I know I have stolen title of B buzzini’s post 
Last night had a 2003 Pichon Baron and didn’t like it at all. Tannins were too rough & not enough fruit/ acidity. Had recently enjoyed a 2012 Pontet Canet way more.
I don’t yet know style of all of the classified growths. So I wanted to ask folks on this group who makes a fresher, more balanced, red/ purple over deep black and more elegant style of Bordeaux.
You picked a tough vintage to find what you want: 2003 is over-ripe, generally speaking, hence the low acid, gloppy feel.
Elegant style of Bordeaux?
Pichon Lalande
Magdelaine
Perhaps choose years like 2014, 2008, 2004 and 2001, over more ripe years like 2016, 2010, 2009, 2003 and even 2000.
I would never call Pontet Canet an “elegant” Bordeaux, so would could be speaking different languages.
Robert, thanks for that.
You are right about different language. Still figuring out the taxonomy. What I liked was it felt fresh & zippy.
Brane-Cantenac would be my vote.
The now defunct Chateau L’Arrosee is the first that came to mind for me.
Funnily enough I would call Pontet-Canet elegant!
Domaine de Chevalier maybe?
I don’t think any Chateau is the reddest of red because red fruit is not the typical or baseline fruit profile of Bordeaux wines. You do get red fruits in Bordeaux, however, but I find that they are vintage specific more than Chateau specific. The two vintages that really seemed to produce red fruit are 2014 and 1985. I would advise trying a variety of wine from those vintages and see what you like.
Really? Cab Franc is a variety in Bordeaux.
For the OP, find some pre-2014 vintages of Les Carmes Haut Brion. A wonderful wine. Heavy Cab Franc.
Clos du Jaugueyron as well:
Trying 2014 Pichon Lalande tomorrow.
List below is recommendations someone made who’s been sampling Bordeaux for 30 years, though isn’t one of the more well known pros.
Saint Estèphe
Cos d’Estournel
Pauillac
Grand Puy Lacoste
Lafite
Pichon Lalande
Saint Julien
Leoville Barton
Leoville Las Cases
Leoville Poyferre
Margaux
Brane Cantenac
Chateau Margaux
Pessac-Leognan
Domaine de Chevalier
Pomerol
La Conseillante
Saint Emilion
Cheval Blanc
Moulin Saint Georges
Troplong Mondot
That list spans the spectrum. Troplong is grotesque, a Frankenwine, while Leoville Barton is an old school classic, one of my faves. Neither are that red-fruited. Other modern, purple wines on that list are Cos and Poyferre. That’s not Bordeaux to me.
The 2014 Lalande is drop-dead stunning for my palate. Could be wine of the vintage outside of the FGs. Still a baby, but let us know what you think. I’d you don’t like this wine, our palates are fundamentally different, which of course is totally fine.
Have you tried Chinon?
RAJ, I have not tried Chinon. I do hope Pichon Lalande 2014 turns out to be amazing . Then all I need to do is ask you for recommendations
Lol, or you conclude that I have Yak palate, and you can avoid me like the plague! Palates are intensely personal.
I second the call on Lalande and Magdelaine as red fruited, though Magdelaine offer veers to mulberry for me.
Even more so were pre-spoof DDC and Pape-Clement.
Cos is not red fruited. Or good.
Sometimes Ducru goes red fruited.
I think, of the left bank appellations, Margaux is more likely to show a red fruit profile.
I was also thinking of Ducru. And Gruaud Larose (especially after the Cordier years). Frankly, I’d generally look at St. Julien for this, though not LLC, I’d think, which I find pretty monolithic rather than “fruited”.
I agree with those who have directed you to vintages, as opposed to producers.
Thanks all for the suggestions. Trying a few 2014/ have been on my list. Thinking of sampling lalande, LLC, Ducr and VCC to see if I want to go long on any of them in 2014 vintage.
I think one basic issue is that red fruited styled BDX are likely to have been picked a shade earlier, and that’s something the US market - during the reign of a monoline critic - wasn’t buying.
They don’t get big fat scores, but red Bordeaux imported by Kermit Lynch (he has a handful) are likely to be more on the red fruit side rather than the pruney side. I think they are all a shade overpriced for what they are, but check the back of the labels for his distinctive logo. Gombaude Guillot is a Pomerol he’s been bringing in for sometime that tilts more on the red side.
We had an 05 Pichon Lalande last weekend that I thought tilted toward red berries…but I’m not sure if that’s the norm nowadays since they’ve be been using a little more petit verdot as global warming ripens those up.