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Union des Grands Grus 2008 Bordeaux Tasting
Barker Hanger, Santa Monica
Tasted January 22, 2011 by MattTM with 1,124 views
Introduction
This was my first UGC event, and I have to admit it is a bit overwhelming for a first timer. 95 Chateau's were represented, pouring over 100 wines. The event was very well organized and in a great venue at the Barker Hangar, which provided a lot of space to move around without feeling cramped. I ended up tasting 34 wines, using the full three hours. Unfortunately a few I wanted to try were out of wine by the time I got around to them, but I hit most on my hit list I made prior to the event.
In general terms, the wines of St. Julien were my favorite on the night, followed by Pauillac. However, my wine of the night was a Pauillac.
I'll list my top 5 in my closing notes.
Flight 1 - Graves (1 note)
White
2008 Château de Chantegrive Blanc
Floral on the nose, with notes of papaya, lemon peel, and some sulfur characteristics. The oak comes through on the palette, followed by some apple and peach. Medium acidity on the finish.
Flight 2 - Pessac-Léognan (6 notes)
My top wine out of this group was the Château Haut-Bailly
Red
2008 Domaine de Chevalier
Tar on the nose, followed by coffee bean, black plums, and rubber. Black cherry, oak, and tart plum come through on the palette. Medium finish, well balanced acidity, and some cassis notes on the finish.
Red
2008 Château Haut-Bailly
Toasted oak upfront on the nose, as well as some mocha, sweet plums, and spice. Well balanced on the palette, showing smokey oak, ripe dark fruit, and black cherry. Medium finish, with some sweet vanilla notes coming through at the end. Very nice.
Red
2008 Château Haut-Bergey
Nice nose on this, with lots of fruit coming through. Notes of dried fruit, ripe blackberry, vanilla bean, and mocha. Dense dark fruit on the palette, showing espresso, bitter dark cherry, and some spice. Long finish, ending with some tart black cherry, and drying tannins. Good value for the price.
White
2008 Château Pape Clément Blanc
Tons of smokey oak on the nose, as well as some green apple and lemon peel. More oak coming through on the palette, as well as some sweet tangerine. Medium acidity.
Red
2008 Château Pape Clément
Lots of oak on the nose, followed by some sweet cassis and chocolate. Dense black fruit on the palette, as well as some tar and espresso notes. Long dry finish with some bitterness at the end, and a bit of current and oak.
Red
2008 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Dark purple. Charred oak, chocolate, and current on the nose. Plum comes through on the palette, with some sour cherry, currents, and smokey oak. Light, dry finish
Flight 3 - St. Émilion Grand Cru (5 notes)
My top wine out of this group was the Château La Gaffelière
Red
2008 Château Angélus
Coffee bean, tar, and spice on the nose. Mouth drying tannin, with notes of dark plum and cherry. Sweet long finish, and lots of acidity at the end. Medium-full bodied.
Red
2008 Château Canon
Dried dark fruit, coffee bean, and an interesting rubber band aroma on the nose. Sweet dark fruit, blueberry, dark plums, and mocha on the palette. Long dry finish, with sweet cassis and vanilla oak at the end.
Red
2008 Château La Gaffelière
Great nose on this, showing dense dark fruit, cassis, dried dark fruit, ripe strawberry, and some oak. Big dark fruit coming through on the palette, followed by some sour plum. Well balanced, with a long dry finish, lots of tannin, and some blueberry at the end. Very good.
Red
2008 Château Larcis Ducasse
Tons of fruit on the nose, showing lots of espresso, dark ripe berries, and plum. Coffee bean on the palette, as well as some dark plum, dried black fruits, and sweet blueberry. Medium drying finish, with some oaky cassis at the end. Very nice.
Red
2008 Château Pavie Macquin
Great nose, showing lots of fruit. Blueberry, coffee bean, and sweet dark fruits coming through. Big dark fruit on the palette, as well as some vanilla bean, black cherry, and plum. Long finish, ending with notes of sweet vanilla oak. Lots of tannin. Very nice.
Flight 4 - Pomerol (4 notes)
My top wine out of this group was the Château La Conseillante
Red
2008 Château Beauregard
Sour plum, black cherry, sweet cassis, vanilla bean, and oak on the nose. Coffee bean comes through on the palette, with notes of dark plum, oak, and chocolate. Medium finish, with some sweet vanilla oak at the end.
Red
2008 Château Clinet
Sweet vanilla and oak on the nose, as well as some dark plum and bitter red cherry. Tart cherry, dark fruit, and cassis on the palette. Medium finish, ending with a dried prune note. Underwhelming, I was expecting more from this Chateau.
Red
2008 Château Gazin Pomerol
Charred oak, tar, red cherry and plum on the nose. Mocha comes through on the palette, as well as some cherry and dried dark fruits. Long drying finish, with some sweet red cherry at the end.
Red
2008 Château La Conseillante
Dark plum, blueberry, black cherry, sweet strawberry, as well as a slight rubber note on the nose. Dark fruit comes through on the palette, with some vanilla bean, oak, and sweet dark berries. Long finish, ending with cassis. Lots of tannin present. Very good, my favorite Pomerol at the event.
Flight 5 - Moulis en Médoc (1 note)
I stayed away from the majority of the Médoc wines, but had to try this as it's a buy for me in most vintages.
