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Les Blancs de Pessac-Léognan @ my place
Netherlands
Tasted May 31, 2009 by jkoenen with 703 views
Introduction
Being a longtime Pessac-aholic I knew that it was inevitable that, someday, I would put a White Pessac-tasting together...
And today was that day. 12 partners in crime joined me on this blissful trip.
Since I was quite busy organising and hosting this tasting, some TN's are a tad on the short side.
Wines were served blind, but of course I knew what was coming....
Flight 1 - Flight #1 (2 notes)
White
2007 L'Esprit de Chevalier Blanc
87 points
Gooseberry, cats' pee, seashells, licorice, yellow stonefruit. Good stuffing, good length, good wine. Sauvignon has the upper hand. 16/20
White
2006 Château Coucheroy Blanc
85 points
Fresh, light, mineral driven. Good length, toasted. Fairly simple and friendly. Unassuming wine. Clearly Sauvignon Blanc. 15/20
Flight 2 - Flight #2 (3 notes)
White
2005 Clos Floridene Blanc
88 points
Lots of oak on the nose, heavily perfumed. Smokey almonds, bananas, pine apple, bacon. Very dense and seducing, lightens up in the aftertaste. Not very complex, subtle or graceful. Just extremely tasty! 16.5/20
White
1997 de Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé Baron de L
Opens up with a lovely soft and unctuous, flower driven bouquet and mouthfeel. Impresses me as slightly over the hill. Alas, it fades very quickly and dies in the glass. Off-bottle?
White
2004 Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon
88 points
Hot buttered toast! I thought this was kinda Chardonnay-like. Chamomile, honeysuckle, some alcoholic heat. Alas, the nose is too pale and plain. Interesting rather than tasty. 16.5/20
Flight 3 - Flight #3 (3 notes)
White
1998 Château Couhins-Lurton Blanc
87 points
Subdued aromatics on the nose, some seawater, cooked vegetables. Lemony, lean and stylish but not very charming. Had some nice moments in the past with this wine, but I guess it has turned the corner. Sauvignon-styled. 16/20
White
1998 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
88 points
Closed for business. Chockfull of minerals and matter, but not showing much right now. I think it will do so in a couple of years. 16.5/20
White
1999 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
91 points
Coconut, vanille, pine apple. Wonderful mature fragrance of coffee, tea leaf, sweet tobacco, assorted nuts, oak and drippingly juicy yellow fruit. Indian summer in a glass. In a very good place right now. Giving all it's got. 17.5-18/20
Flight 4 - Flight #4 (3 notes)
White
1989 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc
89 points
Refreshing acidity, nutty bouquet of almonds and roasted hazelnuts. Beeswax, summer flowers, antique shop, pine apple, wonderful balance and (to me) surprisingly vivid. 17/20
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Comment
White
1988 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
87 points
This had a distinctive note of oxidation. But it didn't bother me. It just added something to the total presentation of the wine, something characteristic and recognizable. As long as it's not overbearing, I like it. The 88 had an elegant complexity with soft nuances of bread crumb, fennel, and lime zest. Nice wine. 16/20
White
1988 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
92 points
Very expressive, creamy, juicy candied fruit (melon, peach, pear, pine apple, tangerine). Wonderful savoury hints of sea shells, salted caramel, roasted nuts, hot buttered anise rolls, cinnamon. What a delightful and complex glass of wine... 18/20
Flight 5 - Flight #5 (3 notes)
White
1994 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
88 points
There's that whiff of oxidation again... I'm starting to recognize it. Maybe this is typical to Chevalier Blanc? Furthermore there are lots of lemons and goose- and elderberry aromas. Almond also. This is my 3rd bottle from a case (in 6 months) and they all showed very different. 16.5/20
White
1995 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
92 points
Strong and convincing example of classically built white Pessac. Very mineral (riverbed, ozone, flintstone, chalk) and citrusy. Fresh nose of oak tinged tropical fruit, very grapey too. Tight, strict and focussed. Flawless and clear like a mountain stream. Good length, awesome wine. 18/20
White
1996 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
90 points
Controversial wine because of the piercing acidity. This has a Chenin Blanc-kind of profile. Just entering it's prime drinking window and at least 20 years of life ahead of it. This definately is a food-wine. I like it. RP didn't (hence the 78 score). 17.5/20
Flight 6 - Flight #6 (3 notes)
White
1976 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
89 points
Sauternes-like on the nose, and nice and crummy but completely dry on the palate. Dark notes of coffee, caramel, molasses and apple syrup. Very special and unique, but probably past its best. 17/20
White
1985 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
96 points
