:
7/9/19, 9:24 AM - Just visited the Chateau this week and couldn’t agree more. We tasted ‘10 and 2014-16 and the differences in vintage are really obvious, emphasizing the quality of 2010. I think Pichon Baron puts out amazing quality year on year, and competes with the few first growths I’ve tasted
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LiteItOnFire commented:
7/9/19, 9:27 AM - JVIZ- ok a little jealous but happy you were there and are able to share what you learned. Did you happen to get any feedback/notes on what you tasted 15, 16 or 18? Thank you
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jviz commented:
7/9/19, 9:46 AM - 18 was in barrel, and I wanted very badly to taste but it wasn’t in the cards. Of 14-15-16, 16 is the closest to 10 in the sense that it’s a big balanced package of concentrated fruit, tannins and acidity. The profile is similarly dark and brooding, with a good mineral streak. 15 on the other hand has some of that typical vintage ripe red fruit. California lovers will favor 15. 14 is also classic, and represents a stalwart effort to redeem some tough conditions. I’m high on 14s for their acidity and the fact that I think they will drink well long before the 16s really start to open.
I can’t recommend a visit more highly. It’s a truly impressive chateau (even if sort of a facade - only 1 room deep!) and the winemaking facility underneath the reflecting pool is spectacular. My favorite stop on a 3 day trip -
LiteItOnFire commented:
7/9/19, 9:58 AM - Thank you! Great news for sure. We were there last June and had an amazing lunch and 2000s vertical tasting. So glad to hear how the ‘14-‘16s are shaping up one year later. Thank you!