TN: My concerns my 1995 Bdx would never come around were unfounded

[Mike_Grammer]

Good reminder, Luis, I had forgotten about that one which took top prize for me at a Judgment of Paris-style blind night a year and a half ago (and the 98 Leoville Barton is/was a gorgeous wine in its own right):

“Blind red #5: Kinda closed nose, need to do a lot of swirling to get some herbs. On the tongue, still absolutely youthful, a little pucker, but also sweet fruit and herbs, and the more it opens up, the more classic and classy it gets. This ultimately gets my WOTN. I thought it was my 98 Leoville, but this is a 1995 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 3 days later, a defined cigarette/menthol had taken over the nose but the palate remained beautiful and elegant.”

[Ross_Jones]

This is a timely post! We already had been planning to open a 1995 Clinet and a 1995 Calon Segur on NYE. It should interesting to compare right and left bank. Hopefully both bottles show well! I’ll try to remember to post TN’s later this week.

[Nathan_Smyth]

By checking in every two years, all that is achieved is that when the wines are actually ready, you only have two bottles left from the original case of twelve.

You’re wasting your breath.

Infanticide is in the Berserker DNA:

Human sacrifices?

Might as well rename this board “Wine Moloch”.

Or “Comet Ping Pong Grape Juice”.
.

[Ian_A]

Our 1995 Bordeaux dinner in London in November was a triumph, affirming my premise that most of these wines are in, or are entering, their drinking window. The naysayers, determined to prove that these wines would never come round before the fruit faded, or that this vintage is a dud, graciously conceded.

In our Pomerol flight Latour a Pomerol was flat out gorgeous and L’Evangile such a class act. Clinet could not match these two; it is a good, albeit not very exciting, wine, which is also drinking well. Magdelaine was also surprisingly accessible, despite being reassuringly old school, and was not embarrassed by H-B and LMHB in its flight.

But the stars of the night were unquestionably Haut-Brion and La Mission, which were spectacular and firing on all cylinders. Of the other wines all showed well, apart from Ducru which was not a good bottle. A subsequent bottle a couple of weeks later, affirmed that it is a contender for wine of the vintage.

The Leovilles Barton and Lascases are classic wines, Lynch is such a class act, definitely still on the young side if you like a lot of primary expression, while Montrose and Calon Segur are a bit more rustic and old fashioned, but nevertheless riveting wines. As already noted GPL and Pichon Lalande are particularly strong in 1995, the latter has been drinking well for a decade.

The only wine I have found to be consistently disappointing in 1995 is La Conseillante, an archetypal curmudgeon. Figeac is much better but one of the more backward wines, even out of halves I have been drinking in recent years.

It is clear that the 1995s have taken longer than any recent vintage to come round, and perhaps it is the last genuinely old school vintage. But I think these wines may even eventually command a premium for this very reason.

I find 1995 to be a more intellectual vintage than 1996, which is more obvious by comparison: the 1996 vintage’s attributes are well chronicled, and its accolades richly deserved, but the 1995s are a bit more lithe and racy across the mid-palate, even more interesting.

I have had amazing bottles of Lafite and Mouton 1995. Several years ago we did a ‘Judgement of Paris’ tasting, where Mouton 1995 triumphed in a field that included the likes of Harlan Estate, Bryant and Lafite 1998. A couple of years prior to that Lafite 1995 knocked everything into a cocked hat at a trophy Bordeaux dinner organised by Jacques Levy in Kittle House, Chappaqua.

[Jayson_Cohen]

This is a timely post! We already had been planning to open a 1995 Clinet and a 1995 Calon Segur on NYE. It should interesting to compare right and left bank. Hopefully both bottles show well! I’ll try to remember to post TN’s later this week.

I don’t know anything about the Clinet but give the Calon plenty of air. It should open up and get sweeter and more detailed (and I would say elegant) with air.

[Greg_K]

My mag of 1995 Calon Segur might eventually be drinkable, eh?

[Pat_Martin]

Our 1995 Bordeaux dinner in London in November was a triumph, affirming my premise that most of these wines are in, or are entering, their drinking window. The naysayers, determined to prove that these wines would never come round before the fruit faded, or that this vintage is a dud, graciously conceded.

