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Overall impressions: I had walked into this tasting with high expectations. Afterall, the last time I tasted the 2000 Bordeaux, I was impressed with the abundance of very good-excellent wines. So, why should this tasting be any different, I figured. Well, it was... different, that is. After I had tasted through the first five wines, I was thinking to myself, hey these are just average - what's up with that! This mundaneness continued until a $57 St. Emilion finally grabbed my attention. From this point onward, the wines were very good, but not great. I don't know whether or not my reaction was just a case of expectations vs. realizations, or if it was influenced by other tasters who also seemed disappointed in the flight. Either way, it did manage to dampen my enthusiam for the vintage. Of the "winners" in this flight, clear values can be found with the Karolus, Lafon Rochet, Berliquet, Fombrauge, du Terte, Larrivet-Haut-Brion, La Prade, Guillot, Clos du Clocher, and the poster child for Bordeaux Superior, Reignac. If you want more prestigious labels, try the Troplong Mondot, or the equally nice Pavie Macquin. But, for me the real gem in the above-$50 category is the Clos de Saint Martin. Disappointments: pretty much the rest of the flight. It seemed that each of these wines were either thin, bitter, dumbstruck, or all of the above. I suppose some of these wines could be in "sleep" mode right now. Obviously, more tasting is in order. |
2000 Chateau La Grande Maye - Cote de Castillon. $10.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Nose of cassis, chocolate, mint and cheddar. Bitter and chalky in mothfeel, with a stiff, almost thin backbone. About 75% Merlot. Aroma score: B Taste score: B- Overall score: B 2000
Chateau Puygueraud - Cotes de Francs. $12.99. Dark ruby color.
Very restrained nose of faint cassis and smoke. Off-sweet cassis
fruit on the palate, surprisingly weak on the palate, and bitter
through long finish. No nose, bitter, somewhat thin - a little hard
to recommend. 2000
Chateau Lestrille Capmartin Cuvee Prestige - Bordeaux Superior.
$10.99. Dark ruby color. Very herbaceous nose, with chocolate,
coffee, cassis and toast. Off-sweet mouthfeel, smooth tannins, good
structure, very long finish. A nice little wine, especially at this
price point. 2000
Chateau Branda - Puisseguin-Saint Emilion. $17.99. Dark
ruby color. Nice nose of cassis and toast, with a touch of cedar.
Sweet-sour - almost tart - mouthfeel, plenty of cassis fruit, slight
oak bite on the long finish. Very nice, with a very appealing nose,
and a "drink-me-now" taste. 2000
Epicurea de Martinat - Cotes de Bourg. $15.99. Very dark ruby
color. Lightly stemmy nose, with cassis, rose petal, and earthy
forest floor. Slightly bitter mouthfeel, with flavors of cassis
and espresso, through long finish. 2000
Chateau La Prade - Cote de Francs. $24.99. Dark ruby color.
Rich smoky cassis, with a hint of seared beef. Off-sweet mouthfeel,
macerated fruit flavors, with a long off-sweet finish. Very nice! 2000
Chateau Fombrauge - St. Emilion. $27.99. Dark ruby color.
Very integrated nose of toasted cassis, black cherry, and a touch
of licorice and orange zest. Rich, off-sweet mouthfeel, nice concentration
through mid-palate, fades just a bit before nice long finish. 2000
Chateau Berliquet - St. Emilion. $35.99. Very dark ruby
color. Really ripe nose, with a touch of herbs, caper, and spices.
Good flavors, though somewhat soft and light in mouthfeel, long
finish. Beautiful nose, but the mouth doesn't quite live up to the
promise. 2000
Chateau Clos de Saint Martin - St. Emilion. $56.99.
Dark ruby color. Big, dense nose of roasted coffee and herbs, with
nicely toasted quality. Off-sweet mouthfeel, very toasty, roasted
chocolate/coffee flavors, and long finish. Very tasty, and the concentration
doesn't thin out. 2000
Chateau Pavie Macquin - St. Emilion. $84.99. Dark ruby
color. Nose of luscious black cherry and cassis, with toast and
floral notes. Very accessible, with good concentration through mid-palate,
and nice flavors, yet seems to thin out just a bit on the finish.
Nice, but $85 worth? 2000
Chateau Troplong Mondot - St. Emilion. $79.99. Very dark ruby
color. Polished, though somewhat restrained nose of black cherry,
plum and toasty oak. Off-sweet mouthfeel, with flavors of cassis,
licorice, and toasted hardwood, and nice long finish. 2000
Chateau Guillot - Pomerol. $34.99. Dark ruby color. Lots of
cassis, toasted oak and ash in the nose. Off-sweet mouthfeel, big
smooth tannins, and a very long gripping finish. 2000
Chateau Clos du Clocher - Pomerol. $34.99. Dark ruby color.
Very nice nose of cassis, coffee, toast, and herbs. Off-sweet mouthfeel,
good concentration, loads of fruit, with a long toasty finish. |
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2000
Chateau Reignac - Bordeaux Superior. $21.99. Dark ruby color.
Quite herbaceous, with lots of roasted espresso, coffee and cassis
notes. Surprisingly soft mouthfeel, considering the huge nose. A
bit bitter through mid-palate, moderately long finish. Love the
nose; wish the mouth had matched its intensity. 2000
Karolus - Haut Medoc. $34.99. Very dark ruby color. Very ripe
-almost porty - in the nose, with toasted cassis and charred oak.
Very tasty mouthfeel, with nicely integrated fruit and toasted flavors,
and a long seamless finish. Fascinating wine. If the nose had been
a bit more "classic," this might have been a knockout. 2000
Chateau Sociando Mallet - Haut Medoc. $35.99. Black ruby color.
Initial wiffs reveal a mostly chalky and wood-influenced nose. But,
there does seem to be some cassis, pine, and cedar stirring underneath.
Off-sweet/sour mouthfeel, thick and chewy, and long tannic finish.
Very monolithic right now, Sociando is generally a wine that takes
a great deal of time to resolve. So, the '00 may be yet another
example of this. The price is right, but I'm not sure where this
wine is headed. 2000
Chateau La Louviere - Pessac-Leognan. $23.99. Dark ruby color.
Nice nose of cassis, toast and slight spicy notes. Oaky and a bit
stern in mouthfeel, moderate fruit and balance, long finish. Not
up to the same level as some of their previous vintages. 2000
Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion - Pessac-Leognan. $39.99. Dark ruby
color. Very nice, rich coffee-infused cassis, herbs, and toast.
Bitter, off-sweet mouthfeel, good balance and flavors, but everything
gets a bit thin toward its long finish. Beautiful nose, but doesn't
seem to deliver on the palate. 2000
Chateau du Terte - Margaux. $34.99. Dark ruby color. Nose of
cassis, graphite, toast and licorice. Smooth and toasty mouthfeel,
very nice spiced cassis flavors, and long smooth finish. 2000
Chateau Lafon Rochet - St. Estephe. $34.99. Dark ruby garnet
color. Big and dense nose, with an herbaceous, roasted coffee/espresso
quality. Slightly bitter mouthfeel - though almost more in keeping
with its coffee-espresso nose. Nice cassis/coffee flavors and long
toasty finish. 1997
Chateau de Fargues - Sauternes. $79.99. Light-medium amber color.
Nose of citron, lemon and orange zest, pear, and peach. Spicy flavors
, beautifully balanced, and long finish. |
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No original material may be reproduced without written consent Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson |