It was so incredibly dumb that it was tough to score. I originally gave it 97 points+, and I suspect from the two occasions I have had it previously, it will be around there. This bottle did have some serious finish though, which makes me think that it is the same wine, just going through a tough phase. It will be at least seven to ten years before I dare open another one, and God knows what I will do with the Imperial I bought at auction.
Mark, thanks for your thoughts (and sacrifice!). I’m wondering if the greenish notes are more prevalent in the context of other wines, as it’s obviously a very different setting when you are enjoying a single bottle versus going around a room tasting a lot.
Is it often the case that the oak is more prevalent in (barely) adolescent Bordeaux? To me, overt oak is one of the most offensive things someone can do to a wine, which would obviously affect my impressions and enjoyment of any wine.
No sacrifice at all, you just made me very curious. I have no doubt the oak will be absorbed, it’s very early days for the wine, and other Barons, notably 1989 and 1990, where I tasted a fair amount of oak en primeur, both ended up as oak kissed rather than oak dominant. Like you, I am also not a fan of oak, a little going a very, very long way.
I think your point of comparative tasting rather than evaluating the single bottle is well taken. The palate calibrates to what is on the table, so it may have just been a comparison problem or an odd bottle. Both my wife and I tried very hard to see any greenness in the wine and failed.