Following a recent '03 Duhart Milon and wanting to play with the new Coravin, I thought I’d pop a few other '03s tonight.
Pichon Baron is much deeper in color than any of the others. None of brûlé note. Nose less complex than the Duhart. Kind of international – non-descript. Palate is has more density but I wouldn’t call it rich. Not bad but really not very interesting.
Branaire again isn’t obviously identifiable as a 2003 on the nose. Of the 4, this has the most complete palate. The drying tannins and sense of hollowness are less pronounced here – but again, not a rich or powerful wine. Decent, but not something that you want to keep pouring.
Calon Segur also doesn’t show the caramel/brûlé note – more cedar and some pleasant greenness. The palate has a hole in the middle you could drive a truck through. Very (very) drying tannins. Short finish. Fruit… where’s the fruit? Hmmm.
Opened a bottle of simple 2005 Moulin Haut Laroque Fronsac as a point of comparison. It’s a well made / modern sleeper. Ah – now that’s more like it. Slightly volitile concentrated merlot goodness here – vaguely reminiscent of the 1998 Pavie. Tannins are much riper here. There is a beginning, a middle, and an ending to the wine. Much to my surprise, the best of the lot, price considered or not. Very nice (91 pts for me).
I will follow up on the leftovers with a more appropriate decant. These were all pop and pour, which may have been a disservice.