2005 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
Community Tasting Note
theusualsuspect wrote:
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 - Very much I think a benchmark wine for the estate - all of a piece - plenty of extract, beautiful red fruity notes with some wood, and great balance. Just beautifully made.
Let me editorialize about "modern" style Bordeaux being too "over the top". Well, the first modern style Bordeaux produced across the region were produced in 1982. If you want to go back to the last real "old style" Bordeaux vintage, that would be 1975. Had any? No? Then what is your frame of reference? Not to be too unkind, Actually the 1975's are very different. They by and large have this wonderfully incisive powerful fruit that when compared to a modern style Bordeaux comes across as ungenerous. That said, a good well stored 1975 will cut through any modern style Bordeaux.
So it is "too modern"? My question would be what is your experience with old style Bordeaux? Taste a good well stored 1975, and my guess is many would say "not modern enough".
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Comment posted by RockinCabs:
9/4/2014 5:26:00 AM - Well said. I think too many tasters criticize "modern style" when comparing their Bordeaux to California and upon seeing 14%+ alc assume the wines lack balance or finesse. I have had a number of pre-75 bordeaux and agree that the modern techniques have allowed ripeness and balance to be replicated year after year.
61's go from an anomaly to something that can be achieved in more vintage conditions. What should be criticized is what has happened at some mid/upper tier Pomerol and St. Emilion estates where ripeness has been pushed at all costs, and the wines lose a sense of place (ie Le Gay/Troplong Mondot).