COMPREHENSIVE 2000 ST EMILION BLIND TASTING - The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC (4/19/2017)
A few months back, Panos and I discussed about organizing a 2000 St Emilion retrospective tasting. We were able to get most of the marquee wines from our cellars except the Ausone and Tertre Roteboeuf which we sourced recently through on line. Panos contacted a few St Emilion properties and they generously contributed the wines. Eight of us got together at the grill room of the Rosewood Hotel. Due to the logistics, i.e. only five stems and not enough space, we had three or four wines per flight. Most of the wines were served before the meal.
Most of us agreed that the wines showed well. The fruit was certainly ripe but none were overripe. I personally thought that most wines have not reached the initial youthful peak. For my palate, most of the wines have excellent concentration and structure to age gracefully for at least another decade or two. The top wines will easily develop like the 61s.
Blind tasting is always a humbling experience and this was no different. I have always been a big fan of the 00 Cheval Blanc and hope to correctly guess. Unfortunately I had no clue. In addition, we ended up having two bottles of the Clos Fourtet and my impressions were quite different.
The results were really interesting but not unexpected. Blind tasting is a great equalizer. Considering the maturity and the horizontal format, it is hard to completely discredit the results. The Pavie was the favorite, the Valandraud taking the second place was somewhat of a surprise, and the third place was the Angelus which was my wine of the night. The final results closely resemble the Grand Jury Europeen tastings’ results from the past.
Starter
The 96 Salon showed beautifully as usual. The 15 Sandlands Chenin was very fresh, really interesting wine.
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1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
Decadent yet incredibly focused and precise nose displaying lemon curd, granny smith, honey, white pepper, wet stone and anise. Beautifully integrated youthful palate, exceptional precision and balance, beautiful interplay of decadent citrus and fresh/precise granny smith, fine mousse, perfectly amount of acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long energetic finish. It is drinking perfectly in very youthful and energetic way but will improve for a few more decades, gaining additional sweetness and complexity. At the age of twenty, it remains incredibly young, brilliant showing. (98 pts.) -
2009 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Strong mineral note hits you first, followed by decadent pineapple and coconut, butter scotch, also smoke, pepper and honey. Excellent concentration, intense pineapple and smoke driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long sweet finish with a hint of heat at the end. The overall expression is quite harmonious. Drinking beautifully. (96 pts.) -
2002 Pol Roger Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne
Medium expressive deeply toned nose displaying apple, tart tatin, ginger and brioche. Very good concentration, rich and sweet, good acidity and mineral presence and a long sweet finish. Not the most refine but totally solid Champagne that is drinking beautifully. It has reached the peak but no need to hurry. (94 pts.) -
2015 Sandlands Chenin Blanc Amador County - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
Beautifully balanced nose displaying lemon curd, apple sour, beeswax, steel, honey and smoke. Very good concentration, precise and steely, bright acidity and a medium to long finish. This shows beautiful balance and freshness. (92 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 1
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2000 Château Figeac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 1 - Fully mature nose displaying milk chocolate, plum, mint, cedar, lead pencil, noticeable green, unripe Cabernet and leather. Medium concentration, bitter, iron, austere and a medium long slightly bitter finish. It is the least concentration and most ready wine of the night. My guess is that it is one of the lesser chateau. A couple tasters really like it. For me a disappointment considering the pedigree and vintage. (91 pts.) -
2000 Château Valandraud - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 2 - Exquisite nose displaying intense blackberry, cassis, milk chocolate, lactic, floral dust, lavender and exotic incense. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered, cassis and milk chocolate driven palate impression, nicely integrated fine tannins, perfect amount of acidity and a long intense cassis driven finish with a beautiful floral note as the end. My guess is Cheval Blanc. Still very youthful but immensely enjoyable, a long life ahead. Everyone seems to like it. (97 pts.) -
2000 Château Cheval Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 3- Intense nose displaying cassis, ink, mint chocolate and earth. Excellent concentration, noted A+ concentration, youthful cassis driven palate impression, noticeable but none obtrusive tannins, bright acidity and a medium to long finish. Very youthful and concentrated but a bit straightforward. Panos and a couple others love it. Re-tasted a few times with the similar impression. (93 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 2
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2000 Château Laroque St. Émilion Grand Cru - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 4 - Jammy and overripe. Good concentration, silky but a bit simple and uninteresting. (89 pts.) -
2000 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 5 - Youthful and Intense but a bit straightforward nose displaying chocolate dipped cherry, red fruit and milk chocolate. Excellent concentration, unctuous yet silky, noticeable tannins towards to the end and a long cherry and milk chocolate driven finish. Really powerful and youthful wine but still need some time to gain complexity. (92 pts.) -
