It would be useful to have a running Bordeaux thread to go with the “Loire classification”, “recent Burg vintage experience”, etc. threads. Those region specific threads seem to encourage broader and more long-running conversations on their respective regions than do single tasting note posts or the general “what bottle did you open tonight” thread. So, starting this thread both for notes on the bottle you opened tonight and more general Bdx chat.
From a pristine bottle with a perfect cork that in retrospect would have come out easily with a corkscrew.
This is really excellent.
On the nose lots of cigar tobacco, licorice, leather couch, dusty baked dirt, cedar, jasmine, and dark fruit.
On the palate so classical and composed, with tertiary notes from the nose following through to the flavor profile on top of rich dark fruit and a touch of raw cocoa. Genuinely medium bodied, with well resolved tannins that just maintain enough fine textured grip to lend structure and a sense of seriousness. The acid is enough to balance things out but I would not mind a touch more to give this just a little more zing, but that is really a minor quibble. The finish is medium.
This was not one of the wines in the vertical I recently wrote up, but it strikes me as a midpoint between the more stern and structured 2002 and the more developed and friendly 2004. Perhaps a notch or two off center toward the 2004. This strikes me as being well in its window but I do not think there is any rush. Another very strong showing from Leo-B in a less lauded vintage.
Dark red core, lighter at rim. Classic cabernet nose of currants, some cherry, moist earth, and hint of mint. Medium body, excellent balance, nice complexity, flavors folliw the nose, medium finish. On a plateau, may develop additional complexity with more age, should be drinking well for at least another decade. Excellent-outstanding.
I have kind of been wondering when we would see these results for 2016 and 2022; I checked the Farr website yesterday and nothing was posted yet. Thanks.
Glad to see the ‘22s haven’t fallen apart - as I’ve said on other threads, my wedding year, so I am sort of a buyer regardless. Unfortunate that it was a local maximum as pricing goes but have taken advantage of a couple local sales, friendly Berserkers offloading futures purchases after deciding the vintage was riper than they wanted, etc to get a decent stash together.
Brane Cantenac is one I have not bought but may after reading this report - #5 wine of the whole group is pretty eye catching. Will have to see if that goes back on sale. I passed last summer at ~$90/btl (was tough to swallow when the excellent ‘19 is ~$72) but it seems to have only gone up.
Curious also how Troplong Mondot fares, WK’s strong reviews of the last few vintages have caught my attention.
Not likely from anyone at this stage of the game. FWIW after 2016, I think 2022 is best young vintage, across the board, available today. And I’ve tasted just about every wine at least twice.
FWIW… In the middle of tasting 2023s now, about 450 down, maybe 250 to go, and while there are some stunning wines, at the level of 2022, but, they are far and few between.
On a drizzly winter evening, we had the 1996 Sociando Mallet [Haut Medoc] with Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy. I’ve had this since release, purchasing a case ($360) after attending a blind tasting where it bested a 1996 Lafite. The robe is garnet with orange bricking at the edges. It’s showing tertiary traits today - mulberry, forest, cedar, mushroom - with a cool red fruit profile. Tannin is mostly gone but the acid is a touch higher than other years. This 12.5% abv Medoc is a wine for the AFWE and I although I have a lot of various vintages, I’m not buying current releases of this stern house any more. Corks are long here and at age 30 is starting to soak through. Time to drink up!
Aromas of smoky berries, some red cherry and plums, then a bright attack of the same, very lithe and elegant, which continues into the blackberry middle section, and then the rising, moderately creamy finish. Very impressive, some real class on show. Classically styled, ripe but restrained. Great value at 10€. 91 pts
Château Desmirail - Margaux 2016
Flowers and herbs dominate the nose at first, then some boysenberry and blackcurrant, all quite refined. More red fruit than black on the attack, red cherry and wild strawberry, but blackberry joining the plums midpalate and a typically Margalais, dusty finish to round off a very impressive performance. Beautiful balance and poise, moreish but restrained. Lovely wine which is improving year by year and at 28€, excellent value. 93 pts
These were taste separately over a few nights, then together. I was expecting the Lamothe Bergeron to challenge the Desmirail in the dance off, but not at all: the latter’s class prevailed easily.
It’s been a while since I tried a Lamothe Bergeron and this was by far the best one ever tasted. It’s an excellent choice for a midweek wine. As for the Desmirail, I was surprised by just how good it was. In my mind it was always likely to be a superior midweek wine, or at best a Friday nighter! But this bottle was better than that. It will be interesting to compare it to a more expensive peer.
I had the 2010 too, but back in 2018 - and I wasn’t over-impressed. I bought the 2016 because it was cheap, in a good vintage, so I thought, why not? So it came as a nice surprise - in style it reminded me of Sénéjac.
I had a BYO dinner with my old wine group last night.
We poured two Bordeaux;
Latour 1978 from a cellar so damp, it had lost its label. The level was between top shoulder and into the neck. Decanted at the restaurant, the color was a remarkable deep crimson. Large scale. Great fruit, leather, a little herb as one would expect from the vintage. It grew in the glass, the fruit stayed the same, but the leather note grew, but now we were treated to spice and anise. Very long finish. In the end, a surprising and really fantastic bottle of wine. 19.5
A Ducru Beaucaillou 1996 was a lovely wine but in a much more austere style. Red fruit, spice, a smoky element and also a floral note. Long finish. Worked well with the steaks we had ordered. 17.5
Neal Martin’s 2023 in bottle write up is up on vinous, interesting reading and he is characteristically honest about the region’s challenges in the current market.
Bottom line is a good not great vintage, with the better wines in a classical style relative to recent warm vintages. (Could be promising?) Scores max out at 98, no 100 pointers.
