Last night a small local group decided to try (for the first time) a tasting over Zoom using 4oz ‘Boston Round’ style bottles (as has been discussed extensively here). It turned out quite well and was a handy way to taste through a line-up in a safe way. With snow on the ground, the prospect of an outdoor tasting is a distant memory. Wine bottles were opened in the afternoon of the tasting, decanted for a few hours, then poured by funnel into the boston round bottles with fills into or close to the neck. They were then driven to each tasters home for assessment. Tasters were instructed to open their boston rounds around an hour before tasting to try to keep these somewhat young wines breathing, and to mitigate the risk that has been documented on here around producing some reduction in the wines. All in all I liked this format and hope to do it a few more times before a vaccine becomes widespread.
A SMALL 2005 BORDEAUX HORIZONTAL - (12/17/2020)
Tasted remotely over Zoom, using 4oz ‘Boston Round’ style bottles.
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2005 Château La Dominique - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
[Tasted Blind] This pours fairly light in the glass medium minus bricking. The nose is complex and mature showing leather, black olive, red currant, cedar, dark cherry, just a little celery seed, and a touch of tomato leaf. The palate is still quite structured with high woody tannin, and medium minus acidity. I quite love the nose but the palate is quite tight still I can’t help but wonder if there is bit too much oak derived tannin. With the sternness, tannin and light green notes I wondered if this is Pauillac. On reveal I was surprised to see this was Chateau Dominique as I thought this wine would have been modern, but evidently was quite traditional. (92 pts.) -
2005 Château Rauzan-Gassies - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
[My wine, not blind to me] Just a touch less bricking and a bit more opaque than the previous wine. Ruby at the core with light but noted bricking. The nose is a little reticent initially but fans out over a few hours showing a very traditional mature Bordeaux profile of tobacco, a touch of farmyard, cassis, wet hay, dark chocolate, moss, violets, iron, and some plum. The palate is a little more plush than the wine poured previously with more stuffing on the midpalate. There is just a whisp of brett on this wine, but not bothersome to me or any other tasters present. The tannins are under control here. Call it medium with medium minus acid. All in all quite nice and traditionally styled Bordeaux that is very much open for business after just a few hours of air. I have one more bottle and have no concerns holding it 5 or more years longer. (91 pts.) -
2005 Château Haut-Bages Libéral - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
[Tasted Blind] Visually this shows virtually zero evolution. Pure ruby, even some flecks of pink and purple. The nose shows violet, plum, kirsch, licorice, and perhaps just a whisper of mushroom or almost a truffle element, but admittedly I’m stretching a bit for that. I find this somewhat on the soft side on the palate with medium minus tannin and medium minus acidity. This seems to be quite squarely centered on the deep rich fruit with very little secondary or tertiary development. The finish does linger nicely replaying much of the nose but with a little lick of alcohol. Fortunately I did not detect too much in the way of new wood for this somewhat more clean and modern styled wine. My classical palate was missing some of the traditional Bordeaux secondary character here. (90 pts.) -
2005 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
[Tasted Blind] This shows just a touch bricking at the rim. Deep garnet. Visually more developed than #3 but less so than 1 or 2 in this tasting. The nose is deep, rich, and complex yet only medium intensity showing touch of band aid, dark cherry, spice box, wet hay, gravel, and polished old wood. The palate is immaculately balanced with gorgeous sweet ripe fruit, medium acid, and medium tannin. Just a little woody astringency on the mid palate and a medium finish lingering on dried cherries. While still a bit young today this is really quite a gorgeous and traditionally styled wine. Clearly of noble pedigree. I guessed this as a St Estephe. (94 pts.) -
2005 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
[Tasted Blind] This pours opaque ruby, with ever so faint bricking. Young in appearance considering its 15 years of age. The nose is of licorice, kirsch, plums soaked in brandy, and a little baked blackberry. Again similarly to wine #3 this shows virtually no development or secondary character. The palate is youthful and tight with medium minus acidity and medium tannin. The finish is a touch short with licroice, some noted alcohol and a faint powdered candy or crushed vitamin tablet note. (90 pts.)