Gents,
Not a good day for me and reviving this thread doesn’t help. For the past twenty years, I have done quite well in blind tastings. I will just leave at that.
Then I shall disagree with Marc, Jurgen, and Kevin. When a Bordeaux ages - and thanks to Mark Taylor, I’ve had quite a few well-aged Bordeaux, and a large number of them First Growth - it may take on an elegance, but I disagree in comparing it specifically to Burgundy. Nebbiolo also takes on an elegance, as does great Syrah (Chave, anyone?), but they are each unique, in my opinion.
Todd,
Just a bit of background, the tasting was done double blind. No one thought we were tasting Bordeaux before they were revealed.
With age, but more like 50+ years, all the wines tend to converge and losses the varietal typicity. I think one can find “Burgundian” characters in some vintages of Figeac, Palmer, VCC, HB and etc but that doesn’t mean they taste like or are like Burgundy.
Todd,
double blind tastings are humbling. Even the best tasters made that experience. If you never made it you are the only person I know.
Eight years ago.
I’m the ONLY Person who has never stated in a blind tasting that Bordeaux reminds them of Burgundy? Seriously???
I don’t think I have…yet.
Seriously, Todd,
are you sure that you never can mistake a Bordeaux for a Burgundy or vis a versa in a double blind tasting?
I agree completely with Kevin about well aged wines losing varietal typicity. I see it most often with Burgundy, Rhone, and Nebbiolo from Italy. I’ve also experienced this from Bordeaux. If an aged, light or medium bodied Bordeaux doesn’t have a lot of cedar/cigar box type aromas it can happen. Even with younger wines in a true blind tasting situation it can be difficult. So many different styles due to winemaking, plus terroir and vintage differences. Not that surprising really.
What I can glean from the tasting is that when I open my bottles of 2001 Latour, Margaux and Cheval Blanc, I should not taste or serve them blind. Looking at the label will improve our enjoyment of those wines.
I wonder if this so-called convergence that Shin notes happens, if at all, on wines past-prime. Perhaps well past prime. I do not agree on wines that are at optimal drinking, say 35 years on a classic Bordeaux, 1982 for example. While perhaps not the best example given the coolness of the cellar, in the last couple of years I’ve had Classified Growths at Bern’s from every decade 1920s forward, and none would I have mistaken for anything but Bordeaux. I will concede that I have no experience with pre-1950s Burgs.
But the wines in the tasting in the OP/video were no more than 8 years old…
This is always true. Just embrace it.
I am a label whore but also am quite good at blind tasting. The 01 FGs are solid, around the mid 90s in RP scale. The Ausone is perhaps the wine of the vintage.
Lol
Yes, initially I didn’t look at the date…then Kevin’s comment tipped me off…
oh well…I have faith that it’s still showing well