2000 Château La Clusière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 6 - A big scale nose displaying bitter chocolate, blackberry liqueur, licorice, ink, ash and lavender. Excellent concentration, nicely layered, quite chewy and oily, noticeable tannins, bright acidity and an intense ink and ash driven finish. The fruit is very ripe. Will this be like the 47 Cheval Blanc? Only the time will tell. Impressive but not showing much nuance at the moment. (95 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 3
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2000 Château Franc-Mayne - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 7 - Medium expressive nose displaying very ripe black fruit, fruitcake, chocolate and earth. Medium concentration, fruitcake driven palate impression, medium acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a medium finish. A bit too ripe for my palate. (90 pts.) -
2000 Château Ausone - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 8 - Medium expressive nose displaying ripe red fruit, plum, milk chocolate, cedar and earth. Excellent concentration, silky and polished, bright acidity, a lot of tannins and a long sweet finish with a hint of dry tannins at the end. This particular bottle needs time to resolve tannins. (94 pts.) -
2000 Château Angélus - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 9 - Youthful yet sensual nose displaying cassis, milk chocolate, cedar, leather, truffle and lead pencil. Perfectly harmonious sensual palate, nothing out of place, beautifully layered, silky and polished and a seamless finish that lasts. This is a big scale wine that has reached the first stage of youthful peak. It is drinking incredibly well. My guess is Angelus. (98 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 4
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2000 Château Dassault - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 10 - Very ripe black fruit driven nose, lactic and fine dust. Excellent concentration, silky, bright acidity, dry tannins and a medium to long finish with dry tannins that ringers. Impressive showing but need time to resolve the tannins. (93 pts.) -
2000 Château Corbin Michotte - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 11 - Nicely integrated polished nose displaying a hint of blackberry jam, coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla and iron. Medium concentration, polished and silky, blackberry and coffee driven palate impression, a hint of dry tannins and a medium to long finish. It has reached the youthful peak. Drinking deliciously but not terribly complex. (92 pts.) -
2000 Château Destieux - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 12 - Fully matured nose displaying sweet soft black fruit, espresso and a hint of stem/green. Medium concentration, silky, nicely integrated tannins and a medium finish. (92 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 5
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2000 Château Troplong Mondot - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 13 - Big scale very ripe nose, blackberry jam and licorice. Excellent concentration, silky, dry tannins and the finish clips due to the dry tannins. (94 pts.) -
2000 Château Pavie - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 14 - Complex hedonistic nose displaying chocolate dipped cherry, milk chocolate, coffee, spicy spices, cedar and mineral. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered, silky and polished, nicely integrated tannins and a lovely long dark fruit driven finish that resonates. (97 pts.) -
2000 Château Rochebelle - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion
Wine 15 - Expressive nose displaying blackberry, bitter chocolate and earth. Excellent concentration, strong structure and a long finish. Quite hedonistic with the opulent ripe fruit but not terribly complex. (94 pts.) -
2000 Clos Fourtet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 16 - Ripe black fruit, chocolate and a hint of tobacco. Good concentration and a medium finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. A bit simple. (90 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 6
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2000 Tertre Rôteboeuf - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 17 - Corked. Sensual texture. NR (flawed) -
2000 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 18 - Expressive nose displaying intense jammy black fruit, dark chocolate, ink and lead pencil. Excellent concentration, nicely layered, unctuous yet silky, intense black fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish. My guess is La Clusiere. Perhaps the wine to seek if you enjoy the opulent modern fruit expression. (94 pts.) -
2000 Château de Pressac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 19 - Very ripe black fruit, mineral and fruitcake. Good concentration. A bit simple. (89 pts.)
Bordeaux - Flight 7
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2000 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 20 - Expressive nose displaying blackberry jam, bitter chocolate, a hint of tobacco and earth. Very good concentration, nicely integrated tannins and a long dark fruit driven finish. Still needs another decade to gain complexity. (91 pts.) -
2000 Clos Fourtet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 21 - Intense black fruit, ink, dark milk chocolate and earth. Very good concentration, nicely layered and a long dark fruit driven finish. (95 pts.) -
2000 Château Pavie Macquin - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Wine 22 - Expressive nose displaying black cherry, milk chocolate, mocha and cedar. Excellent concentration, nicely layered, silky and polished, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish. This big scale wine has reached the youthful peak but will improve for another decade or two. (97 pts.)
It was an enjoyable and educational evening. A great time was had by all!
Posted from CellarTracker