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Grand Crus de Bordeaux Tasting: 2005 & 2006 wines
NYC, The Lighthouse, Pier 60, Chelsea Piers
Tasted January 26, 2009 by TashNYC with 1,992 views
Introduction
The Union de Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in NYC, organized by Zachy's and held at Pier 61.
A walk-about with over 100 different winemakers at 53 tables.
Limited food but great cheese from Artisanal (esp. the Pierre Robert triple creme-cheese and the Affidelice, a washed-rind cow's milk cheese, similar to epoisses)
All set against a beautiful Hudson River and NY/NJ skyline view.
Flight 1 - Graves - White (12 notes)
White
2005 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc
No Wine at Tasting. (It was on the list and poured in California, but not here)
White
2006 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc
90 points
Enjoyed now. Fresh and good to drink. Lovely fruit flavors. Overpriced at $28. I bought my 2001s for $13/bottle.
White
2005 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc
91 points
Lovely mineral and structure, amid the fruit. Much more precise & delineated than the 2006. (tasted side-by-side).
White
2006 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc
89 points
Fresh and open to drink now, but not as complicated as the 2005.
White
2006 Château Olivier Blanc
87 points
Ok but nothing special. 2005 was suppost to be tasted, but it was AWOL.
White
2005 Château Pape Clément Blanc
94 points
This was just delicious. Loved the mineral notes, precision, definition and layers of fruit. Lovely nose, too. But just not happening, for $200/bottle. (On sale from $250/bottle). I thought there was a global recession? Apparently not for these wines.
White
2006 Château Pape Clément Blanc
91 points
Delicious but vastly different than the 2005. Much more wood, less acidity, less mineral and much less structure. Winemaker said it needs another 1-2 years for the wine to integrate. (I perhaps though bottle variation, too?) I wouldn't drink this today and I certainly wouldn't buy it for $190. (I thought there was a global recession -- but apparently not with these wines!)
White
2005 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
91 points
A delicious white. Again, more mineral, structured and acidic than the 2006 version. (theme of the night)
White
2006 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
91 points
A great white. Lots of good fruit flavors. Very fresh. Drinking well, now. but $72.25 is above my expectations. I thought we are in a global recession: no deflation here!
Flight 2 - Graves - Red (10 notes)
Red
Red
2006 Château La Louvière
85 points
Disappointing. Overpriced at $50 and nothing special. 2005 wasn't any better. 4 bottles remained at the end of the tasting, so others shared our view.
Red
2006 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion
90 points
Lovely to drink now. Showing well (but might shut down in future).
Red
2005 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion
91 points
The better wine. Very concentrated but fruit starting to shut down. Winemaker said it needs 10 years. (as does the 2000)
Red
2005 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
90 points
Lovely aromatics but not much flavor now. Very reserved. Needs time. For $80/bottle, this isn't happening. And it is such a small production winery (2,000 cases total), that we rarely see it at restuarants or tastings. Still interesting.
Red
Red
2006 Château Malartic-Lagravière
89 points
We liked it better than other tasters the same night. (See other notes from same event)
Red
2005 Château Pape Clément
94 points
Great wine. Great fruit but needs much time. All the Pape Clements were excellent or better, in the end. But this is not happening for us, for $300/bottle. (We have other vintages for $40-$60. Plus I thought there was a global recession going on?)
Red
2006 Château Pape Clément
92 points
Delicious. A little less complicated than the 2005, but still a very good wine. Could almost drink this, now
Flight 3 - St. Emilion (22 notes)
Red
2005 Château Angélus
95 points
A delicious wine. Even better when tasted with friends. Needs 10+ years. I guess I am a hard grader, because I gave it 95 points (and WOTN) at the Sotheby's vertical ... and that was a better showing (and a less-crowded venue). $400/bottle ask price
Red
2006 Château Angélus
93 points
Delicious. Not much of a step down from the 2005. Great fruit and super finish. Lovely nose, too. "Sale" price was $200
Red
2005 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
92 points
Very reticent in the nose and closed-down on the taste. I tasted it in November and it showed similarly, then. Needs 10 years. Will be a good wine.
