Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

JonathanP

I am a great fan of well made villages 13s. We had wonderful examples in Beaune late last year. Drinking very nicely, unlikely the more structured 12s and not quite there 11s. A couple of nights ago, a Mongeard Mugneret Vosne-Romanee impressed. I think they drink well now and will keep doing so for ...

JonathanP

Ed,
I have been out of the loop but may be able to swing coming over for the long weekend. Are all events in SF, or are Napa/Sonoma still featuring? Just thinking of logistics.

JonathanP

Happy Birthday, Stefan. I have had some very pleasant experiences with 81s, a vintage that was mistakenly written off. I recall a Cheval-Blanc a few years back lurking at the bottom of a restaurant list for not very much which was truly excellent. Light, but fruity and tasty. Not sure how much life ...

JonathanP

For Burgundy under $120, Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee and 1er curs take some beating, as do the Nuits St Goeorges 1ers from Henri Gouges. For whites, JM Boillot are very good.

JonathanP

Yes - absolutely. It was lovely.
I would not suggest drinking the big ones just yet, though. Mouton a couple of years ago had a long way to go.

JonathanP

You are dead right. I was rushing when posting this. La Lagune is a Haut Medoc. Much underrated, I think. And of course the Latour a Pomerol is a Pomerol. Lean and serious is perhaps a good descripto.

JonathanP

We stayed for a week on Exmoor and I went supplied with a few bottles to enjoy with hearty casseroles and roasts back at the cottage after a day's hiking. Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2003. Nice fruit and body. A little lean on the finish. Tannins softening. Barde-Haut 98. Soft and supple. Fruity. A lovelywine...

JonathanP

Alex, we did the main tasting of 2015s from barrel in the cellar, which is mainly new under a newly renovated office. The other wines were tasted in the old cellar, which I imagine is where you went. I saw no barrels there, but some stacks of bottles, and a lot of empty space. As an aside, this afte...

JonathanP

After a tasting of the 2015s a the domaine: 1990 Grands Echezeaux: Expansive nose and sweet fruits. Very long finish. Somewhat closed, but got going after a quarter of an hour or so. A great wine that will benefit from signficantly more age. 2000 Batard Montrachet: wonderful exotic aroma. Minerally ...

JonathanP

Yes, Alex, prices have been creeping up. Burgundy has never been particularly cheap. It is important, however, to differentiate between release prices and secondary market prices. Interestingly, in the cellar at Rousseau, we talked at length about pricing and the concern they have to not price out t...

JonathanP

Jim, tasting the 15s in barrel, they are all excellent. This is definitely a vintage for you to think seriously about if you enjoy their wines. In fact, across the whole of Burgundy (at least the dozen or so domaines Inhave been to) there is great consistency and quality. Great fruit, plenty of acid...

JonathanP

My tuppenceworth is that I find Roussea wines generally excellent across the whole range. When it shines, Chambertin is ethereal. Clos de Beze is more powerful and perhaps more consistent, so in trickier years can outshine the Chambertin. Maybe a bit lick Romanee-Conti and La Tache? They both sell f...

JonathanP

At a wine bar with chacouterie and tartines: Volnay Clos de la Cave des Ducks 2013: lovely garnet colour, pure nose black fruits and floral overtones. A very clean, cool palate and long finish. Too young for me, but I enjoyed it. Nuits St George Aux Thirey 2013: less light than the Volnay, and more ...

JonathanP

At the domaine, following a tasting. Vibrant colour, but slight bricking. Dates and dark fruit on the nose. Silky smooth. Spicey finish. Nice balance. Lovely drinking, but will not improve.

JonathanP

At dinner, following the Vente des Vins in Beaune: Started with village Chambolle-Musigny 2010 from Jadot which was excellent. Fresh fruit, good balance and a fair amount of power for a Chambolle. Clos de la Roche 2013 Rousseau: gobs of fruit, great elegance, wonderful long finish. Very enjoyable no...

JonathanP

They were rather more affordable on realease a few years ago. I have not bought for a while.

JonathanP

Actually - it was Philippe Charlopin. I got my notes muddled.
It has been a very interesting week meeting a range of winemakers. The human scale of the operations in Burgundy means we are tasting with the guys that actually manage the vineyards and make the wine.

