Community Tasting Notes 6

• philmtl Likes this wine:

  February 11, 2024 - Very nice! Decanted for sediment and served immediately.
  
  Black-fruited nose with some earth, leather, rosebud/violets and minerality (slate?). On the palate the fruit is still black (cassis, dark cherry, plums) but the wine has less weight than the nose would suggest. The flavors are still present but the wine is lifted by medium acidity and feels light (not in a bad way). It shows a good finish with dusty tannins and some pepper on the end as well. This is by good as it is and I don't see an upside to holding on to it. Good showing on a 2003.

  Comment

• jrbelgium Likes this wine: 93 points

  January 30, 2021 - I totally agree with Julian Marshall in his analysis of this wine and the description of the fruit flavors. It is just stunning how fresh and young a wine without any barrel aging (concrete!) can be after so many years. What impresses is not the structure in the first place, but the extraordinary length of the wine and the purity of the fruit. Here you can find the violets and wild strawberries that are so typical of Margaux. What a genius performance indeed of winemaker Jean-Pierre Boyer and what a brilliant salute to the fine wines of Bordeaux.

  Comments (1)

• Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 92 points

  August 18, 2020 - The colour is a little darker than usual, the nose also different - more peppery, with notes of violets and plums amid the blackcurrant. What really changes however is the taste.
  The attack is quite rich, but with none of the burnt flavours found elsewhere. The first surprise is the freshness of the fruit, the like of which I have never tasted in any 2003 from any part of Bordeaux. First up is the blackcurrant, very round and plump, then some rather spicy violet and plum, before just a hint of rosehip syrup, some blackberry, a wave of raspberry, a touch of wild strawberry, then a typical BAMA dusty finish. It's not overripe, not syrupy, not even recognisable as a 2003. The fruit is spicier than usual, like Prieuré-Lichine but with more finesse and elegance.
  
  Compared to a "normal" BAMA, it's a little more concentrated, a little more grippy, a little less long, but perhaps this will change with a few more years, because it tastes remarkably fresh and young. I suspect he changed the blend, with a lot more Petit Verdot and Malbec.

  Comment

• pdwinter Does not like this wine: 80 points

  August 17, 2018 - Nothing exciting here. Burned. And overpaid.

  Comment

• Morrisson Likes this wine: 89 points

  June 19, 2017 - Les tannins sont biens intégrés. Le nez était un peu étrange mais c'est replacé après un certain temps dans la carafe mais est resté discret. En bouche nous avions encore une belle fraicheur avec une emphase sur la cerise. Un vin intéressant et différent.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2003
• Type Red
• Producer Château Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Bordeaux
• SubRegion Médoc
• Appellation Margaux

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 46 (73%)
• Consumed 17 (27%)

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