Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Claudius

I don;t think 06 offers much in value terms. I bought Leoville Barton, Pavie Macquin, GPL, Malescot St E, Calon Segur and Haut Batailley. I want some from all but the worst vintages - gives me different reference points rather than lots from the same vintage. Won't say any are must buys but LB is ty...

Claudius

A rich man's indulgence, a bit like some Bordeaux wines...

Claudius

David,
what I don't get is why has the US industry let itself fall into some very deep holes like this?
The problems emerged many years ago.

Claudius

Stefan, I agree. My personal expereinces with the local and international makers (as an employee many years ago and a consultant in recent times) concur with your experiences. I just can't handle arrogance and hubris in management. Arrogant people rarely if ever do a good job. They become too self-f...

Claudius

Jal etc. Companies don't have "rights". Maybe I should have said "need" or "purpose". The market decides, and I shake my head seeing governments and the like bang on about them. Companies like Toyota and Honda etc have given the customer a better product for their money...

Claudius

Well,
Now I'm kicking myself for NOT buying the 06 PC.
I've been buying it regularly since the mid 90s.

Claudius

Steve, I would not say it has struggled entirely, it has been somewhat inconsistent and maybe has never reeached its potential?? The 82 and 83 were very nice wines yet I found those from the other 80s vintages to be a bit rough and simple. The 95 and 96 are both pretty good by the way, but maybe it ...

Claudius

Jim, I've got two French cars. A Citroen C5 (which is a sedan about the size of a 5 series BMW) and a Peugeot 307 my wife drives most of the time. Last car was a Toyota which never missed a beat for nearly 6 years. The Aust car industry makes similar cars to yours - same companies too. Cars that are...

Claudius

Guys
I have both these wines.
Not tried the DM yet, but the 03 Pontet Canet is a terrific wine.
At a large blind tasting of 03s, I rated this and Montrose the best wines, even ahead of the (less open and giving) 1er Crus.

Claudius

Jim, I think lagrange has been pretty consistent since the late 80s, and produces good wine in the average-good vintages - even the 94 is showing well now. Not heavy or sweet, just medium bodied, well balanced wine. Yet I think it shows the vintage conditions well. The 2000 is excellent, reflecting ...

Claudius

Okay, Most have never heard of this. It is imported by a local wine writer (Lester Jesberg of Winewise). It is not a well known property but the estate has been making increasingly good wines for the last decade. 1998 was also a good vintage in Graves/Pessac Leognan, and the rep of the vintage means...

Claudius

Jim
Why do you decribe 06 as an enigma??

Claudius

I've kept it at the smae size as there is no more storage room anyway. The changes have been less Aust wine (I still drink it but less often), more Burgundy mainly. The cellar is about 35% Burgundy (incl whites), 25% Red Bordeaux, 5% Rhone and southern France (Bandol, etc), 5% Champagne, 25% Austral...

Claudius

David My personal view was that 98 was over-rated. It is a very good vintage but pushing the sweetness a bit much. I rate 96 and 2002 a lot higher due o the fine tannins and less overtly sweet nature. With due respect to parker, I never take any notice of his notes anyway. It is also worth noting th...

Claudius

There is no problem drinking it young - if that is the style you like. It is a bit like drinking Burgundy young - it is nice in its own way but you know it will change with age. I have SA shiraz wines going back to the eighties and most are drinking well know in a differnt style to to young stuff. O...

Claudius

It depends on the style you like. If you want that big, potent ripe fruit character, licorice, blackberry et al, drink over the next few years. If you leave it to 2015-18, it will mature, the fruit becoming less sweet, more spicy, a bit leathery and tarry. Tannins will be present but start to soften...

Claudius

In that case, I will not hurry. I have reviewed a few other 86s here over the last year or so. The 86 Cos is brilliant. I rated it the best Cos at a hosted tasting (with Bruno Prats) several years ago, of wines from 75 to 2000 (the latter just a sample). The 86 Ducru is also very very good, a bit ea...

Claudius

David,
You need a big steak or similar to go with this.
Plesae note that this wine will develop for many years and the baby fat will be supplanted with complexity.
I would not drink an 05 latour either!

Claudius

Folks, I have stayed out of the debate as I don't think there is a lot more to say. But I'll just make a few comments. I have been threatened with being kicked off ERP/Squires board as I teased some of the arch terroirists and had a bit of frissance with one particular pom writer and a German wine i...

Claudius

Wow,
I have several of these in storage.
The 86s I have treid are exclllent - Cos, Ducru, Margaux etc, and I have not tried the PL but now I am certainly looking forward to it!