JonathanP

Over lunch with Jacques Devauges of Clos de Tart. Puilly Vinzelles Climat les Quarts La Soufrandiere Brett Brothers 2014: a totally new one to me. Bags of fruit, floral bouquet. Well structured. Good balance but I felt could do with a bit more age. Clos de Tart 2003: very hot, peppery. Almost Rhone-...

JonathanP

At the end of a tasting of the 2015s from barrel, we were offered a couple of bottled wines to try: Clos du Chateau 2004: Fruity, rich, smooth tannins and very enjoyable now. A very nice wine. Les Suchots 2008: well structured, showing plenty of fruit and acidity, and undoubtedly very fine but a lit...

JonathanP

At this rate, we could see substantial duty on French wine exported to both the US and the UK.

JonathanP

You probably know a lot more, but just do not know that they are as they do not wish for every conversation to be confrontational. Easier to say nothing in such an environment. If everyone around you is discussing fine wine, you are unlikely tomextoll the virtues of cheap beer. But it would not alte...

JonathanP

I had a bottle a few years ago at a restaurant in Seattle. I was quite impressed. As I recall, it was rather unyielding at first, but once it got going had a lot to offer. Aromatic, good fruit and balance. Not a finesse Mouton, mind.

JonathanP

I certainly noted when I was in FL that the Clinton supporters that I met there seemed more bigoted and intolerant of competing views than Trump ones. They would launch into anyone professing to be pro-Trump and accuse them of being sexist/racist/uneducated (and much worse), without even listening t...

JonathanP

Any pro Trump on BWE? Surely, there must be. But keeping there heads down. As many of his supporters did with the pollsters. The silent majority? Just like Brexit.

JonathanP

The first paragraph is oh so true about many, if not all, things in life.

JonathanP

I would second the Durand. The screw holds the cork togethers, whilst the prongs actually extract it. Works nearly every time.

JonathanP

A regional Italian restaurant (most courses featured cheese) with a regional Italian wine list. I saw nothing I recognised so took a punt, based on vintage and description as much as anything. This was a very lovely wine. Fruity, spicey, well integrated soft tannins, light bodied. A finesse type win...

JonathanP

Rude, I would agree with your use of earthy and opulent, but not elegant. Also, I would suggest it needs time.

JonathanP

Certainly I would not have pegged it as a St Estephe. Not an "elegant" style of wine.

JonathanP

At a local Bistro. Engaging nose, thick, fruity and well balanced. Tannins softening but still pronounced. Too young for me, really, but the wife enjoyed it.

JonathanP

I must confess to feeling a little deserted by Bordeaux when the prices seemed to be going up by leaps and bounds year-after-year, ostensibly driven by the huge demand emerging economies. There was much talk at the time that the Chateaux were deserting their long-standing customers, who would consis...

JonathanP

Same wine list for the second leg, but I tried different options. Lanson Brut Rose was not up to much. Preferred the Billecart-Salmon regular Brut earlier. Vouvray Comte de la Boisserie 13 was very good: Plenty of fruit, good acidity and great balance. I suspect chosen to work at altitude, and it di...

JonathanP

Take a cold shower, and the urge for a fruit bomb will pass.

JonathanP

In Florida last week I met a number of people who are Trump supporters but well informed and sensible.

JonathanP

Ah Granny Airlines. They are very safe, at least. Second leg on Qatar coming up. Maybe a different wine selection.

JonathanP

Jim, what punishment? I thought it was a reality show. Pure entertainment.

JonathanP

Well, well. Great fruit, acidity and good balance. Too young? Probably on the ground, but it really worked at FL410. The best Bordeaux I have tasted on an airline in quite a long time. Maybe even since Cathay were serving the 89/90 Lynch Bages. Too many otherwise good wines do not really work on pla...

JonathanP

I still remember a 64 DP I had in Sydney a decade ago. Effervescence gone, but great complexity and not dissimilar to an aged Burgundy.

JonathanP

Stu, Thanks for the recommendation. Looks pretty nice. I did not think of searching outside Stuart. Unfortunately, I am flying out to London this evening so will not have a chance to try it. Next time....
Jonathan

JonathanP

Last purchase was the 2014 Yquem and 2015 "Y".

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