Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

AKR

What's interesting is that a long time ago Charvin used to sell their grapes to Rayas, before deciding to make their own wine. So sometimes one might catch a hint of Rayas (whose grand vin I've only tasted when others are feeling generous) in their wines. Bummer about that bottle.

AKR

98 Petit Village [Pomerol] Served cool. Cellared from release. Double decanted - unusually large amounts of sediment. Cloudy red, the beginnings of lightening at the edges. 13% abv on the label. Nose shows red fruit, cherries, bandaids, lavender. Great bouquet actually. Palate is medium bodied, sil...

AKR

Yup. Havens was quite good back in the day. Fond memories of the 97 and 01 Borriquot. Like a $30 Figeac (some say Cheval Blanc too, but I've had those rarely so don't hardly know them). I'd wondered what happened to them. Flora Springs makes a wine called 'Trilogy' which could be snuck into Bordeaux...

AKR

See that's where I disagree with you David. Rare "delivered" until they didn't. Bernie Madoff "delivered" until he didn't. Just because PC is "delivering" -- for now at least -- doesn't make it right. I mean, what would happen to the guy who has $120k on the line if PC...

AKR

It doesn't really matter what they say . The reality is that they don't have the wines. They don't have vendors committed to selling them to them either. The wines are not stuck on a boat, or customs, or what not. They are waiting to buy them until they are cheaper -- whether that's a distressed spe...

AKR

Montrose is ~20% merlot, at least according to this http://www.klwines.com/Products/i?s=14CA9F8E4D50&i=110470 Their own site is informative but doesn't have anything on that. http://www.chateau-montrose.com/en/our-wines/chateau-montrose/chateau-montrose/?annee=1996 Some St Estephe's like Lilian ...

AKR

Look carefully at whatever sales documentation you may have from the seller. Most of the time, my futures receipts have always contained a huge amount of weasel out clauses, irrespective of vendor. If the vendor is who I think it is, I don't see any obvious weasel clauses, and their web site T&C...

AKR

You chasing a certain greater Bay Area firm? Lawyering up might just be throwing good money after bad.

(you still coming up to Sac for offline later this month?)

AKR

We polished off a split of the 01 Lafaurie Peyraguey over the last two nights. I picked up some cardamom notes as well, along with the honeyed / glacee apricots. I quite liked it and had not had it in many years, but the nice acidity it featured in its youth didn't seem as crisp this time around. I'...

AKR

So of 1996, 2005, or 2010 -- which vintage would you select of the typical cru classe Medoc if money / provenance were not a concern?

AKR

Thanks for the suggestions on the Bolgheris. That can be an expensive region too though!

I'd forgotten about Pesquera - I tend to pick up a few bottles in peak vintages. Also Condado de Haza, their sister wine.

AKR

I concur on Dominus and Togni. A few older vintages of Ridge Monte Bello I've had were dead ringers for claret. Also Mayacamas cabs. 80's Phelps Insignia. I had a Montevetrano from Campania rcently that could pass for a semi modern Bordeaux. I've heard good things about Montevetrine too, but have n...

AKR

Although Bordeaux is my favorite region for fine wine, like most of us, I also keep other wines around. But sometimes I end up with the same flavor profile, just from a different region. Often they can be very competitive in blind tastings vs. the real thing, and almost always they are better value....

AKR

Drank the 1996 this weekend (long weekend here in the UK). It started off very promising, spectacular. Then it got really high toned and tetchy. That was the last bottle out of the first case. Two more to go. A wine I have never got along with. I think it hasn't settled down yet. I've had a few in ...

AKR

The only one I've had from that list is the 2000 Calon, which is quite good, and should last a very long time.

Their wines seem to take a long time to come around

AKR

96 Lafon Rochet [St Estephe] Purchased at release, double decanted (it needed it as it was well sedimented) and served over two days at cool temperatures. Dark ruby/purplish hue, no bricking at the edges despite the age. Complex bouquet - cedar, coffee, forest. Great palate still showing lots of gr...

AKR

Odd spectrum of wines. I have always been amazed at how long B-H-B can age despite being a second wine.

AKR

I visited my storage site today, and those are literally on the bottom of a stack.

Probably should dig some out to try, but I was jammed for time.

Will have to be another day.

S-M rocks.

