June 9, 2018 - Popped and poured into 2 wine glasses and another small portion into a small ~6 oz decanter. The remainder of the bottle I let audoze with the cork out. Sampled the first glass about 30 minutes later and was met with a fabulous nose of rich blackcurrants, black cherries, and spicy anise. The palate displays all of the above along with persimmon and baking spices with a cinnamon-leafy green-tobacco finish before the tannins kick in with spicy black pepper, anise, and bitter tree bark notes.
Definitely needs some air- after about a hour the wine gets richer and fuller in texture and intensity. Notes of Ouzo and blackberries start to emerge, the tannins become less bitter, and the texture smooths out along with developing more mineral depth and black tea notes.
The acidity and tannins are in a very harmonious balance with the tannins slightly bitter but no longer astringent, allowing the acid to carry the wine across a complex palate transition that ultimately ends with a lengthy grape skin finish.
Noticeable sediment left in the bottle. Has definitely aged well- 15 years for a Fronsac from 2003 is incredible considering. Won’t be mistaken for the upper echelon of Bordeaux but if you have any bottles remaining you will slap yourself when you realize this was only $21. Based on the ridiculous price and unexpected age-worthiness of this wine, got to up my overall to a solid A (93) evaluation.
A bit of ‘Knurd family history- this was the 2nd wine overall and the first red wine Mrs. Knurd and I drank as a married couple back in 2009...
July 12, 2014 - This was much better than anticipated. It showed mature characteristics and was well integrated and balanced. Savory notes were the most interesting. Black olives and herbs.
April 22, 2013 - Yes, it is now on the downhill slope. Still pleasant, but how lovely it was a year ago.
March 28, 2013 - I am so grateful to Wineknurd for the heads-up. I hadn't planned to drink mine yet, but clearly now is the time. Yes, it's filled with sediment, but, carefully decanted, it is still lovely. And thanks too to Eric LeVine for the technology that makes all this communication possible.
February 20, 2012 - 5 bottles in a row, dead and full of sediment. I guess 9 years was too much for this 03 Fronsac but it was a great wine while it lasted!
February 20, 2011 - 3rd bottle, 2nd wedding anniversary, dinner at Jujube in Chapel Hill. Tight nose and palate at first, dominated by earth and tannin, but opened up nicely over the course of the evening. With enough time, the nose offers up quite a bit of complexity- aromas of fruit (red currants, cassis pomegranate), spice (vanilla, cinnamon and anise), with hints of toast and earth as well. The palate is more black fruit and earth oriented, with cassis, black tea, anise, bell pepper, and some kale-like bitterness with the tannins. Acidity and body were both in the medium range, but this time the finish was notable longer than my initial bottle back in 08. Could be starting to come together and develop as a more complete wine. Can't wait to see how the next 10 bottles evolve over the next 10 years. Oh yes and my marriage too :) Staying with the A- rating as the wine's length and depth are not quite at that elite level, but going to give it the +1 from my previous score. My hope is that the palate will become more like the nose as the tannins lose their grip. We shall see...
November 20, 2010 - This was the third wine of the four in my weekly blind tasting.
Sleek and finessed with tobacco, leather, dried cherry and blackberry notes, gaining mushroom and dried marjoram with air. Dusty tannins with a beam of sage and a long finish.
February 20, 2010 - 2nd bottle, 1st wedding anniversary. Popped & poured, drank at Bonne Soirre. Still drinking well, full flavors of and red currants shining through and the 02/20/09 notes are still pretty spot on. Also more acidity and body than I remembered, could have been due to the decanter last year (alcohol didn't blow off with the pop & pour). A-
February 20, 2009 - 90% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc. I decanted this wine before serving in the event that it was still young and “tight” but it opened up quite nicely once poured. From the glass there are terrific aromas of red currants, plums, hints of prune, and spicy cinnamon. The palate has all these same flavors with nice acidity and firm but not overwhelming tannins. You will not believe how seamless this wine transitions across your palate, going from fruity plum to tart currant to cinnamon on the smooth finish.
On wine style and quality I rate this wine an A-. That nice spicy cinnamon finish is characteristic to grapes grown in the special clay soil from this region of Bordeaux, a clear expression of terroir lacking in many wines made outside of Europe. Its very well balanced, with no hints of the 14% alcohol by volume and seamless oak integration despite 12 months in a barrel.
As for criticisms, the wine is medium bodied, but it just feels thinner and less weighty than typical for Bordeaux. It has a short finish, also unusual for Bordeaux. I have to chalk these up to the the 2003 vintage, where low grape acidity from hot years can result in lighter bodied wines. The hot vintage is also the cause for the 14% alcohol by volume, higher than the usual 13% for Bordeaux. There is no perceivable burn, though the higher alcohol most likely contributes to the shorter finish while also adding a nice smoothness to the body of the wine. It would have been easy to heavily oak this wine to try and compensate for the vintage shortcomings but I applaud the winemaker for letting the both the terroir and the vintage express themselves naturally.
On value I rate this wine a solid A. For $22 you get an AOC Bordeaux wine ready to drink now that shows the character of both its vintage and its terroir. The only reason I do not rate it higher is that the 2000 vintage sells for the same price.
Overall Rating: A-
November 9, 2008 - 90% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 3% Cab Franc. Fantastic blend from a great vintage in Bordeaux! If you are a big fan of softer, more approachable Bordeaux that you can drink without decades in the cellar, this is the wine for you! Beautiful red fruits, nice acidity, and smooth cinnamon-like tannins on the finish. You will not believe how seamless this wine transitions across your palate while still having nice body to it. This wine is definitely approachable now without requiring hard cheese or raw meats. Jean Marc says it will last for 10 more years. I was very impressed with this wine, scored it 89+ points and feel it will get better and better with age. Its relatively short finish for a Bordeaux, even though its mostly Merlot, kept this from 90+ pts. My guess is that the score will improve with age. Regardless, this is a huge QPR bomb! (CMS B+)