Bel Air Marquis d'Aligre 1995 and 1996

[Jayson_Cohen]

One cannot have enough BAMA.

Hmmmm. I suspect a double meaning.

[Julian_Marshall]

I’m not sure who is enabling whom, here, but I just ordered more BAMA. One cannot have enough BAMA.

1999
2001
2004
2005
2009

I don’t even know what enabling means! But I do know that BAMA is worth getting more of, simply because when Boyer’s gone it’ll likely disappear, sold to one of the insurance company-owned neighbours. So it’s not like getting a case of “normal” wine. This is a means of hanging onto a style of wine that few, if anyone, produces anymore.
So that’s a pretty good excuse for spending yet more money on wine!

[Mark_Thompson]

I forgot - Mark, you asked if there were other wines comparable in style. Well, I heard from a reliable source about another wine, produced in a similar style by someone just like J-P Boyer. It’s called Domaine de Jaugaret, in St.Julien. It’s tiny - 2.5 acres, so probably produces 250 cases or so per year. I was only allowed to buy 2 bottles of the 2015. Sometimes it’s sold as a St.Julien, sometimes as a Vin de France.

This is an old NYT article about the domain:
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/reviews/25Pour.html?_r=0

It’s certainly available in the US

Thanks! In Chicago btw, but I’ll track some down at some point. Will try the Domaine de Jaugaret as well!

[Robert.A.Jr]

I think we should charge William Kelley - the new Golden Boy at TWA - to write a column on the last stalwarts in Bordeaux, the throwbacks, relics of a past era. Surely there are more BAMAs around. I’m in for a year of subscription, my first wine publication subscription in well over a decade. Although admittedly, his write-up on 2017 Beaujolais, alone, was worth the fare. His notes and scores have been dead-on point for my palate on the handful of 2017s that I have popped thus far.

[Julian_Marshall]

Sounds like a good plan to me - especially since I still have a subscription! The only problem is that William doesn’t cover Bordeaux yet, which is a great shame for many other reasons too.

[Robert.A.Jr]

LOL, I am either too spontaneous or my memory sucks. Just popped another 1996. That’s 3 in a 6 month period.

#noregrets

In my defense, I just came back from a 3-day business function where massively young, over-oaked, pretentious Cali Cab was the order of the day, with rare beef galore. Gracefully, I found the Scotch list.

I needed a classic Bordeaux to bring me back to center.

Tomorrow I wanna rip off some legs at the local cycling route. I need pain, humiliation and suffering as a cleanser.

[Julian_Marshall]

Well, good for you! I’m not much better - had a Sociando 01 last night - that’s two in two weeks. We had a Gravières (St.Emilion CC) 06 on Friday, which was not bad, but which reminded me why I’m tired of all that oak, so the SM was needed. Actually, it does have some of that BAMA wild raspberry. Anyway, the SM is my favourite wine this year, with the added advantage that it’s easy to find here at a good price.

[Josh_Grossman]

Well, good for you! I’m not much better - had a Sociando 01 last night - that’s two in two weeks. We had a Gravières (St.Emilion CC) 06 on Friday, which was not bad, but which reminded me why I’m tired of all that oak, so the SM was needed. Actually, it does have some of that BAMA wild raspberry. Anyway, the SM is my favourite wine this year, with the added advantage that it’s easy to find here at a good price.

Just purchased some '16 and '18 Sociando based on this recommendation. I have some '95, '00, '05, and '10 of BAMA too, much because of this thread (and Lyle Fass and Envoyer). Thanks.

[Julian_Marshall]

Hope you like them, Josh! If you want an idea of what those SM 16 and 18s could turn into, you should track down a bottle of SM 01.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Josh, have you tried a couple of both of these wines? They tend to be rather unique, idiosyncratic Bordeaux by today’s standards, like Levet is to Cote Rotie. Don’t go too deep in your stash without a decent sampling. If you like the SM, and 2001 is a great recommendation, I strongly recommend 2014 for its classic, balanced structure, and the price. To me, it is the value of the vintage, I went 18 bottles and am still thinking that I need more. I’m with Julian, SM is my “happy place” wine.

Sorry Julian, Gravieres is not good. No bueno.

[Julian_Marshall]

Sorry Julian, Gravieres is not good. No bueno.

Well, yes, it isn’t. It did use to be, though. I have, or rather had, a soft spot, because the owner’s basic Bordeaux, La Cour d’Argent, was one of the first wines I got into in the 80s, and I celebrated one of my daughters’ births in 2003 with a Gravières 98, which was excellent. But the 06, like the 05, is like so many other St.Emilions now - thick, concentrated stuff with a massive dose of oak. It could have been any one of a hundred other wines. It’s not intrinsically bad, but I just don’t like that taste anymore.

You’re right to warn Josh and others to be careful - BAMA is not for everyone and it does need to be tried.

