Now that I have received my big spring shipment (https://wineimport.discoursehosting.net/t/arghhh-shipping-into-the-heat-wave/58769/35) I can indulge myself…
2003 Leoville Poyferre – From half. Clearly young but a superb wine and the best 2003 Bordeaux I’ve had (easily surpassing Pichon Baron and Leoville Baron). Fantastic, penetrating fruit intensity but compact and tight and with an electric vein of acidity running through the finish. Very lively, not soft at all. Tannins are big but smooth and constrict the fruit without concealing it. A very good example of how you can’t judge a wine by vintage cliches. This baby was quite well structured and far from being hot or over-roasted. In fact, other Poyferre’s I’ve had from years like 1996 and 1999 were softer and ‘warmer’. Very young right now but giving a lot of pleasure, like a really rambunctious and lively 10 year old running all over your mouth. Be very interesting to see how it ages over the next several decades.
2004 Spottswoode – now this is soft and plush in that Napa fruit bomb style, but what a wonderful example of it! The fruit is in the foreground with just enough tannin and structure so that the fruit does not become cloying. Warm, voluptuous, intense, great depth of floral violets and perfectly ripe blackberry, with just a touch of chocolate and plum around the edges. Smelled absolutely beautiful, like a perfume, you wanted to dab it on your wrists. Huge crowd pleaser. Liked this just as much as the Poyferre but in a totally different style. One difference is that this is I think perfectly matured, with little or nothing to be gained by further aging, but the LP is barely adolescent.
2003 Voillot Volnay Champans – interesting but ultimately inconclusive tonight, flirted with opening up but never really did. Good depth on the nose, metallic to start on the palate and then gave some hints of deeper black fruit mixed with soy flavors, then closed up again, then had some plum and interesting sourness, then closed up…clearly some real depth here but a very sulky performance overall. Rather un-Volnay like too although I guess Champans is a ‘bigger’ Volnay. Be interesting to see where the 03s go.
2000 Pegau – such a reliable go-to wine, always very much itself and delivers a fine Chateauneuf experience. And yes, the brett does add a good accent! Really nice spice and meat quality to go along with some typically rich Grenache fruit. However, this is clearly exiting the primary fruit stage and moving into a graceful adulthood, becoming less in your face and more thoughtful. A fine year too. Great food match as usual.
2009 Clos Du Val Napa Cabernet (not sure if it was Stag’s Leap but don’t think so) – was stuck in Pennsylvania with no wine and this was the ‘high end’ selection at the local store…how do you PA people take it? Got it because I had a quite good 92 CdV Stag’s Leap a while ago. This was hideous. Oak + alcohol cocktail with some wine mixed in. Confirms all AFWE cliches.