In our Pomerol flight Latour a Pomerol was flat out gorgeous and L’Evangile such a class act. Clinet could not match these two; it is a good, albeit not very exciting, wine, which is also drinking well. Magdelaine was also surprisingly accessible, despite being reassuringly old school, and was not embarrassed by H-B and LMHB in its flight.

But the stars of the night were unquestionably Haut-Brion and La Mission, which were spectacular and firing on all cylinders. Of the other wines all showed well, apart from Ducru which was not a good bottle. A subsequent bottle a couple of weeks later, affirmed that it is a contender for wine of the vintage.

The Leovilles Barton and Lascases are classic wines, Lynch is such a class act, definitely still on the young side if you like a lot of primary expression, while Montrose and Calon Segur are a bit more rustic and old fashioned, but nevertheless riveting wines. As already noted GPL and Pichon Lalande are particularly strong in 1995, the latter has been drinking well for a decade.

The only wine I have found to be consistently disappointing in 1995 is La Conseillante, an archetypal curmudgeon. Figeac is much better but one of the more backward wines, even out of halves I have been drinking in recent years.

It is clear that the 1995s have taken longer than any recent vintage to come round, and perhaps it is the last genuinely old school vintage. But I think these wines may even eventually command a premium for this very reason.

I find 1995 to be a more intellectual vintage than 1996, which is more obvious by comparison: the 1996 vintage’s attributes are well chronicled, and its accolades richly deserved, but the 1995s are a bit more lithe and racy across the mid-palate, even more interesting.

I have had amazing bottles of Lafite and Mouton 1995. Several years ago we did a ‘Judgement of Paris’ tasting, where Mouton 1995 triumphed in a field that included the likes of Harlan Estate, Bryant and Lafite 1998. A couple of years prior to that Lafite 1995 knocked everything into a cocked hat at a trophy Bordeaux dinner organised by Jacques Levy in Kittle House, Chappaqua.

Great post, Ian.

I think a main problem we have evaluating the 95s is there was no vintage from 1976-1994 that developed as slowly as the 95s have (and some 96s). I know everyone will say “1986!!!”, but other than the impenetrable 86 LLC and a couple others, most of those were drinking incredibly by age ~20. Sure, the best 86s have gotten even better since then and many are still firm and probably always will be to some extent, but the aromatics, fruit, and complexity were on full display by 2006.

Not so the 1995s on the Left Bank at least, many of which are only just beginning to flower and for my palate are still more about potential. I also wonder how much of slow-development the 95s can be attributed to temp-controlled shipping and better storage conditions compared to what many/most cellars had prior back in the dark days of the 1980s?

[Greg_K]

Personally, the 1995 I own the most of is Figeac, which I am happy about, but I would really like to have some Calon Ségur, GPL and Pichon Lalande in my cellar. The 1995 Pichon Lalande is in a sense the last great Merlot-driven Pichon Lalande, and represents the end of an era.

Yes, that is a real shame; I think that made Pichon Lalande soemwhat unique in Pauillac. PLL is the Bordeaux I’ve been backfilling most aggressively over the past few years.

[Ian_A]

Our 1995 Bordeaux dinner in London in November was a triumph, affirming my premise that most of these wines are in, or are entering, their drinking window. The naysayers, determined to prove that these wines would never come round before the fruit faded, or that this vintage is a dud, graciously conceded.

In our Pomerol flight Latour a Pomerol was flat out gorgeous and L’Evangile such a class act. Clinet could not match these two; it is a good, albeit not very exciting, wine, which is also drinking well. Magdelaine was also surprisingly accessible, despite being reassuringly old school, and was not embarrassed by H-B and LMHB in its flight.

But the stars of the night were unquestionably Haut-Brion and La Mission, which were spectacular and firing on all cylinders. Of the other wines all showed well, apart from Ducru which was not a good bottle. A subsequent bottle a couple of weeks later, affirmed that it is a contender for wine of the vintage.

The Leovilles Barton and Lascases are classic wines, Lynch is such a class act, definitely still on the young side if you like a lot of primary expression, while Montrose and Calon Segur are a bit more rustic and old fashioned, but nevertheless riveting wines. As already noted GPL and Pichon Lalande are particularly strong in 1995, the latter has been drinking well for a decade.