[Josh_Grossman]

Josh, have you tried a couple of both of these wines? They tend to be rather unique, idiosyncratic Bordeaux by today’s standards, like Levet is to Cote Rotie. Don’t go too deep in your stash without a decent sampling. If you like the SM, and 2001 is a great recommendation, I strongly recommend 2014 for its classic, balanced structure, and the price. To me, it is the value of the vintage, I went 18 bottles and am still thinking that I need more. I’m with Julian, SM is my “happy place” wine.

Sorry Julian, Gravieres is not good. No bueno.

I haven’t but am pretty confident that Lyle Fass and I have a similar palette. My cellar is around 65% French (82.4% European) but only 7% Bordeaux; not the biggest fan of new oak. I do love Levet. If I didn’t buy SM, I would have probably bought Chateau Marquis D’Alesme, Margaux for nearly the same price. I’m not a huge brettanomyces fan either though, so here is hoping on the Bel Air-Marquis d’Aligre. Envoyer had the '10 for $60.00 so I loaded up on that and have three bottles of everything else. I guess I need an excuse to do a flight.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Older SM, BAMA and Levet throw some detectable brett. No issue at all for me, part of the perfume of classic Bordeaux in my book. More recent SM is pristine without losing its character. I have not had a BAMA younger than 2004.

[Robert.A.Jr]

There is no doubt that these wines, even with 20 or more years on them, need a serious decant. I frequently find that they actually taste better on the second day. I drank half the bottle last night, stuck it in the regular fridge, and have started enjoying the remainder. It is easily 2 points better today, with better delineated fruit and more detail. Love it.

[Josh_Grossman]

1961 Château Bel Air-Marquis D'Aligre Red Wine, Bordeaux Red Blends (Claret)

[Jayson_Cohen]

It is easily 2 points better today . . . .

You had me engrossed until I got to this. Do you really think in terms of how many “points” better it is at different snapshots in time? I will never understand that type of thought process.

[Julian_Marshall]

Actually, $135 for a 1961 isn’t such a bad price! Over here, you can buy the 1970 for 150€, and the 85 or the 86 for 128€, from an online retailer. I’m not sure I would, however, in view of the bottle variability inherent with this sort of wine.
His pricing is still as weird as ever - the 95, 96, 98, 99 are on sale at 35€, which seems very cheap, whereas the 2011 and 2012 are at 38€, which is not.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Actually, $135 for a 1961 isn’t such a bad price! Over here, you can buy the 1970 for 150€, and the 85 or the 86 for 128€, from an online retailer. I’m not sure I would, however, in view of the bottle variability inherent with this sort of wine.
His pricing is still as weird as ever - the 95, 96, 98, 99 are on sale at 35€, which seems very cheap, whereas the 2011 and 2012 are at 38€, which is not.

I would have snagged that in a split-second had I seen it. I did grab some more mature Sociando from that WB session.

[Laurent_Gibet]

Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre is a unique splendor …

As Julian kindly reports above, I could attend two memorable verticales, showing incredible old wines (70, 62, 61, 59, 48, 47) :
http://www.invinoveritastoulouse.fr/index.php/degustations-thematiques/verticales-domaine/709-deuxieme-verticale-de-bel-air-marquis-d-aligre
http://www.invinoveritastoulouse.fr/index.php/degustations-thematiques/verticales-domaine/614-20100402-verticale-bel-air-marquis-daligre

[Laurent_Gibet]

Drank a bottle of the 1955 a couple of weeks ago, which is now the best Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre I’ve had. Reminiscent of a more precise, focussed and concentrated version of the 1982 - not two vintages I generally find myself comparing, but the fruit tones of the '55 were almost identical to those of the '82, in character as well as youthfulness. Appreciably superior, too, to the 1955 Margaux, at least the bottles I have had.

Where on earth did you find that?! Lucky you! The only 1955 I have ever had from Margaux was a d’Issan, back in 1982, which was to blame for getting me onto the slippery slope of wine-loving.

David Rayer, who writes / edits Mosel Fine Wines (a publication well worth reading), brought it to dinner chez moi in Beaune! He is a big fan of the estate.

1955 is one of my favorite Bordeaux vintages, and was pivotal for getting me into wine too, though the culprit was '55 La Mission in my case.

David Rayer is a good friend …

Février 2013 - second verticale (report by Pierre Citerne) :
16. Margaux : Château Bel Air-Marquis d’Aligre Grand Cru Exceptionnel 1955
DS17 - PC17 - PR16,5 - LG16,5 - MS(14,5) - MF16 - FM16. Note moyenne : 16,2
Grande finesse aromatique, sur un fond plus végétal, tapis de feuilles mortes, prenantes notes de bois précieux, de cuirs, de truffe… Matière dominée par la vivacité, vivante, distinguée, au grain tannique marqué mais fin, au fruit plus resserré que court, même si la finale marque une certaine amertume.