I bought cases of both the 94 and 95 Monbousquet on the recommendation of Parker’s reviews before I learned any better. I remember Jay Miller saying to me that the 95 Monbousquet was the most spoofed wine he had ever tasted and I would be hard pressed to disagree. It did, after some years, as Groucho Marx said, work its way up from nothing to a state of extreme destitution, but not much better than that. I sold my last few bottles to a friend who liked the style. He spurned the 94, based on vintage, I would guess. Based on vintage or not yet having its full supply of new oak, the 94 was somewhat better, indeed surprisingly unrepulsive. It still had some oak, but it was more moderated than the 95 ever became. The wine was flaccid, but there was recognizable dark fruit and even some tobacco. Nothing I would ever go out and buy anymore. But one must say that it was still alive at 26 years old and less objectionable than one might have guessed. I have one more bottle, alas, but will drink it in the near term with company that may appreciate the style more than I do.
I bought several bottles across the '99-'01 vintages. My girlfriend at the time was from Paris and her last name was Bousquet. I thought it a charming connection. Several years ago, well after another lovely French girl introduced me to the beauty and frustration of Burgundy, she was naturally from Dijon, I sold all of those bottles of Monbousquet when I liquidated most of my cellar to help fund the start of my wine label. It wasn’t a decision I regret.
The wines were good choices to serve to friends who were iron clad certain they preferred California wines over French ones. And then they would be happily surprised to see what it was.
I bought a few years during this era - and enjoyed them - but stopped as prices for this went up, more than warranted IMO. In the general category of intl styled right banks, there is a ton of comparable juice, for much less, esp if you look in the satellite AOCs.
I happened to buy the '94 on the secondary market about 8 years ago and really enjoyed it. Had many of the traditional bordeaux elements. I figured they hadn’t gone fully modern yet.
Exactly this.
Tour St. Christophe now fills that niche for me. No doubt it too will climb in price after a few years of gushing praise.