Red
2006 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
91 points
Very similar to the 2005. Hard to evaluate, now. Probably very good in a # of years.
Red
2005 Clos Fourtet
Alas, there was no more wine by the time we got there. The 2006 was a good wine. The 2005 has a silly price tag ($152-$190/bottle)
Red
2006 Clos Fourtet
91 points
This was a good wine. Near the end of the evening, so few notes. Jen stepped away so only I had it. Needs lots of time.
Red
2006 Château Franc-Mayne
85 points
Just so-so. Might be better if tasted in a quiet place, over dinner. 2005 was much better.
Red
2005 Château Grand Mayne
91 points
Wow. I was really charmed by this wine. It drank pretty well, now. Better in 10 years. No clue on offered price. Previously sold for $45/bottle: that would be an ok deal.
Red
2006 Château Grand Mayne
88 points
Interesting but not as good as the 2005. But might put on some weight.
Red
2005 Château La Dominique
85 points
So-so. Not wowed by this wine, at all. Nothing special. Especially for 2005 and $56/bottle sale ($70/bottle regular price)
Red
2005 Château Larcis Ducasse
94 points
Really, really good. Not too much experience with this wine. (It is funny, I didn't have my Wine Advocate with me at this tasting, and I didn't realize Robert Parker had given this 100 points). It was very showy at the walk-about lineup -- even to a fatigued palette.
Red
2005 Château Pavie Macquin
94 points
A step up from the 2006 version. Delicious but needs a lot of time. $300/bottle "on sale"
Red
2006 Château Pavie Macquin
92 points
Very much like the 1997 we drank with May. A good wine. Drinks ok, now. (But better with time). And the "bargain" of the night: $63.75/bottle.
Red
2005 Château La Gaffelière
94 points
Wow. This is 1, great wine. Relative "bargain" that night at $132/bottle.
Red
Red
2005 Château Larmande
91 points
I like this winery and the 2005 is very good. Relative value at $37/bottle asking price
Red
2006 Château Larmande
90 points
Not much off the 2005 version and much more drinkable / open. Reminicent of the best of the 1997 bottles we had recently.
Red
2005 Château Troplong Mondot
94 points
Can this be better than the Angelus? No, but a very good wine. Better when tasted in a quiet place, over time. No doubt. But the $360/bottle retail "ask" has just gone crazy.
Red
2005 Château Trotte Vieille
Where was this wine? There were closed bottles but no one opened them to taste. (NR)
Red
2006 Château Trotte Vieille
Where was this wine? There were closed bottles but no one opened them to taste. (NR)
Flight 4 - Margaux (15 notes)
Red
2005 Château Ferrière
90 points
Maybe a little better than the 2006. Certainly more closed at this stage.
Red
2006 Château Ferrière
90 points
Good. Especially for the $25 price point. Open now but drinks better with some time
Red
2006 Château Dauzac
88 points
Ok+. Preferred the 2005 -- especially at the same offer price that night. ($36/bottle for either 2005 or 2006)
Red
2005 Château Prieuré-Lichine
90 points
A good Margaux. But a little shut-down (vs other notes from prior years) and, no doubt shows better at home, over several hours, vs. at a 3 hour tasting. Needs time
$55-70/bottle offer price not the greatest
$55-70/bottle offer price not the greatest
Red
2005 Château du Tertre
91 points
I'm partial to this winery. The 2005 is a step up from other vintages (2006, 2002, etc.). Needs time. The $50 price tag is tragic, however. Our prior bottles were $20, $22 & $24/bottle.
Red
2006 Château Labégorce
85 points
Seemed open but I wasn't wowed by it. Also needs time. Relative value at $25/bottle
Red
2005 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
All gone by the time we got to it. So we didn't get to try our old friend. 2006 was just ok.
