I spent much of the summer of 2003 in/near the growing regions of Europe. It was the hottest summer in Europe since 1540 and caused the deaths of >70,000 people.
It was crazy hot. In Portofino on the water in July, the temp was never below 100°. At night, all night, every night for weeks.
A spontaneous brushfire in Provence shut down power in Cannes and environs.
I decided then and there that I would avoid 2003 and purchased no European wine from the vintage. Did I miss out on a decent wine or two? Perhaps. But I’m content with my decision.
I think 2003 Bordeaux (and northern Rhone) tasting notes are as much about palate preferences as they are about the quality of the wines. I was at a dinner recently where someone was waxing rhapsodically about Jean Louis Chave’s more recent vintages, while I said I wasn’t a fan. He then asked if I even felt that way about the magnificent 2003 and was slightly taken aback when I told him I’d poured most of that bottle down the drain once because it was offensively undrinkable.
We had Yann Chave’s 2003 Hermitage among a panel of a dozen good French wines in the late summer, and it was chosen as the group’s favorite, and nearly every taster did not know who he was, or the relationship with JL. So I don’t think it was a case of the label affecting impressions.
Sure, people different have palate preferences. My experiences with 2003 northern Rhônes have ranged from bad (Levet, Jamet) to undrinkably vile (Chave, Sorrel Le Greal).
This thread prompted me to check in on the only 2003 Bdx I’m currently holding.
2003 Château Sociando-Mallet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (2/17/2023)
Decanted for 2.5 hours. Only a hint of bricking at the outer rim. Aromas of cedar, grilled herbs, and hoisin. @Ian_A used the term rustic, and that to me is the perfect descriptor for the wine right now. The fruit is no longer primary but has melded with the chewy, finely grained tannins. At first pour this was a bit all over the map, but had much better harmony with another couple hours of air. It never lost that rustic edge, which I didn't mind. Tough to see where the wine goes from here, my guess is that it hangs on rather than improves.
Like many here, I dumped all of my 03 holdings at auction. None of them lived up to the billing including the 03 Pontet Canet, which was truly tasty on and around release but got progressively worse from there. And many are/were downright awful, as Ian’s notes so delightfully capture.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this post lol, loved the title. Glad you revisited for science, unfortunate that the results didn’t align to your tastes; bright side is that your palate seems consistent.
I had a pile of 03s but drank them earlier on. They were more on the ripe side to me as a generality and didn’t feel bad letting them go sooner than later. Really enjoyed the Cos as I recall. I still have a few Fleur Cardinales and a few Raymond-Lafons. The Fleur I thought was drinking fine last i checked in. This was a very devisive vintage.
We don’t all have to like the same wines anymore, thank goodness. I never understood the initial enthusiasm for 2003 and got rid of most of mine as soon as I tasted them - I can still remember the taste of the awful Giscours which Ian has reminded me of!
I bought some again five years ago as part of one of my daughters’ birth year collection (well, could be worse, mine was 1960!).
I tried a Duhart Milon last night - each to their own, but I didn’t find it at all bad, on the contrary. A very classical nose of cassis and cigar box, with a bit of violet but nothing burnt. In the mouth, a rather appealing combination of blackcurrant and sour cherry, silky and polished, albeit with a little mouth-puckering astringency (but as a Loire red lover, I enjoy a bit of sappy astringency). Still quite fresh, not at all overdone, really quite classic in style.
Today, it’s quite expensive at 74€ and for a bit less I’d rather have a 2006, but the 03 is a lot better than the 2000.
That’s good to hear, Julian. I was a big fan of the 03 Duhart in its early days, especially at $27, but a bottle 5-6 years ago seemed to have lost its early appeal. Glad it’s still hanging in there.
Ouch! Hard to disagree with Ian’s take (2), but I’m not that harsh on them. I’ve sold off the majority, holding on to singles of a few for posterity and a bit more of Leoville Barton which I still do not hate and continue to polish off at a rate of a bottle each year. Cool thing is that I acquired at en primeur or at release pricing that were not anywhere near their published costs today.
Definitely a tolerance issue. The vintage was jammy/sweet at the outset, and the few I have had recently Cos, Ducru, Issan and to a lesser extent Pichon Lalande have all taken on a slightly pruney character. To some, it is pleasant; for me, not at all.
This has been my experience with a few bottles of 2003 Pontet Canet over the past 5 years. Every time I open one I am surprised by how much I enjoy it. It’s been consistently drinkable, and I wouldn’t identify any of the bottles as coming from a super-ripe vintage.
opened a 2003 Clos des Papes CdP tonigtht, and was Pleasantly surprised! I was expecting high alc (it is), pruny (nope), overripe (nope), stewed fruit (nope). Instead, I was met with very soft, well integrated tannins, a wine on the verge of overripe, but holding back just enough, ample acidity, a nice round palate. Not a terribly deep/complex wine, but plenty enjoyable.
Thanks for the note - This is the only 2003 Rhône I’m still holding, having drunk or sold all the rest I bought. Glad to hear it’s nice, if not earth-shatteringly wonderful as some critics said at the time.
I do not dislike Clos des Papes but almost all of my 2003 750s were a pruney hot mess except for one magnum I opened which was sublime. Convinced there were two bottling of this. This wine was a big subject of controversy with RP and people on the Squires board. Also disappointed with the 2005 which was WSWOTY for whatever that is worth. Same issue. I still have bottles of both in off site and haven’t had either in a few years. Probably time to revisit. However fear there is no recovering from what I tasted.
Having an 03 PC as I type at a restaurant north of Tampa. I’ve had a few of these over the years and liked them as well. If tasted blind I would not have probably guessed Bordeaux but still well balanced and likable just the same. No issues with this wine.