Asimov, in his 2010 NY Times piece on this wine, was right. This wine has soul.
Seems to bridge that space in time back to a more classical era in Bordeaux, where a more elegant rusticity pervaded. I’m thinking something along the lines of a 1986 Gruaud Larose sans brett. Not that I am complaining about the delicious Cordier funk.
A minty cool feel on the nose, definitely a eucalyptus top-note. Big bold Cabernet fruit, cassis, crisp plums and wet tilled earth. No merlot in this wine, the cut is 80% Cab and the remainder is Petit Verdot and very old vine Malbec. Excellent palate weight that strikes that fine balance between scale and lift, a steak wine that coats the palate but with some bracing acidity to keep things fresh. Nice range of the fruit color spectrum with blacks, blues and some crisp red. Still a baby, not really showing any ancillary or tertiary characteristics, but what it is showing in this primary state is quite impressive. Love the delineation in the fruit colors, black core, reds along the periphery. Quite transparent. Clamps down with a load of structure and dusty tannins. And like no oak whatsoever. Would love to try this wine with some age. If you have some, give it 7-10 years. You will enjoy it now, but this is a wine that will reward patience.
Leaving aside the romance of supporting a micro-producer in a larger, storied Bordeaux appellation - one that has been owned by the same family since the 1600s - it’s still a tough case to make about purchasing this wine. I did not realize how much the price had jumped, with 2014 and 2015 now ranging between $110-$125. That puts it at double the cost of its neighbors, 2014 Talbot and Gruard Larose, and even more than Beychevelle and Leoville Baron. Reminds me of another romantic, micro-producer with a similar name, Clos de Jaugueyron in Margaux, whose 2015 also ranges around $125. I like it much, but am just not buying it at that price.
I want to support these iconoclasts, and it is important for these producers to exist in that sea of change that has become Bordeaux, but it’s tough.
If you like this classic, no-nonsense style of Bordeaux, one that has not been overly-manipulated, go with the Haut-Medoc bottling of Jaugueyron, ranges around $40-$45. Julian did a great write-up on this winery a week or so ago, a worthy read.
I have 2 '90’s of these; but have yet to have the chance to pop one. Your nice note makes me want to do that soon, Robert. (I bought on backfill, I think remembering Asimov’s article, or perhaps even confusing it with Clos de Jaugueyron .)
Thanks Robert, great description of a wine I haven’t tried yet. Sounds excellent. Domaine de Jaugaret is a tiny domain situated opposite the entrance to Gruaud Larose - at least I think so - there is no sign so it’s hard to say for sure. I wanted to drop in this summer but nobody seemed to be in and none of the neighbours answered their bells either.
You’re right about the price - the wine is very hard to come by and even if you find some at release, it costs around 50 euros, but at auction, the prices skyrocket. This summer, I spotted some 2015, thought I might buy a couple, then watched, bemused, as the price soared over 100 euros a bottle, which is clearly mad. Even geekdom has its limits.
I’d like to taste this wine again, fearing the lack of protection in sulfur …
I mentionned above Clos de Bigos and I bought yesterday another inconolast wine : Médoc St-Saturnin 2005 and 2009 … (no reason to hesitate for 20 euros for each bottle in a good wine shop).
But at the same time the Antoine Liénhardt Côtes de Nuits Villages “Emphase” 2018 was flawed … (underprotected I think, like in the case of the Julien Guillot Clos des Vignes du Maynes Bourgogne Les Crays 2018, good during 15 minutes then quickly declining in the glass with an impression of chard apple I really dislike).
Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre is something else Margaux Clos de Bigos 2009 (magnum) : 16/20 – 22/6/2014
Un beau vin, avec une touche boisée, de la sève (cassis comme il se doit, poivron rôti, fleurs, épices, réglisse), une appréciable fraîcheur. Le goût de chêne semble un peu augmenter après quelques jours sous Vacuvin. Plus proche du Clos du Jaugaret à St-Julien que de Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre, de fait ?
Still slightly rough from Boy’s night last night, but hit the bike for 45 minutes for some quick HIIT to sweat out the poison. Jumped in the pool, reflected on this wine, curious how BAMA would taste next to it. Still had 1/3 of the bottle of the Jaugaret left.
Well, it’s 1800s meets early 1900s here.
The 1999 BAMA is such a silky, lithe transparent beauty. A wine of earthy nuance, dried red fruits across the tart to sweet spectrum. Worn leather, barn plank, dry earth. Such rustic elegance. The 1999 is a big step down from the 1995, 1996 and 2000 versions, but damn is it enjoyable in its own right. I do not think I would continue to age these much more, seems at peak now, with a little drying on the back end. The Jaugaret is a bruiser by comparison. The Cab-dominate fruit really punctuates in this side-by-side comparison. Whereas the BAMA seems more about the red fruit spectrum and elegance, the Jaugaret is more dark and powerful. Really digging them both, but the Jaugaret is the easy winner here tonight.
Another winner from the Greg Lemond of geekdom! Looks like the BAMA 99 was a little long in the tooth - glad you enjoyed it - when have you not enjoyed a BAMA?! It’s odd - the idea that BAMA suffers unduly from bottle variation due to the slightly artisan way it’s made seems to be a thing of the past. I’ve had one slightly off bottle in the last three years, I think, which bearing in mind how often I drink it is really low, no worse than any other wine.
Must have been an interesting comparison - thanks for posting about it.
