Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

AlexR

Thanks for the notes Nic. I think that the rather low price of Gazin-Rocquencourt needs to be considered when evaluating it. It’s owned by the Bonnies of Malartic and often drinks well young. Sociando-Mallet’s good showing does not surprise me. And, once again, when you consider the price and their ...

AlexR

Carillon does good work, and the prices have not yet gone through the roof.

I am coming around to the opinion that white Burgundy is fine to drink even quite young.
Like most of us, I've had disappointments with the aged stuff, even if, when they're in good shape, they are a real treat.

AR

AlexR

I wouldn't say that the Durand failed, rather that it couldn't cope with a defective cork.
Would any other bottle opener have worked better?

AR

AlexR

Yes, sorry David,and thanks. I confused your answer with Jim's.

AR

AlexR

Jim,

Thanks for your detailed answer to my questions.
If I had paid more attention in civics classes in high school, I'd have been aware of how things work.

What it amounts to is that the present situation *should* lead to dialog and compromise, which is a very good thing.

Alex

AlexR

Well, it was quite a relief to see that the US Senate has not gone over to the Dark Side ;-). This had me wondering about the role of the Senate and I took a look at a couple of websites, including Wikipedia. I learned about what the institution mostly does, and was surprised to see that bills can a...

AlexR

Patrick, John Oliver's statement is correct, but it also shows a great deal of wishful thinking. How can you go to a wine region for years and divorce yourself from the people you meet, the estate owners you've had dinner with? I'd say that it is virtually impossible to abstract oneself entirely fro...

AlexR

From what I gather, BWEers are a solidly Democratic bunch. This is odd in that about every other person who voted in America chose the Republican party... Are Republican BWEers afraid of being ostracized? Or, should one assume that lovers of fine wine are mostly more educated and liberal than the po...

AlexR

Jacques,

This is soemthing I could go on abouta at great length.

We need to sit down with a bottle of wine and shoot the breeze!

Alex

AlexR

Yes Jacques, or course my mistake: should be Biden or Harris.

AR

AlexR

OK, all the media are predicting a Rupublican taking over of the Senate and the House. And that, God help us, Donald Trump will declare his candidacy for a second term. As for the Congress, that is bad news, but it pales in comparison to the spectre of Trump. There were always be a right and a left....

AlexR

Thanks Nic.

I only regret that I am getting into Barolo and Barbaresco at the end of my life.

Had I known earlier how much I enjoyed them, I would have built up a stock in the cellar.

All the best,
Alex

AlexR

I would like to defend Jane Anson's book. In light of the sheer size and complexity of Bordeaux, *of course* there a some big chunks of the reality that have been omitted, while other quirky and little-known estates have been included. But let me put it to you this way: has a better book on the subj...

AlexR

Hi, It must be said that rhe wines in the bottom photo were donated by Ian. And what amazing wines they were! I often feel that Bordeaux wines are opened too old, but here was a 90 Pétrus over 30 years old that was just an adolescent with a brilliant future ahead. And what can I say about comparing ...

AlexR

Silly me. I forgot to mention the vintage of the Figeac.

It was a 2000.

AR

AlexR

When Mark Dignam, AKA Claudius2, wrote that he was coming to Bordeaux, I thought we must meet. Australian-born, but a long-time resident of Singapore, Mark is a regular contributor to BWE and the only member of our community from outside Europe or North America. He’s definitely not afraid of express...

AlexR

I'm in

Alex R.

AlexR

There were 14 second growths in the 1855 classification of Médoc wines. Perhaps half of these can be considered “super seconds” with a significantly a higher market price than the category average. I can even remember a time when one of them, Léoville Las Cases, tried to close the gap with the first...

AlexR

Hi Ian, I'm weighing in rather late in the game here. Wonderful notes Ian. Clearly, you consider LMHB a de facto first growth. In most situations where I've compared HB and LMHB I've preferred the former because of what I perceived as it's greater elegance. But this is not always the case. Domaine D...

AlexR

Don't know Picourneau Nic, but you sure make me want to try it!

AR

AlexR

Mark, You are dead right about Beau Séjour Bécot. They owned a vineyard called La Carte, which they incorporated into Beau Séjour and so lost the latter's classification. However, I think this was mostly due to not going through all the administrative hoops and not sucking up to the powers-that-be r...