The only wine I have found to be consistently disappointing in 1995 is La Conseillante, an archetypal curmudgeon. Figeac is much better but one of the more backward wines, even out of halves I have been drinking in recent years.

It is clear that the 1995s have taken longer than any recent vintage to come round, and perhaps it is the last genuinely old school vintage. But I think these wines may even eventually command a premium for this very reason.

I find 1995 to be a more intellectual vintage than 1996, which is more obvious by comparison: the 1996 vintage’s attributes are well chronicled, and its accolades richly deserved, but the 1995s are a bit more lithe and racy across the mid-palate, even more interesting.

I have had amazing bottles of Lafite and Mouton 1995. Several years ago we did a ‘Judgement of Paris’ tasting, where Mouton 1995 triumphed in a field that included the likes of Harlan Estate, Bryant and Lafite 1998. A couple of years prior to that Lafite 1995 knocked everything into a cocked hat at a trophy Bordeaux dinner organised by Jacques Levy in Kittle House, Chappaqua.

Great post, Ian.

I think a main problem we have evaluating the 95s is there was no vintage from 1976-1994 that developed as slowly as the 95s have (and some 96s). I know everyone will say “1986!!!”, but other than the impenetrable 86 LLC and a couple others, most of those were drinking incredibly by age ~20. Sure, the best 86s have gotten even better since then and many are still firm and probably always will be to some extent, but the aromatics, fruit, and complexity were on full display by 2006.

Not so the 1995s on the Left Bank at least, many of which are only just beginning to flower and for my palate are still more about potential. I also wonder how much of slow-development the 95s can be attributed to temp-controlled shipping and better storage conditions compared to what many/most cellars had prior back in the dark days of the 1980s?

It will be an interesting, continuing and evolving debate Patrick for sure over the next few years, depending, partly, on whether your cellar is at 9 degrees C or 14 degrees C. From the outset, I am more heavily invested in 96s than 95s, but I remain optimistic on the latter. Will take a few for the team to try in Bordeaux in three months from now.

[Warren_Taranow]

BAMA; another ‘95 drinking beautifully tonight. Classic Margaux; blackberries, leather, orange peel, black currant; balanced and subtly delicious, fine tannins. It almost made me forget last night’s corked Cristal.

[Subu_Ramachandran]

I had '95 Haut Brion for Christmas in 2016 and in 2019. It needed a 3 hour decant in 2016 and about 2 hours in 2019 before it started unravelling why its the best among the first growths for me.

[Yao_C]

FWIW the 1995 Mouton was wine of the night against stiff competition at a massive K&L dinner in 2018. Apparently there was a heat spike that summer that caused the vines to shut down temporarily. I experience that rusticity in the tannins as a fascinatingly complex texture, which combines with the big yet balanced reddish fruit, from judicious extraction, to take the wine into 95+ point territory. Or maybe it was the presence of Herve Gouin two seats to the right that gave the magical x factor. Whatever it was, the Mouton was damn good that night

[Greg_Malcolm]

I opened a 1995 Clerc Milon last Friday, which showed very well after a couple hours of air. Not ‘earth shattering,’ but very enjoyable.

[Dan_Kravitz]

In a recent post about drinking windows, I recommended 20 - 30 years for entry to mid-level Medoc GCCs. Here we are for 1995s. I just opened another bottle of 1995 Chateau du Tertre and it’s in a very good place right now. I should have said that this applies to average to great vintages, not to poor ones. I think 1995 is an above-average vintage in the Medoc and this is a good time for most of the GCCs below 1st Growth and Super Second status.

Dan Kravitz

[Br1an_Th0rne]

Since Christmas I’ve popped corks on the 95 Pichon Lalande, Haut Brion, GPL, Cos d’Estournel, and L’Evangile, and I thought they were all showing fantastically. Interestingly, I hadn’t tasted any of them since 2015…I made a promise at that time (which I shockingly kept!) that all my 95s needed to rest five more years. For my money, the Pichon Lalande is showing the best right now, but I believe the Haut Brion will catch it and prove better. The 95 GPL is still a little reserved, and from my cellar blown out of the water by the 96.

[O.G_Nikolai]

Thank you all for these exceptional notes. Great classic vintage, the last maybe. After 20+ years i strongly believe, these wines will come around and will offer much pleasure for up to 20 years and more.