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Fine Wines SG - “Judgement of Paris” Bordeaux Blend Dinner

The Communal Bistro Delicacy - CBD

Tasted April 18, 2019 by vinhonotte with 407 views

Introduction

A Bordeaux vs Rest-of-the-World tasting of Cabernet Merlot blends
21 wines across 7 flights, then a wildcard wine on its own (which I brought)

My contribution: Château Rauzan-Ségla 2006
and the wildcard - Château Léoville Poyferré 1975

To respond for each flight:
- Which is/ is not Bordeaux?
- Rank your favourite, and 2nd favourite

Flight 1 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): La Lagune

My Bordeaux guess: Correct

Red

2007 Château La Lagune France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

91 points

Floral and red berried nose, with grass, and pencil shavings. Good balance of acids and tannins, and a bit burnish, with blackberries, cassis, teak wood. Long finish of cassis and fern

Comment

Red

2001 Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata Argentina, Mendoza

91 points

Powerful cassis and blueberries, tending towards sweet and power, and some peat and ink towards the end. Fair finish

Comment

Red

2001 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

89 points

Very intense and herbaceous, with some blackberry and cocoa, and paprika

Comment

Flight 2 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): Il Pino

My not-Bordeaux guess: Correct

Red

2009 Château Kirwan France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

91 points

Quite a lot of earth, wood, grass and blackberries. High alcohol heat. Long grassy finish

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

2009 Tenuta di Biserno Il Pino di Biserno Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

88 points

Feels very rounded, and with blueberries, cassis, and tomato leaves. Somehow the intensity is lacking

Comment

Red

2009 Château Cos Labory France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

88 points

Quite a nice body, and eases down much, though the nose has a very sharp herbaceousness and spice. Felt like some wannabe of a top growth but not there yet. Still needs more years

1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 3 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): Le Stanze

My Bordeaux guess: Wrong (picked the Le Stanze)

Red

2006 Poliziano Le Stanze Toscana IGT Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

91 points

Rounded with black fruits and grass, and some graphite. Quite pleasant

Comment

Red

2010 Château d'Armailhac France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

90 points

Acidic, tannic, and has lots of oak and fern, and blackberries. Good finish of leaves and stew

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

2010 Pierro Cabernet Merlot Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

87 points

Rather pale colour, and acidic and red fruited, with candied raspberries. The body was rather light and finish slightly lacking

Comment

Flight 4 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): Rauzan-Segla

My Bordeaux guess: Correct

Red

2006 Château Rauzan-Ségla France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

90 points

Rather pronounced nose, acidic and earthy, with paprika and pepper, but hard to detect the fruits. Good intensity, but could be better balanced

Comment

Red

2005 Mas de Daumas Gassac France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault

92 points

Fair intensity, and nicely balanced with the red berries, herbs and spices. Quite well made

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

2005 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

90 points

A very big blackberry and stew. Quite cooked and cheesy

3 people found this helpful Comment

Flight 5 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): Derenoncourt
My not-Bordeaux guess: Correct (but identified it as Tuscan instead of Californian)

Red

2009 Château Branaire-Ducru France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

89 points

Green, vegetal, earthy, bit of smokes and some alcohol heat. The finish was quite fair

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

2009 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

92 points

Floral, and quite a good amount of blackberries and grass. A good fleshy body and kind of eases on me

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

2009 Derenoncourt Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills Lake County USA, California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County

91 points

Rather rounded, with blackberry, red cherries, and roasted tomatoes

Comment

Flight 6 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): Musar

My Bordeaux guess: Wrong (picked the Musar)

Red

2010 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano Mormoreto Toscana IGT Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

89 points

A peaty nose, and somewhat smoked and burnt on the palate, and some greens and blackberry

Comment

Red

2000 Chateau Musar Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

94 points

Very clear garnet, and pronounced nose of smoke and leather. Savoury, with red cherry, leather, and stewed meat. Nice!

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

2010 Château Certan de May France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

89 points

Quite a bit of smoke and pencil shaving, on top of the blackberry, and some paprika

Comment

Flight 7 (3 notes)

Winner (by popular vote): Canon-la-Gaffeliere
My not-Bordeaux guess: Correct

Red

1998 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

96 points

Intense and powerful, with blackberry, cassis, peat, pencil shavings. Highly tannic, which contributed to its huge structure. Great!

Comment

Red

1995 Château Cos d'Estournel France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

91 points

A fairly good power in this with greens and blackberry, and pencil shavings. Despite the age, I think it still needs more years in the bottle

1 person found this helpful Comment

Red

1995 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley

90 points

Nicely balanced of blackberry, grass, peat, and graphite. It also has a bit of cassis sweetness and cocoa towards the finish

Comment

Flight 8 - Wildcard (1 note)

The questions asked for this wine:
- Will this be your favourite wine of the tasting?
- Is this wine Bordeaux, or not Bordeaux?
- What is the vintage?

As I had brought this wine, I was not allowed to take part (obviously).

I was surprised though, that a quarter of the crowd chose this as their favourite of the tasting. I think that's quite a feat. Had expected a lot less, even if any...

Red

1975 Château Léoville Poyferré France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

93 points

A pale garnet colour, and rather intense, with some good acids to maintain freshness, with mushrooms, forest floor, leather, and cigarbox. Nice!

Comment

Closing

Enjoyable dinner - was in fact impressed with the carrot sides that came with my lamb chops main course.

Based on votes, Bordeaux lost by a hair's breadth...

Managed to identify the Bordeaux/ not-Bordeaux 5 out of 7 times, and for one of them, thought was a Tuscan when it in fact came from the US... guess I need more practice

Fine Wines SG - “Judgement of Paris” Bordeaux Blend Dinner

The Communal Bistro Delicacy - CBD

Introduction

Flight 1 (3 notes)

Flight 2 (3 notes)

Flight 3 (3 notes)

Flight 4 (3 notes)

Flight 5 (3 notes)

Flight 6 (3 notes)

Flight 7 (3 notes)

Flight 8 - Wildcard (1 note)

Closing

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