AKR

It so hard to believe Cantemerle is spoken of like this. However based on the enthusiasm, even I bought one each of the 09 and 10.

I'm going to let them slumber a while.

AKR

Blanquito wrote:The 03 F-C was a train wreak.

well, most of the right bank wines from year ended up somewhat unbalanced. their soil didn't retain water the way the clay ones did in st estephe, and environs.

the southern rhones, the grenache wines, are unfortunate too in that year.

AKR

Well at least fans got their moneys worth.

Remember the Mike Tyson era, when sometimes he would KO his opponent in the first or second round?

AKR

What I don't understand is how critics are able to judge 'balance' from barrel samples.

Some wines have it their entire lives, and others slowly fall one way or another.

But how do people forecast that, from something that has just emerged from fermentation.

AKR

I have to say that I like my Riedel 'Tyrolia' which are stemless, and very dishwasher safe. And on Saturdays when I'm a little more motivated, I'll dust off the Schott Zwiesels (a gift from Bill & Linda) which are really nice too. Need to get more stems, and have found a restaurant supply place,...

AKR

Hmmm. I've never had one of these. I'll have to sample some.

JimHow: do you care for the old school right banks at all - the FIgeacs, Canons, Soutards etc. ?

AKR

That Monbousquet sounds like its still very primary.

AKR

That sounds pretty good. I'm drinking a 96 Lafon Rochet right now. I took the time to double decant and lightly chill it. It's freaking fabulous. I think the reason why I like St Estephe so much is the heavy merlot most estates tend to include in the cepage. Never had a Serilhan, but from these peak...

AKR

2007 and 2012 Chapoutier 'Banyuls'

Inexplicably, one of those was at my market, and the other at HDH.

These are to my tastes, the greatest pairs for dessert chocolates around.

AKR

03 Lanessan [Haut Medoc] From a split, purchased recently*, and chilled for a few min the freezer. Mostly mature red coloration, lightening at the edges. 13% abv and medium bodied, typical sediment although there are some lighter colored crystals. Chewy texture. The acidity is ok here -- enough to ...

AKR

Neil Martin has put out his report, and a very quick skim suggests that the 2014 Sauternes are quite good. Open question of course whether one needs to pay for them now, when back vintages (from good years) are still readily available. Many old reliable QPRs in the region seem to be on the downswing...

AKR

veritable sharknado

AKR

Yes, in the world of e-commerce it doesn't hurt to have one or two of those "mistakes" on your website to be disseminated to a million places. It's great advertising to appear atop the lists. Like a loss-leader without the loss. I think legally a mistake like that must be honored but I've...

AKR

MacArthurs used to have a real strong effort in bringing in the smaller wines, and then storing them well. So years later you could go back and and sample smaller 82s or 90s etc. Either people cleaned them out, or they are fundamentally stocking less of those, since their prices don't go up to reall...

AKR

I saw that too on WL a while ago. I think that must be an SKU error or something. I've had a fair number of stockouts from them on orders, that I find out about later when shipping time comes. So even if you thought you were getting a deal when you click 'buy' it may not happen. I'm ok with that. Th...

AKR

That's awesome. My (old) dog never cared much for merlot, preferring beer and occasionally slurping up the odd screwdriver left at low altitudes.

The new puppy likes the sweaty aromas of slippers, and the forbidden delights of drinking from the "big porcelain waterbowl".

AKR

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've started drilling down but have a way to go.

And nice picture.

But where are the dog pix?!?

AKR

I like the 2001's probably the best but have not tasted recent years much, and without the benefit of the big UGC events, its hard to compare Sauternes side by side. They don't lend themselves naturally to a normal horizontal style dinner. At least on the bright side, I don't get that much less enjo...

AKR

Well of those older years, in the main, the only one I'd want now might be 88s. In the main I like the recent efforts better. Periodically smaller 01s still show up at my local stores, admittedly ones I've never heard of, but when they are $30 still, after all these years, it does give the sense tha...

AKR

We drank a whole case of the 00 somewhat after release. It was great.

I didn't get the sense it would make old bones, even in a peak vintage, but Bordeaux can surprise you.

AKR

It's been a crazy good decade plus for Sauternes. People have gotten blase about them.

AKR

What does the label look like? The modern ones seem very odd for a Bordeaux

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