Château Meyney - Saint Estèphe - 2003

The recent cud chewing about Bordeaux 2003 made me feel like trying one, so I fished my last bottle of Meyney out, mindful of Chris Seiber’s advice to drink a 2003 without prejudice.

The last time I tried it was five years ago and it was quite tight, but enjoyable. Nothing much has changed - it was tight and narrow on opening, so I double-decanted it, which gave it the little spank it needed. Ripe, but not overripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas, even if the latter veered towards crème de cassis, with a spot of leather and liquorice. The attack was sweet and fruity, tongue-tinglingly so, if still a little narrow and bottle necked, but without any hint of raisins or syrup, before broadening into a second section of fruit cake and a much more open finish of creamy but fresh blackcurrant. Very youthful, if not quite primary, this will improve further.

It’s a good wine - I would have guessed 2009 rather than 2003. My only quibble is that it’s quite hard work to drink, because it’s very concentrated.

Compared to other St.Estèphes I’ve had from 2003, this rates well - I much preferred it to Cos Labory, Phélan, Calon and Haut-Marbuzet, and it was better than the last bottle of Lafon Rochet. Considering the fact that it only cost 12€, that’s impressive. It doesn’t taste at all like the really bad ones I’ve had from other appellations.

But although I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t go back for any more, I think there are better vintages around.

Excellent note, Julian, thanks for checking on this. Meyney has always been a secret fave of mine too, and rather underrated IMHO.

A bientot,

Mike

Cheers Mike - santé! I know a lot of people here like Meyney, and they’re right - it’s still excellent value - you can see why they decided to stop being a Cru Bourgeois, but unlike Phelan, for example, it hasn’t yet reached CC prices, whilst producing wines which are as good, if not better.

It is my impression that Meyney has shifted to a more modern style relatively recently. Is that incorrect?

Hubert de Bouard now involved

I have enjoyed Meyney back to the excellent 1982 and since via the 1990, 2000 and 2009. Meyney is often made in a structured/concentrated style so its seems modern in certain respects but also needs some time to come around. But given time, the wine can develop very nicely. 2018 Bordeaux looking like a hot vintage which reminds us that winemakers now have to deal with trying to make balanced wines in hotter vintages on average. The 2018 Meyney is also reported to be a rich/structured wine so the story continues. At about $30 a bottle on futures Meyney remains a QPR.

Ah. Have you tried any vintages since he started consulting?

The 03 was much better the second night, by which time it had loosened up, tasting pretty well like any other ripe vintage and with a less concentrated, longer finish, so now I would in fact happily go back for more.