2014 Les Tourelles de Longueville- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (12/14/2018)
– decanted 30 minutes before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a few hours –
NOSE: tight; dark-fruited; slightly earthy and oaky; with air, concentrated red fruits (raspberry/loganberry jam).
BODY: violet-tinged blood-red color of great depth; medium bodied; fine particulate matter present.
TASTE: medium-light tannins; light oak; seems “fresh” (2014 hallmark); dark-fruited and a bit earthy; Taste mirrors Nose; 13.5% alc. is well-hidden; I bet this will be better after a few more years in the cellar – to unwind as well as absorb some of the oak; this is firmly modern in style, but with some old-school sensibilities (i.e.: this isn’t a thick/gloppy/hot oak monster).
Yeah, I wasn’t quite sure what to think about it — as in, I couldn’t quite decide if I actually like it — I’d like to give it 10 years then make my decision.
Thank you for your generosity, Carlos (and anonymous matching donor)!
2005 Larrivet Haut Brion - Gorgeous nose of blackberry liqueur, smoky gravel and tobacco. Very dense, tannic and a touch bitter and thin on the palate. Almost like a completely different wine than that gorgeous nose. I am going to decant the rest to see what happens, otherwise going to be a tough go to drink more than a glass of this. Maybe more time, but I don’t think of this as usually being a long lived Château.
All right, decanting definitely helped smooth out some of the rough edges, bringing out some of the nice smoky blackberry notes. Going to let the rest of my bottles rest.
1996 Château Sociando-Mallet- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (12/14/2018)
A wonderful nose of pencil shavings, green pepper, tobacco and dark fruit. Substantial fruit that is kept fresh by strong acidity. Tannins seem more or less fully resolved and provide a solid structure. As classic as it comes. Not sure if it gets better from here, but absolutely no rush to drink. (92 pts.)
I have to confess not from this week–already had a burgundy teed up-- but I wanted to help the cause.
1983 Chateau Figeac: compressed violets, plum, smoke, a little spice, still a little tannin; opens with air, fruit comes further forward. This drank younger than I expected and I enjoyed it a great deal. It brought that backbone that gives good Bordeaux a certain majesty.
1985 Mouton Rothschild
Nose of beautiful mature cab, great depth not of fruit but of age—dead leaves, tobacco, sweat. In the mouth starts out surprisingly sweet (might have thought older Cali), but then becomes more rounded, majestic, with slight traces of mint and mineral followed by cigar box—body is a little thin, with notable acidity and perhaps even a little rough tannin, but a distinctive, interesting, yet, at the moment, not especially hedonistic drink. Over time—after decant and drunk over the next 3 hours—improves still further. Takes on more body, tannins and, sweetness merge, and the savory character, vaguely reminiscent of green tea heading toward silver, also blends in–all merging in a somehow vertical or aristocratic, yet now also more fun, experience.
My wife was traveling yesterday so I didn’t get to the 1964 Talbot I had planned, but had a very pleasant surprise nonetheless.
I had a mix up with a retailer from whom I bought some half bottles.
Well, “mix up” is a euphemism. They did not ship the wine I bought. I bought 2012 Rauzan Segla; I gotSegla, the 2d wine. I emailed them and they promised to “make it right,” but let me warn others: the wine still shows as the grand vin on w-s.
Anyway, since I have them in the cellar I thought I’d try one for the virtual tasting, and to see what I want to do with them. And – surprise surprise – the wine is actually decent. A second wine, from a less-than-august vintage, with only 6 years of bottle age . . . well, I did not have great expectations.
On opening, the wine veered noticeably toward jammy, almost grenache-like fruitiness, and I was even more dubious. But over the course of the night the wine tempered, losing that aggressive cocktail wine fruitiness and becoming more like the Margaux it is supposed to be. Make no mistake: this is not a Palmer look-alike, but it was no-doubt bordeaux and by the last glass a genuine pleasure to finish.
If I can work out a price to reflect what I got, instead of what I bought, I’ll keep them. Another couple of years will make these pretty tasty, I bet
1996 Les Forts de Latour- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (12/15/2018)
Pulled from Brent & Laurie’s cellar. Wow, this was incredibly youthful, pop n pour, but showed beautifully. Classic BDX. There’s strong graphite and dark fruit. Wonder what a decant would have done.
Finished off the 2002 Magdelaine left over from last night, popped a 2005 Chateau Bolaire. Drinking another glass right now. I have a soft spot for this unique Cru, which is comprised of about 50% old vine petit verdot. That’s pretty unique in Bordeaux. Leve’s site notes that some of the PV vineyards are 90 years old. The 2014 is quite nice and $15 and under. I do not recall what I paid for this 2005, but it’s a stupid value, and has aged effortlessly. Doesn’t really even needed to be touched just yet. Still opaque, barely bricking around the edges. Dark cassis and spice notes on the nose, hint of leather. Full-bodied, still a bit tannic, liking the coarse texture on the palate, fanning out with a range of dark and spicey fruits and a tinge of bitter green along the perimeter. Chalky, sweetish finish with a dark chocolate note. Really an excellent QPR. (89 pts.)
2015 Château Lilian Ladouys- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (12/14/2018)
Not decanted, two half-glass pours consumed over ~45 minutes. Showing somewhat lean right now, as other CT reviews have mentioned, but not as tight as I expected. Dark red fruit, a bit of cocoa/oak, hints of dried leaves or tobacco. Medium structure, unobtrusive but present. I don’t have deep knowledge of Bordeaux, but I like the style here - good wine at a fair price.
Personally I think 2005 is a better vintage, but I also agree they need a ton of time. Funny, I’m having dinner with a close friend, he has a very fine, budding collection, but nothing with age. He asked me which 2005 to bring, Montrose, Rauzan Segla or Leoville Barton. I said, none". Told him to bring a 2009! When I told him around when his 05s would be ready, he said, “I may be in a nursing home then”. LOL.
2010 Château Haut-Bages Libéral- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (12/15/2018)
Opened this one way too early. Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red/purple to rim. Cassis, slate/graphite, floral notes, medium body, plenty of fruit, tannin and acid in good proportions but it hasn’t really melded together yet. Still all secondary with no real complexity yet. Medium finish. I’ll wait at least 5 years to open another, but for those who like Bordeaux young, it’s not closed down. Like a bubbly rather than a sullen adolescent. Very good to excellent with upside potential.
A friend came by on Friday and we popped am older bottle in the conference room.
2000 Château Monbousquet- France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (12/14/2018)
Popped and poured. Crimson with a brick edge. Dark and rich.
Mushrooms, leather, forest floor. Touch of soy sauce. Plums. Menthol.
On palate, wine is sound. Low acid, low alcohol, softened tannins. Palate mirrors the nose with a short and clean finish, with a touch of mushrooms at the end. Surprisingly lively for a wine that can now vote.
Gained over the course of 90 min. I’d suggest opening, leaving for 2 hours, then decanting for optimal service. (90 pts.)
Ducru Beaucaillou 2006
Young, rich, packed around the middle, needs time to unwind itself, but as with many of the wines from this underrated vintage, this is really promising 92+
Ducru 1986 Recorked at the chateau 2001
I have steered well clear from Ducru from the mid eighties to 1990. Apparently, there was a series of recorking of some of these wines, selecting the good bottles and then topping them. Well this wasn’t just good, this was probably the best 1986 I have tasted to date. A magnificent wine, in a perfect place. A perfume of fruit, spice and lavender carried through to the palate with the addition of some leaf meal. A huge multi faceted finish. I was in awe of this wine, and spent part of Friday looking for a couple of bottles. 98