Red
2006 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
88 points
Ok but didn't meet our expectations. Not as good as the 1998, 2000, etc. -- which we bought for $25/bottle. This wine is also getting overpriced: 2005 is $180-$225/bottle ask, and 2006 is $51-$60/bottle.
Flight 5 - Medoc, Pauillac, St-Estephe, St. Julien (14 notes)
Red
2005 Château Clerc Milon
Can't believe we missed this. (It was there, we just missed it). It is #11 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2008. Seems overpriced at $92-$115/bottle
Red
2005 Château Haut-Bages Libéral
91 points
Good but a little closed. Needs time. Next door to Lynch Bages and 1/2 the price
Red
2006 Château Haut-Bages Libéral
91 points
More open than the shut-down 2005 but still needs time. Next door to Lynch Bages and 1/2 the price
Red
2005 Château La Tour de By
88 points
We visited this winery during our biking tour of Bordeaux (2003, with May & Jen and I. I almost drove down the ornamental road, not intended for cars). So we had to drop by and say "hello"
A very good effort for this winery. Drinks ok, now. Maybe better with 1-2 years. (Winemaker said up to 10 years but I am uncertain)
Much better than the 2006. 87-88. (Maybe an extra point for travel nostalgia)
A very good effort for this winery. Drinks ok, now. Maybe better with 1-2 years. (Winemaker said up to 10 years but I am uncertain)
Much better than the 2006. 87-88. (Maybe an extra point for travel nostalgia)
Red
2006 Château La Tour de By
82 points
I'm fond of this winery (we visited it in 2003, on our cycling tour of Bordeaux) but I can't recommend this wine. The 2005 is much better.
Red
2006 Château Ormes de Pez
85 points
I was underwhelmed by this wine. maybe better at home, over dinner & a few hours time?
Red
2006 Château Lynch-Bages
91 points
Quite a nice wine. Very characteristic Lynch bages. Drinks well now and better with time
Red
2005 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
We got to the Pauillacs last and it was already all gone. Wish winemaker had bought more than 4 bottles.
Red
2006 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
We got to the Pauillacs last and it was already all gone. Wish winemaker had bought more than 4 bottles.
Red
2005 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
We got to the Pauillacs last and this was already all gone!
Red
2006 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
We got to the Pauillacs last and this was already all gone!
Flight 6 - Barsac / Sauternes (12 notes)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Bastor-Lamontagne
90 points
New to me. I liked it, quite a bit. Especially for a reasonable price. (It was $33/bottle 750 ml -- which is perhaps $10 above-market)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Château Bastor-Lamontagne
85 points
Thought this was so-so. The 2005 was vastly superior to my palate
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Climens
95 points
Climens is special to me because it was the first wine Jen & I bought together, on Futures (happily, the 2001 vintage).
So it was loads of fun to taste these, tonite.
This wine was excellent: lovely nose and layers of fruit. It drank well tonite. More definition & structure than the 2006 vintage
So it was loads of fun to taste these, tonite.
This wine was excellent: lovely nose and layers of fruit. It drank well tonite. More definition & structure than the 2006 vintage
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Château Climens
92 points
Climens is special to me because it was the first wine Jen & I bought together, on Futures (happily, the 2001 vintage).
The wine was delcious tonite.
The wine was delcious tonite.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Château Suduiraut
92 points
Thought this was good but the 2005 better. (the opposite of others at the tasting). Age helps these wines.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
91 points
I guess I am a hard grader, but this bottle did not show as well as I expected. Still a nice wine.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
89 points
Ok but the 2005 was better, as were other Sauternes this night.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Doisy-Daëne
92 points
Excellent. One of our favorites of the night. Jen liked. Even affordable.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Château Guiraud
93 points
More to this wine than the 2006 but at an unusual state of development. Many flavors developing but not quite in harmony, right now. Needs time. Jen didn't care for it, either.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Château Guiraud
92 points
Preferred to the 2005 version. But Jen didn't care for it, as much. Needs time