Red
2008 Château Chasse-Spleen
Big fruity nose, showing sweet cassis and ripe dark fruit. Medium bodied, with notes of dark berries, blueberry, and black cherry. Short-medium finish, with some sweet vanilla and cassis at the end. This Chateau is usually a good value, and this is no exception. Good.
Flight 6 - Margaux (3 notes)
My top wine out of this group was the Château Malescot St. Exupery
Red
2008 Château Lascombes
Charred oak, coffee bean, and sweet black cherry on the nose. Dark plum, sour cherry, and chocolate coming through on the palette. Long finish, showing sweet cassis at the end, and mouth drying tannins.
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Red
2008 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
Big rich fruit on the nose, as well as some oak, blueberry, and sweet dark fruits. Lots of fruit on the palette, showing cassis, ripe blackberry, blueberry, and dark fruits. Medium finish, showing red cherry and oak on the finish. Very good.
Red
2008 Château Rauzan-Ségla
Smokey oak, dried dark fruit, red cherry, tar, and dark fruit on the nose. Coming through on the palette is tart plum, red cherry, oak, sweet blackberry, and currents. Long dry finish, ending with some tart red cherry and oak.
Flight 7 - St. Julien (7 notes)
My top wine out of this group was the Château Léoville Poyferré, followed closely by the Château Léoville Barton and the Château Saint-Pierre
Red
2008 Château Branaire-Ducru
Oak, tart cherry, currents, and an interesting rubber note coming through on the nose. Tart plum, raspberry, and coffee bean on the palette. Medium finish, ending with tart cherry.
Red
2008 Château Gruaud Larose
Lots of dark fruit, tar, and coffee coming through on the nose. Dark fruit, black cherry, plum, and a touch of oak on the palette. Medium finish, ending with sweet cassis. Not much tannin showing.
Red
2008 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
Huge fruit coming through on the nose, with some sweet cassis, blueberry, dark fruits, and ripe strawberry. Big on the palette, showing ripe strawberry, cassis, dark plums, and some oak. Long finish, with some sweet vanilla bean at the end. Mouth drying tannins. Very good.
Red
2008 Château Langoa Barton
Dried fruit, dark berries, coffee, and lots of dark fruit coming through on the nose. Sour plum, dark fruit, and some leather characteristics on the palette. Medium, dry, sweet, yet tart finish. Lots of acidity.
Red
2008 Château Léoville Barton
Huge, wonderful nose, showing sweet dark fruit, dark berries, and cassis. Concentrated on the palette, with notes of blueberry, dark plum, cassis, and dark fruits. Long finish, with some cassis at the end. Gripping tannins. Very good.
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Red
2008 Château Léoville Poyferré
Big nose of dark fruit, dried fruit, vanilla bean, tar, and some smokey oak. Dense in the mouth, showing dark berries, black cherry, vanilla bean, and oak. Big fruit on the palette. Long finish, with tongue coating tannins and medium acidity. Very good.
Red
2008 Château Saint-Pierre
Big nose of ripe berries, sour plum, vanilla, blueberry and charred oak. Dark plum, sour cherry, blueberry, oak, and a touch of vanilla bean on the palette. Long dry finish, ending with cassis. Good.
Flight 8 - Pauillac (3 notes)
The Château Pichon-Longueville Baron really stood out for me, but I also really enjoyed the Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Red
2008 Château Lynch-Bages
Ripe blackberry, rubber, slate, graphite, and lots of tar on the nose. On the palette, more tar, ripe blackberry, and currents. Very light on the mid-palette, with not much fruit coming through. Short-medium finish.
Red
2008 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Huge, fantastic nose, showing lots of dark fruit, sweet cassis, oak, vanilla bean, and ripe blueberry. Well balanced in the mouth, with flavors of coffee bean, cassis, and big dark fruit. Long finish that seems to go forever, ending with some tart current. Tannins are there, but not overpowering. Excellent. My wine of the night.
Red
2008 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Lots of oak on the nose, followed by dark plums, black cherry, rubber, and tar. Sweet blueberry, black cherry, plum, currents, vanilla bean and some oak on the palette. Dense mid-palette, with a long finish ending with cassis. Very good.
Flight 9 - Sauternes & Barsac (4 notes)
By the time I got around to the sweet wines, most were out of wine and finished pouring. However, these were all good quality, but my favorite was the Château Doisy-Daëne
White - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Château Coutet Barsac
Lots of grapefruit on the nose, as well as some honey, pear, and apricot. Thick and viscous in the mouth, showing grapefruit, cantaloupe, and some orange peel. Long finish, light-medium acidity. Good.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Château Doisy-Daëne
Green apple, peach, grapefruit, and lemon peel on the nose. A nice note of candied peach on the palette, as well as honey and apricot. Dense in the mouth, with medium acidity. Very good.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Château Sigalas Rabaud
Orange peel, grapefruit, and peach on the nose. Mandarin orange, honey, candied apricot, and lemon peel on the palette. Long finish. Very good.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Château Suduiraut
Some floral notes on the nose, as well as some pear, orange peel, and honey. Ripe red apple on the palette, followed by apricot and candied peach. Long finish.
Closing
My top 5 wines of the night
1. 2008 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
2. 2008 Château Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
3. 2008 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
4. 2008 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
5. 2008 Château Malescot St. Exupery - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux