Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Claudius2

Guys I have tried quite a range of both 2019 and 2020 right bank wines over the last few years. The 19s are very good with a more traditional character including a touch of savoury characters as well as good fruit, and balanced tannins and acid. I’ve tried several St Emilions three or four times and...

Claudius2

One more fake thing in PRC. Have you heard of Tofu Dreg buildings??? Buildings have a bad habit of falling apart in China for several reasons, not the least is usage of fake materials including cement and wood (fake wood is no more than compressed paper) and if developers can save a few RMB by using...

Claudius2

Not tried the 2009 though the 2005 was very good and had quite a bit of complexity drunk from magnums a few years back. It isn’t in the top category of course but over performed in that vintage.

Cheers
Mark

Claudius2

Guys The best wine I’ve sipped this year is 2020 Ch Canon St Emilion. Absolute success in 2020 and is my vote for what it is worth. Seriously one of the very best young Bdx I’ve ever tried and seriously I’ve had quite a few. Hic… If I picked a 2019 it would be Ch Giscours Margaux which was the fav w...

Claudius2

UN bureaucrate Faking a second growth from an esteemed estate such as CS would be perfectly logical just about anywhere outside of the western world - and those countries have all had fakes just maybe not of second wines. I’ve been living in Singapore for 14 yrs and spend quite a lot of time traveli...

Claudius2

Joel I spent some time in the Medoc during the 2000 vintage and the grapes were in excellent condition coming into the chais BUT the skins were rather thick and the juice was dark and dense in most cases. The winemaking teams liked what they saw but those willing to predict what the wines would be l...

Claudius2

Not tried the 2005 LB but the same vintage of Langoa Barton is pretty surly and seems to be in need of much time. What surprises me is that I drank quite a few 2005s at tastings and they were tannic but really fruity. My experience was that they closed down soon after and I have decided that I am go...

Claudius2

Happy thanksgiving folks.
Wendy and I are in Central Java - spent the day visiting Borobudur and yesterday was Prambunan temple - one Buddhist and one Hindu - in a country that is mainly Muslim. Things change…
Cheers
Mark

Claudius2

Folks I'll address the first issue of the wine. 2020 is an excellent Bordeaux vintage on both banks, in a different style to 2019. I tried 50-60 2020's a few months back and they were excellent overall BUT I am not buying any simply as I have too much red wine and an increasing list of health issues...

Claudius2

I have a case of 2018 Faiveley Latricieres Chambertin on the basis of it being a cool vineyard spot and the claimed 13.5% alcohol…have my fingers crossed. Also some of the 18 boillot Moucheres I bought very little of 2018 as it was the hottest vintage since 2003, and I never liked that vintage anyw...

Claudius2

Guys I voted for Beychevelle as it is on a roll now and is unfortunately getting more expensive. It was the first classed growth I ever drank - a long time ago - and along with LB, GL, Branaire and a few others, led me to admire the wines of the Medoc. I got into the right bank a bit later though mo...

Claudius2

Guys I think 2019 is a BWE sort of vintage. I know that sounds corny but it is a classic vintage with all the components in balance. Yet with modern techniques and weather patterns. Not tried GPL but have tried the Pontet Canet also from Pauillac and it was excellent. Both properties must be on a ro...

Claudius2

Guys Just for a laugh about China today. I've talked a bit in the past about fakes in China. there is a new fake - BLACK PIGS. Yeah pigs are now being painted black as they are worth more. Southern Europe in particular values the meat from black pigs - in Spain it's called black leg pig- and they ar...

Claudius2

Thanks for the reminder, Jim! I just bought another mixed case of 2019s from InternetWines: -d'Issan x 4 for $45 (to bring my total to 12) -Branaire Ducru x 3 for $40 (to bring my total to 12) -Langoa Barton x 3 for $40 -Gloria x 2 for $30 Irresistible prices. They have a bunch of 2016s on sale as ...

Claudius2

Ian Yes Xi is behaving irrationally and dangerously. The leaders in most SE Asian nations are pissed off with China and there is now more anticipation that Taiwan will be invaded. Xi is much more interested in his political legacy than any number of human beings. He has been talking up his desire to...

Claudius2

guys
the first vintage of MSG I tried was the 2006, purchased on clearance sale, and now buy it regularly.
I have some of the 2019 that i bought on en primeur so I'll leave it is the cellar for some time.
Good to hear it is successful.
cheers
Mark

Claudius2

Joel Sounds like a great tasting - nice that the DRC had held up so well after so many years. One comment about the 2004 Pavie. Not surprised you didn't like it much. Until it the mid 90's, i used to buy this wine regularly - it wasn't at the price point it is now. I've tried the 2004 a few times, o...

Claudius2

Got covid for the second time right now. First time, 2 years ago, a mild variant. This time, a variant way more fierce : fever, nose, head, throat, abdomen hurts. Sweating, freezing, can't sleep with the unfrequent caugh... Sorry you have got it again. Mine is the first time and not what I expected...

Claudius2

Guys
If you need a tour guide in San Sebastián, let me know as we have a good friend who lives there.

For food, you must try the Turbot - it is a local specialty and quite delicious with a Galician Alborino or a white Burgundy.

Cheers
Mark

Claudius2

The train stop at Hendye is pretty simple - you have to cross over to a different platform though it’s pretty simple and you can book tickets in advance if you want.

