TN: 1999 Chateau Lanessan. This is why we do it.

An inexpensive Cru. Twenty years old. Perfectly stored. Firing on all four cylinders. This ain’t an eight cylinder beast, never meant to be more than it is. But it delivers With aplomb.

Cigar box, leather, dried red fruits and camp fire on the nose. Impeccable balance on a mid-weight frame. Sous bois, crunchy red fruits and some dark but not quite plummy flavors. A little hollow on the mid-palate, the only thing keeping this wine from the 90s. Tannins integrated but still showing structure. In a perfect drinking mode.

This wine, like the 1989 Chateau Olivier I had last night, or the 2000 La Louviere last week, defines a Bordeaux drinker IMHO. It’s not just about the Cheval Blancs of the world. It’s what you drink, and enjoy, on a Monday, with budget sensitivity, but the wherewithal and thought to have bought and stored it for optimal drinking. Personally, I think these wines are more important than trophy wines. Would love to have hundreds of bottles likes this, and would hope that vintages like 2008 and 2014, at this Cru level, drink like this in 20. I’ll be a happy retiree.

(89 pts.)


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K&L sold a tranche of these a couple years ago and I jumped on it, its what turned me on to Lanessan!

Amen brother! Great note. We wanted a glass last night so we opened a 375 of 1998 Lagrange (StJ). Just as you describe, a 4-banger but a real pleasure to drink

I opened a bottle of 2000 Le Fiefs de LaGrange the other night, and it was really really good…so balanced and tasted like Bordeaux (not Napa). Sad I only have one bottle left

Great stuff, Robert, I couldn’t agree more. Lanessan is perfect, like other CBs, for high quality midweek drinking, but which can double up for special occasions. There are some good second wines, like Paul’s Fief de L, but I had one last night which reminded me why I avoid most of them like the plague: Blason d’Issan 2009. Perfectly drinkable, seamless fruit, but totally lacking in character. For 20 euros, a waste of money compared to dozens of CBs offering more for less.

Some people drink wine while others drink labels. Chapeau!

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This would be like that pair of Lucky’s while others are wearing Seven for all Mankind.

Or, to poke fun at Fu as we all know he will never ever in a gazillion years open a thread with the word Lanessan in it, like wearing those Champion sweats and Chucks at home while Fu lounges in Lululemon and his joggers.

It is interesting. One of the things I have historically liked about Burgundy is that I can drink up and down a producer’s line and still be drinking wines from producers I love. Drink Bourgogne Rouge or wines from lesser villages (used to be all villages wines) on more casual nights, move up to premier crus and grand crus when I want something more serious.

Apparently, the Bordeaux lovers in this thread are doing something similar but with different Bordeauxs. For me, it is harder (unless I just follow wines mentioned in these types of threads) because I just don’t know which historically good Bordeauxs similar to Lanessan are still making wines in a traditional style and which have moved to the dark side.

Lanessan, Cantermerle, Sociando - I don’t really need anything else from Bordeaux.

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Robert : SAQ ( in Quebec, Canada ) still has some bottles of 2008 Lanesann 2008 available at CA $ 37.25. I believe it is their new ( and first ) release.

Any opinion ?

One thing I like about Lanesann is they come in wooden boxes including the single (750 ml - a case of 12 ); mgm ( a case of 6 ) and 3 L ( a case of 1 ) bottles.

Classic act and they make wonderful gifts for my Bordeaux friends… champagne.gif

Thanks for the interesting note, Robert! But if Lanessan, Château Olivier, and La Louvière define a Bordeaux drinker, I’m undoubtedly not a Bordeaux drinker… neener

For regular drinking, this is where I am at as well. I bet these 3 wines make up 80% of my Crus and maybe 40% of my overall Bordeaux holdings. These are solid base hitters in most games, and occasionally hit doubles and triples. Think, Sociando in 2014, 2010, 2001, 1990, 1982; Lanessan in 2014, 2009, 2000; Cantemerle in 2010, 2009, 2000, etc.

I used to buy, for the same purpose, Meyney, d’Armailhac, Gloria, etc., but they have gone up in price, so hard for me to call them a regular Monday night wine. Plus, Meyney has changed stylistically, I think Bouard consults there now.

Other cellar defenders that I used to buy regularly, but have clearly gone modern, some more than others, include La Louviere, Carmes Haut Brion, Poujeaux, Cambon La Pelouse, etc.

I just bought some 2016 Chasse Spleen. Where are they now on the traditional versus modern spectrum?

At a higher but not nosebleed level of wine, I recently had a 1989 Beychevelle that really was tasty. Are they still making wines in a traditional style?

Bobby, true or false, you were humming this song as you posted…

Beychevelle is still mostly traditional, but about $80 a bottle, so…

You know it, so now everyone sing along, drink along . . . .

This is how we do it
It’s Monday night and I feel alright
The party’s here on the Left Bank side
So I reach for my Lanessan and I pop it it up
Designated driver take the keys to my Rover
Hit the shore 'cause I’m faded
Honeys in the street say, “Rollando, yo we made it!”
It feels so good in my hood tonight
The summertime skirts and the guys in Boss
All the wine bangers forgot about the drive-by
You gotta get your groove on, before you go get paid
So tip up your cup and throw your hands up
And let me hear the party say
I’m kinda buzzed and it’s all because
(This is how we do it)
Left Bank does it like nobody does
(This is how we do it)

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This is (as most know from my posts on it) one of my go-to value Bordeaux producers. I’m making my way quickly through a case of 2005 that is really in a great space now, but seeing that it can last even longer, perhaps hide a few for longer term aging!

And more. At that price, I prefer a few other producers.

Agreed - I find Beychevelle to be a bit overpriced, frankly