2003 Bordeaux, 2003 Spottswoode And A Sip of Masseto

WINE TALK
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This past Friday night, I got together with some local wine fans for a tasting of a few 2003 Bordeaux. I also brought along a 2003 Spottswoode to throw into the mix as a ringer if we were going to blind bag the wines. Wines were all served pop and pour in paper bags. We all knew all the wines on the table. Dinner was meat and cheese plate, oven roasted shrimp, Caesar salad, Flannery Wagyu Rib Cap with roasted taters, asparagus, sauteed shrooms, roasted beets and crispy bread.

Before the reds, we started with a BdB NV Champers that I cannot remember for the life of me…but it was very enjoyable. Also tried a just arrived 2006 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce. It was and exceptionally balance young chard at a very attractive price. Not overyly oaked and it had the right balance of fruit and acid for my tastes.



2003 Domaine Saint-Pierre: A Saint Julien that I have never had any experience with and frankly never heard of. Nice amount of fruit up front with subtle tannins and oak. A very enjoyable wine right now and probably the most accessible today of the line up. Scored in the middle of the pack with everyone.

2003 Leoville Barton: Very dark in the glass. On the palate the mouthfeel is thin and watery with a wall of tannin…sounds counterintuitive, but that was pretty much what everyone thought. Very little fruit was making it out of the glass and the group all agreed this was in last place for the night.

2003 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Even knowing the wine was in the line up, nobody called it as CA Cab. Dark purple in the glass with an wonderful aroma of cherry and vanilla on the nose. Good balance of oak and tannin hold up to the copious amount of cassis and graphite. Finish lasted a good thirty seconds.

2003 Pontet Canet: Again, dark purple in the glass with an aroma of blueberries and licorice. I thought this was the Spottswoode from the nose. On the palate, pretty much one demensional with a wall of tannin and oak. It was a little thin, but I think the wine is just in a funky phase right now. Would like to revisit in a few years to see how it comes around.

2003 Pape Clement: I have had this three times in the past three months. A stellar effort. Lighter in color than the other wines, but with loads of glycerin that clings to the glass. Aromas of cherries and a wonderful earthiness. Palate is expressive of dark fruits and quite a bit of tannin…but it isn’t overpowering. The finish seems to last for a minute and I couldn’t get enough of the wine. Unanimous group WOTN.

2003 Suduiraut: Served with desert course of Bananas Foster. What an incredibly complex yound sticky. Beautiful nose of exotic spices and tropical fruits. Apricot dominates the palate with just a hint of coconut. Not as acidic as I would have liked with the amount of sweetness that was in the desert, but it is a minor quibble. All in all, a damn fine Sauternes.

Before dinner I stopped off at a wine store that is very close to Chris’ house to look around. I ran into Richard O"Neill as it is now his store. He wanted me to come to the back room to taste something really quick before dinner. He grabbed a 2004 Masseto and popped out the cork. Wonderful expression of merlot, but I still cannot see the price tag being warranted. He brought the remnants of the bottle over to the house after he left work.

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Sounds spot on like a young Pontet Canet to me - except for the “thin” part. Then, again, I do not think I’ve ever tried a Pontet Canet this young. Given what I’ve experienced with the château’s wines, as well as vintage '03 Bdx, I’d be very surprised if this didn’t flesh out dramatically in, say, another 5-7 years from now.

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Bill, I am not high on the '03 vintage in Bordeaux, save 10-12 wines. I still can’t put Pontet Canet in that group. Bowden and I had the '05 St. Pierre on Thursday and it was very good- it is definitely an estate people should learn more about.

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I loved the 06 WH cuvee Alyce, an exceptional Chardonnay at a very reasonable price.

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I have had several '03 BDX and for the most part have liked the bulk of them. The Saint-Pierre is for sure one to keep an eye out for.

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Bill: I have a bottle of 2003 Spottswoode at home, looking forward to checking it out/thanks for the notes.

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I think I should rephrase what I said . . . I don’t dislike the vintage in the sense that I don’t like the wines or that I don’t think that they can be enjoyable. However, I do think that the vintage is overrated. Some of the best wines might be some of the best Bordeaux ever made but then there is severe drop off. '03 does not hold a candle to '00 or '05 in terms of depth or overall quality.

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Understood.

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Ki, I wouldn’t open it now if you only have one bottle. IMHO, Spottswoode needs a decade to shine.

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Bill - thanks for taking the time to post notes. Sorry you had to leave relatively early as the wines did tend to open up more as the night wore on.

Overall, the lineup was excellent and should really be starting to sing in about 10 years, but it was nice to sample early. By the end of the evening, I thought the Pontet Canet and L. Barton were really coming around. The last sips were the best. Not even an average wine in the bunch.

John - I disagree with you, but that is just a matter of opinion, so no biggie. I think 03 is underrated for the top performers (and I would include all of these wines in that broad category). Just a different perspective. I do think I will like 05 better in the end because I do like structure.

Spottswoode was and excellent companion to these BDX.

It was a good evening!

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Nice notes and thoughts…weird that you had the 2003 Pontet Canet…I just looked and am missing one [wow.gif]

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I found it sitting right next to two bottles of 2005 Montrose.

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[rofl.gif]