Fan-Tas-Tic! You hear me? Bright, light, pale greyish yellow colour. Perhaps the lightest of all 32 wines at this tasting. Jaw-droppingly complex and concentrated. Creamy fruit, salty peppery bacon notes. This is both light on its feet and compellingly charming and powerful. Extremely young and lots of potential. A total masterpiece, my WOTN and one of my top-5 dry-whites ever. 19/20
White
1992 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
87 points
Ahh... such a pity. This one has evolved to quickly. Orange colour. Notes of apricot-jam. Looking for balance and couldn't find it. 16/20
Flight 7 - Flight #7 (2 notes)
White
1999 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
89 points
Very Chevalier-like. Some nuttyness on the nose. This is in a sweet spot, right now. Fruit's still apparent, secondary notes start to show. Nice one! 17/20
Flight 8 - Flight #8 (3 notes)
White
2001 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux
94 points
Awesome and very typical Sauvignon. Powerful opening with vanillin, oak and caramel, but after sufficient swirling more subtle notes of tropical fruit emerge. Very ripe, dense and complex, but utterly graceful. This wine combines power and elegance in a sensational way. Fantastic wine! 18,5/20
White
2001 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
90 points
Voluptuous and dense; impressive, sure. Thick layers of passionfruit, vanilla and coconut, and although there's enough freshness and acidity to balance this richness out, I feel like it still needs a couple of years to shed it's babyfat. 17,5/20
White
2001 Château Pape Clément Blanc
flawed
Impressive concentration and density, but there was discussion in the group whether this was flawed or not. Maybe corked?
Flight 9 - Flight #9 (3 notes)
White
2002 Château Bouscaut Blanc
89 points
Tempting fragrance of asian spice and floral nuances fill the nose. On the palate smoky bacon, tropical fruit and honey are added. After a while one can find distant but typical Sauvignon characteristics like elderberry, mowed lawn. Not very cerebral, nor discriminate, yet very well made and and very tasty. Best QPR of this tasting. 17/20
White
2002 Château Mouton Rothschild Aile D'Argent Blanc
92 points
Marvelous. Succulent, sweet and sexy. Full throttle ripeness and concentration. Mighty, powerfull and racy. Just like the red Mouton. Others liked it even better and called this WOTN. 18/20
White
2002 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
89 points
Still a baby, but bursting with talent and promise. This is, of course, by far the most backward and reserved wine in the flight and, therefore, its hard to judge it right. But I feel its breed and potential. I am happy I bought this as a birthyear-wine for my daughters'. For now 17/20
Flight 10 - Flight #10 (3 notes)
White
2000 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
90 points
Toast and butter. Apricot, mango, passionfruit, beeswax. In the typical unctuous and ripe style, but just enough acidity and freshness to prevent it from turning flabby. Soapy scents, pears, lemon oil. Very nice. 17,5/20
White
2003 Château de Fieuzal Blanc
90 points
Again, as a descendant from this atypical vintage, very thick, ripe and oily. In comparison with the SHL this is more bright, pure and fresh. A bit sharper, too.
But equally enjoyable and classy. 17,5/20
But equally enjoyable and classy. 17,5/20
White
2003 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
90 points
Charming, compact, cool and great minerality. More upfront and open compared to older vintages, probably due to the vintage. But in the end typical for Chevalier. 17,5/20
Flight 11 - Flight #11 (2 notes)
White
2006 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Sauvignon Sanct Valentin
88 points
No formal notes: a freshly mowed lawn, gooseberry, a fresh and light mountainwine which was probably served to young. Well hidden oak, tasty but no real complexity yet. 16.5/20
White
2004 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc
87 points
Woody tannines, which need time to soften and integrate. To young to evaluate. But a good structure and backbone is certainly present. Not sure about the aromatics though. It seems a tad lean and simple. 16/20
Flight 12 - Flight #12 (2 notes)
White
2004 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
92 points
Wow, this is beautiful. And will be extraordinary in 5 years time. Freshly cut garden herbs, lemon peel, spring flowers. In its early approachable stage now, and likely to close down soon. Pure, clean and fantastic poise and definition. 18/20
White
2004 Château Haut-Brion Blanc
94 points
Geeez, what a privilige.... And what a shame that it's this young. One can only try to imagine how singular this wil be in 5 to 10 years time.
Right now it has power and stature clenched like a fist, though utterly filigreed and graceful. Polished mouthfeel with clear nuances of nutmeg, pepper and grilled pine kernels. Seducing and promising like your girlfriends' summer dress... So difficult to keep your patience! 18,5/20
Right now it has power and stature clenched like a fist, though utterly filigreed and graceful. Polished mouthfeel with clear nuances of nutmeg, pepper and grilled pine kernels. Seducing and promising like your girlfriends' summer dress... So difficult to keep your patience! 18,5/20