(San Francisco) Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux January 24, 2020, 5:30PM-7:30PM

Anyone going to the event this year. I’ve already bought a ticket…

January 24, 2020, 5:30PM-7:30PM

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) Tasting: Friday, January 24, 2020, 5:30PM-7:30PM at City View (Pre-Arrival)

K&L Wine Merchants will present the 2017 vintage from the members of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) at the City View at METREON (135 Fourth Street, Suite 4000) in San Francisco on Friday, January 24th, 2019. Guests will taste with more than 70 different château owners and representatives from 5:30PM to 7:30PM. $70 per person (tax not included). No paper tickets will be mailed; names will be on a guest list at the door. This will be the wine tasting of the year! Presenting châteaux: de Chantegrive, Carbonnieux, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, de Chevalier, de Fieuzal, de France, Haut-Bailly, Larrivet Haut-Brion, Latour-Martillac, La Louvière, Malartic-Lagravière, Olivier, Pape Clément, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Canon, Canon-La-Gaffelière, La Couspaude, Dassault, La Dominique, Clos Fourtet, La Gaffelière, Grand Mayne, Larcis Ducasse, Pavie Macquin, Valandraud, Villemaurine, Beauregard, Le Bon Pasteur, La Cabanne, Clinet, Gazin, Rouget, Clarke, Fourcas Hosten, Maucaillou, Poujeaux, Chasse-Spleen, de Camensac, Cantemerle, Citran, Coufran, La Lagune, La Tour Carnet, Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac Brown, Dauzac, Giscours, du Tertre, Kirwan, Lascombes, Malescot Saint-Exupéry, Marquis de Terme, Prieuré-Lichine, Rauzan-Ségla, Siran, Beaumont, Gruaud Larose, Langoa Barton, Léoville Barton, Clerc Milon, Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pichon Baron, Lynch-Bages, Ormes De Pez, Phélan Ségur, Lafon-Rochet, and more!

Sean how long do you think I can wait to decide?

I’ll be there! It will be my first time as I just moved to the area. Looking forward to it!

George, just keep an eye on the available tickets:

https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1451159

Right now there are >100

Thanks Alan

If there’s tickets left I think I can make this. Will call K&L in a bit.

UPDATE - In like Flynn.

I’ll be sure to wear my Berserker shirt. Alan are you planning on attending? I need a guide. I’m such a Bordeauz noob

Seems like there are only 4 tickets left!

I would like to attend the sold out K&L event. If anyone has an extra ticket, please text me at 707-266-4168. I am already going to the event the day before but would love to attend this one too. Thanks!

Roy, looks like they put up some more tickets, see you there!

Sean, happy to indoctrinate you with my Bordeaux biases lol

Think I got one. Awful website for ordering but have a confirm. See ya there! flirtysmile

Excellent. Wes Barton got a ticket as well. sounds like a good time

Wes and I are headed up this afternoon.

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I’ll be wearing my berserker tee today like in the picture here. I’m in the front row wearing shorts and a berserker tee shirt. Wes Barton is sitting next to me in the picture. Please stop and say hi if anyone see us today at the tasting.

I went. It was good. Wes walked us to a wine bar. It was good. Every bottle of Bordeaux was $20 overpriced. Tariffs.

Lots of Tariffic wine!

LOL
The next day I compared K and L’s 2017 Bordeaux prices on Winesearcher to other stores including Zachys . K and Ls prices are dramatically higher, in one case $150 versus $100. Because I respect K and L a lot, I have to assume they signed the contracts for futures after the other stores did.

Then I compared prices of 2017 generally on Winesearcher to the prices of the vastly superior (according to the language in reviews) 2016 and 2018 versions. Far better 2016 and 2018 are available for only 20 percent more than the 2017. At my age I cannot splurge because I will be drinking long before they are ready. There are wines thirty years older than these that I might not see at peak. I ended up buying three bottles of 2018 Lynch Bages from Zachys.

I’m still a big fan of K and L and it was a very well run event. The very sexy deep and rich (but short) Armailhac, the unusual almost old-Cornas-savory Giscours, the perfectly classic Pavie Macquin, and the length of finish on the otherwise one-note Talbot were the most striking. The high end wines ($150 or so) did not seem worth the price, not close, and except for Pavie Macquin the tannic wines seemed liable to dry out over time. Find a delicious rich 2017 without much tannin at a good price and drink it soon. I might get some 2017 Armailhac at $50 (not KL’s $70) to drink soon.

Just did some research on 2015 2016 2017 2018 Armailhac. Bought three bottles of 2016 from HDH despite the fact it has the strongest tannic spine of the four vintages and I don’t intend to age it. $50 per.

I don’t see myself finding a $50 California cab I like this much based on the wonderful 2017. Ridge Estate I love, but I don’t even like it until it’s ten years old.

Drinking a too-tannic sexy exotic Bordeaux for $50 with a charred steak with a little extra salt sounds just fine.

But if I could buy Bordeaux to age, that 2017 Pavie Macquin might be a bargain.

George Chadwick wrote:
Just did some research on 2015 2016 2017 2018 Armailhac. Bought three bottles of 2016 from HDH despite the fact it has the strongest tannic spine of the four vintages and I don’t intend to age it. $50 per.

George, some of the local Costco’s in the Bay Area are currently carrying the 2016 D’Armailhac. The one here in Danville has it for $46.99 if you are looking for more.

Ed

Thanks Ed. I’ll stop at three