Another alternative is a Flix bus - we used it last year but I’d take the train in preference.

Claudius2

Guys I have realized that I don’t need any more red wine unless I live to over 100. At the moment I have around 2000 reds mainly Bordeaux, Burgundy and smatterings of others from Cote Rotie to Coonawarra. Recent purchases have been mainly Chardonnay from Australia and Burgundy and NV Champagne. Unle...

Claudius2

Guys I live in a country which is 80% Chinese, my lovely wife Wendy is Chinese (she moved to Singapore 30 yrs ago), I’ve been there quite a few times and my in-laws and many friends and business associates live there. I also taught international businesses at Australian Universities for some years a...

Claudius2

I had COVID in January 2023 even though I had the maximum number of Pfizer vaccine shots. Luckily I was able to start PAXLOVID less than an hour after symptoms began. The COVID was gone in less than 24 hours. I had no loss of taste or smell. However the taste of the PAXLOVID lingered in my mouth fo...

Claudius2

It all depends at one's immune system. However, I caught it and lost my smell and taste senses for about 3 weeks. Afterward, both came back pretty quickly. It happened in December 2021. I only had mild symptoms without a temperature over 36 degrees C. I've had 5 times Pfizer vaccine and will get nr...

Claudius2

Guys This is the first dose of COVID I’ve had and I wonder - did everyone else lose their sense of taste? My nose isn’t much better either. So for the last few weeks, I would not be able to say if a wine is red or white based on the nose only. Seems to be olfactory collapse. On the palate maybe I co...

Claudius2

Nic The wine is the top shelf of Taylor’s. The wine comes from the Clare Valley which is further north of Barossa. Clare is 130klms north of Adelaide. It has been some years since I’ve tried Taylor’s wines. They tend to fly below the radar but James Halliday has always strongly rated them . They are...

Claudius2

Nicely done Ian and curious to hear your thoughts about the 2004 Lynch Bages as I found an attractive price in the wholesale channels which is well below market and would prefer your thoughts versus trying to form an opinion based on mixed cellartracker reviews. Hi JC the context for the 04 Lynch p...

Claudius2

Yes happy birthday!
Hope to meet you again in Bordeaux some time.
Cheers
Mark

Claudius2

Stefan
Well the nameless wine did very well in 2019 and 2020 as well.
Cheers
Mark

Claudius2

Jim Based on the last tasting I did earlier this year, the 19s were shutting down and did not show as much fruit as last year particularly the right bank wines. The structure is good for ageing though better to leave them for now. The 2020s on the other hand are bursting with fruit on the right bank...

Claudius2

Claudius2, I wrote incorrectly the sentence "too many smilar wines"...... It should have been in this wine - "According to my taste, there weren't too many similar wines in 2020 vintage". 2020 has finer and grained tannin, and the fruit is more vibrant and energetic, than in 200...

Claudius2

Hi Mark, Thanks for your notes, which are overall pretty positive. It is interesting to plot price against ratings. Wines such as Carbonnieux, La Tour Figeac and Gazin come out rather well. All the best, Alex Hi Alex Sorry I did not see this earlier. I think that the quality of the less famous/expe...

Claudius2

Guys This gives me absolutely no pleasure to write or even think about. I am shaking my head in disbelief. You are likely to go into the next election with: A). The existing President who is clearly being staged managed and frankly is little more than a puppet. This is not personal, I don't have any...

Claudius2

What should you do?
Well just send over the wine fridges to balmy Singapore.
I am running out of space and with the hot, humid weather, they will be gratefully received!
cheers
Mark

Claudius2

Izak/Musigny The tannins in 2020 are ripe and fine, and maybe a bit better than in 2009. I have a lot of 2009s in storage (30 to 40 cases) and somehow feel a sense of apprehension about about popping the corks, One aspect that is better in 2020 is that the less famous wines in 2020 were better. Of t...

Claudius2

Thanks for the outstanding report Claudius. It seems like Canon usually shows well at these initial tastings. Do these wines correlate into greatness after 10-20 years? Has there been a change in winemaking style at Canon? Is it too early to assess the more modern Canons? Is the 2015 Canon drinking...

Claudius2

I was running out of time when I lined up to taste Pauillac and St Estephe. By this time in any case, my taste buds were rather overloaded and I did not think I'd be able to taste much anyway. So my notes are less reliable and shorter. Cos Labory Medium to full bodied, with lots of dark fruit, some ...

Claudius2

St Julien The St Julien wines were solid performers with plenty of structure and fruit. I think they will suit both traditionalists and modernists. Beychevelle Good red/black colour. Nose showed red and black fruits, plus more savoury, forest floor aromas, tobacco and dusty oak. The palate was medi...

Claudius2

Pomerol I am not sure why, I just didn't seem to try many Pomerols. Compared to St Emilion, they were firmer, a bit drier and had more tobacco and earthy characters, without that in your face, open fruit of St Emilion. Gazin Dark black/red, not as pinky/purple as most St Emilions. Quite an explosiv...

Claudius2

Folks, My notes on the wines - in the order I tasted them - is as follows: 1. White Bordeaux Carbonnieux 65% SB, 35% Semillon. Tangy nose and palate, some fruit depth and interest. There is some lemon, honeysuckle and vanilla. Not bad at all - *** La Louviere 100% SB (worse luck...) Lighter colour, ...

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