Claudius

Folks, In Sydney, Ausone opened at 3 times the price of the left bank firsts (ex. Latour which now seems to have found a higher price level). It is about the same price here (adjusting for the currency) as in the USA, thus don't think this is a one-off gouge. Cheval Blanc was 25-30% cheaper than Aus...

Claudius

Jim, I bought quite a lot of 02s - the last year I bought the first growths - due to attractive prices and pretty good reviews. I am not sure if you trust the auctions in the USA, but they are going relatively cheap here. Of the vintages 00 to 06, they were the cheapest on indent and still considera...

Claudius

Sounds good!
I have 15 bottles of this (long story) thus I'm impressed!

Claudius

Guys,
I sold my Carraudes lafite 2000 at auction recently and guess what - bought Duhart Milon 2000 for one quarter the price.
Go figure.....
The Duhart is better. A more balanced, complete wine.

Claudius

Guys, A few years back I attended a large vertical hosted by Gildas Ollone from PL. The wines were very good, but I thoought not in the same class as the Cos D'estournel tasting a few months previously. Anyway, I recall the following - ALL wines came directly from the Chateau and there were no duds,...

Claudius

Well, ask PappaDoc to open a store in Australia with the same prices

The Duhart Milon was $A77 here, or about $US60. nearly twicwe the price.

Claudius

This is a tough question beyond 2005. 05 is one of the best vintages I've had, and THE best red Burg vintage I've ever tried (and I'm in my 50's). So for the left bank, 2005, 2004 and 2001 in that order BUT there are some glorious 03s. I can't rate 03 highly overall as the less than good wines were ...

Claudius

Jon, I have been surprised at how slowly the 98 St Emilions have developed. I have treid the BDL a few times and I was surprised at how tight and spiky it was - stored in a cold cellar, it was totally undeveloped even last year. And quite frankly, I got the impression that it may not ever be a top w...

Claudius

Guys, I think Stuart IS a hard marker but part of the issue is that he's treid a vertical and they always tend to show the differences in the wines across vintages. That is, you notice differences in style; one has riper tannins, one other has a differnt mouthfeel, different fruit characters, whatev...

Claudius

Interestingly, I've found the 96 Bernadotte to be a bit TOO light and simple.
Correct, but maybe a bit boring??

Claudius

I must keep my eye out for the 05 D'Issan This wine has to me been an underperformer since the 1982 and 1983 vintages (both all drunk now). Yet I'm surprised at your notes on the 82 Prieure Lichine. I've drunk a full case of this over an extended period and I always thought it was a nice, dark fruit...

Claudius

Well,
I'll leave my full case in the storage unit for much longer.

Claudius

John aka PD, Not a worry. What is driving me nuts is that the media is so entrenched in the gloom and doom. You would think that the sky is falling in. I'm doing so longitudinal analysis on the local economy and it isn't that bad and I don't think it will get as bad as the 1990-93 recession. In 1992...

Claudius

Pappadoc, I'm looking at the Remoissenet 2007 indents. There are some older wines like Corton Charlemagne et al as well, back to 94. So maybe I'll buy a few 07 whites - I have heard Meursault did particularly well. Can I just provide a different opinion on the Australian wine market. Most French win...

Claudius

Guys, I have asked a few local importers if they are doing 08 indents. Most are either waiting for the prices or already shaking their heads. A few were stuck with 2007s that nobody would buy and thus there are plenty of unsold wines from not only 07 but also 06 (to a lesser extent). Those waiting p...

Claudius

Paddadoc,
I'm sitting here with an order form for 2007s.
Do you have any insight into that vintage??
The prices are ugly thus I need some reinforcement....

Claudius

Stefan, I have rationalised the growers. My main producer now for white Burg is Remoissenet, and I have not had a single bottle from 1995 onward that is premoxed. Also have not had premoxed wines from Chouet Clivet, Lequin Colin (though they have a whack of sulphur), Germain, Boillot or Jadot. The w...

Claudius

Claret,
I recognise that tint!
The rest of the cork is lighter than it should be??? - must be the peroxide effect.
On the weekend, opened a Chavy Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres 2000 that was also premoxed.
It was buttercup yellow with a strange nose like off cheese.
Oh well..

Claudius

Jim, The importers in Aust are having the same issue. Great vintage, ugly prices. Some are being sent off to auction and most are not reaching low estimates. I just can;t see the point of paying $1600 for Latour. I will probably be long dead by the time it is ready anyway! The 07s were a disaster he...

Claudius

Hi For that price, I'd buy. I have tried the 98 and 2000 BH and liked it a lot - it is however a modern style right banker and may not be to everyone's taste. It is not a structured, tannic style but a deep fruited, medium bodied style. I occasionally pick it up cheap at auction. Recently bought mor...

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