AlexR

Here are some thoughts I've just put on my blog: Recap: wine châteaux in the Médoc and Sauternes regions were classified in 1855, and those in the Graves (even though all in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, estates there remain “Crus Classés de Graves”) in 1953. Saint-Emilion introduced a new type cl...

AlexR

At 6-700 dollars a pop, I'm glad that 2000 Pavie is "tolerable"!

.
I'm in the camp that finds modern vintages from this château overblown, overoaked, and not to my taste.

AR

AlexR

Just a quick addition to this thread. I was in England during the period immediately following Queen Elizabeth’s death, and this made for a very unusual atmosphere. Example: at Luton airport, an announcement came over the loudspeaker asking everyone to respect two minutes of silence in honor of Her ...

AlexR

Hi, I tell you, Ian is definitely imbued with the BWE spirit. He has welcomed and looked after forumites no fewer than *five* times so far this year. My wife and I are having à tremendous time, and being on a foreign city with someone who lnows the ropes makes all the difference. It was also interes...

AlexR

Izak,

The fact that I don't think Corbin quite deserves to be bumped up to "A" category doesn't mean that I believe Trottevieille is entitled to be there...
Do you know if Annabelle tried to be an "A"?

Corbin is great value for money that's for sure.

Alex

AlexR

I was really pleased with a couple of Bordeaux wines I uncorked (and decanted) two nights ago. After a magnum of Charles Heidsieck brut (a house that has a lot of sentimental associations for me), we had the following with grilled duck breast. The 2009 Château d’Angludet was opened because my sister...

AlexR

Ian, I believe it was the 2015. That wine from that bottle on that day did not show well. Perhaps it was atypical. I have visited Corbin several times with Izak. I quite like the wine and the woman behind it, even if I do not think it should be bumped up to Premier Cru status. Please, izak, don't ta...

AlexR

Full classification here.

https://www.sudouest.fr/vin/vins-de-bor ... 202607.php

Let the comments roll!

Alex R

AlexR

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ozzie

AR

AlexR

Sauternes is a good place to visit on Sundays.

Saint Emilion too.

The tourist offfices and Maisons du Vin will help you.

AR

AlexR

... and the *huge* advantage of Beaujolais (other than the price tag) is that you don't have to wait 20 years to drink it!!!

AR

AlexR

Izak, if you had asked me a while ago, I never would have believed you would be a fan of Beaujolais! I love the stuff - when it's good. My plan is to go to southern Burgundy next spring and visit vineyards in the Beaujolais, Mâconnais, and Chalonnais and come back with a trunkful of wine. I love Bur...

AlexR

Château Lanessan, a cru bourgeois in Cussac (AOC Haut-Médoc) has been sold by the Bouteiller family to Treasury Wine Estates AKA Penfolds. Treasury also own Cambon la Pelouse and Belle-Vue, both in Macau and also in the Haut-Médoc appellation. Lannessan is a 350 hectare estate with 85 hectares of vi...

AlexR

Thanks for the advice.
I'l have to try your suggestions ARV.

Alex

AlexR

I'm much more bullish on Grand Puy Lacoste than some of you. Jim, you are in danger of being served the wine blind by one of us and finding it to your liking! ;-). For my money, it should be bumped up not one, but two categories. I see that the wine is quite well noted on Cellartracker, but then the...

AlexR

I have a problem in that I have a couple of decanters from which I have removed all stains, but the glass remains *cloudy*.

Is there any remedy for getting rid of the couldiness?

Alex R.

AlexR

A recent thread on BWE asked people what they thought were the most overrated great growths. Several people suggested Château Lascombes. This prompted me, in the interest of science, to look at my cellar book to see if I had any. As it so happens, I did. And a bottle of 2000 Lascombes seemed just th...

AlexR

This is a two-day-old report from English journalist Jane Anson, based in Bordeaux: Rain and slightly fresher temperatures have returned to Bordeaux this week after six weeks with almost zero rainfall, and the driest July since 1959. The first white grapes are now coming in across Entre deux Mers, P...

AlexR

Why not both together?

https://www.millesima.fr/domaine-de-sul ... -2016.html

AR

Search found 2378 matches