Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Blanquito

As Ian covers, we had one last wine dinner on my return home from Europe. Such a treat to get one last evening with Ian and a couple of fully mature Ducru. Ian captures both wines, though I slightly preferred the 71 (birth-year bias?) for its more expressive and complex aromatics and it’s wonderful ...

Blanquito

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sat Apr 01, 2023 8:39 pm What day is it today?

Lol.

Blanquito

Damn, those are some really positive scores. I like. Most of those were not shown at the K&L 2020 UGC, but of the same wines at both events, here are my scores: Gazin: 93-94 sturdy, balanced, strong potential DDC (rouge): 95+ (see Ian’s comments) Leoville Barton: 97 killer, balanced, power and c...

Blanquito

Love the write up, Jim. So many thoughts to process, it’s hard to get it out, and now I’m here with my family traveling around France, but my share your feelings, what an amazing trip…. A wine that didn’t get much mention but that I really enjoyed was the 95 Pesquera Reserva. It was just outside my ...

Blanquito

JimHow wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 3:11 pm Damn, too bad I am not buying any more wines post-2019.

Amen, brother!

Blanquito

Ian Amstad: Saving the world's banking system by day, drinking and sharing the world's finest wines by night!

Blanquito

The 37 was my favorite old wine (ie pre-1970), by a wide margin. It was really good.

Blanquito

After over six years of non-stop efforts by all the most powerful institutions in American life to come up with something to definitively take Trump down, we've ended up with...miscategorizing his hush money payments to a mistress in the company books? Which then apparently had to be upcharged from...

Blanquito

jal wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 11:43 pm I think 2004 Produttoris are still too young. I immediately regret opening them.

This. I had a 00 PdB Moccagatta Riserva at age 15 and it was shockingly tight on day one (arrived for business only 24 hrs after opening). In the bigger vintages, these take at least 20 years to even think about.

Blanquito

It was the Cuvée Jean Gautreau, Patrick. I just forgot to mention that in this post. Actually, you have to have sharp eyes to find Sociando on the label as it appears only in the symbol. Thanks, Bill. Given the ripe, presumably forward 09 vintage, I hoped this one was primed for a Howing, but it so...

Blanquito

I'd rather pony up for the 90 Lynch if that's not already in the works...

And if not already planned, I really enjoy doing verticals blind... let the wines themselves tell us which is the best ever!... just sayin'.

Blanquito

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 9:00 pm That is going to be amazing with the 1986 also in the mix for the Lynch vertical, thanks Joel, we are only missing the 1982, because Patrick is bringing the 1983.

Can’t wait for this vertical, my 83 Lynch’s fill is almost as good as the one for Nic’s 88… I’d bring the 82 if I had one!

Blanquito

Given the epic quantities of wine Ian has sketched out, I’d vote for only 5 wines in the 2019 flight:
2019 Lynch Bages (Ian)
2019 Montrose (Jim)
2019 Mystery Wine (Jim)
2019 d'Issan (Joel)
2019 Giscours (Patrick)

Blanquito

Nice, Bill. Was this the normale Sociando or the reserve bottling with the different label, the Cuvée Jean Gautreau?

Sounds like it was the normale but I thought you said you purchase the special cuvee in the other thread.

Blanquito

Thanks for the check in, DG. I bought the 16 but don’t think I’ve tried one yet. I did seriously enjoy the 15 around release as you know, but a subsequent bottle a couple years later was far less enjoyable and showed more overtly modern. I confess to having dumped my half case of the 16 after readin...

Blanquito

stefan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:01 pm Good, Patrick. Actually, I bought it today in SF to eat with corned beef and other Irish delicacies tonight in Berkeley. I'll see if I like it enough to buy some for Oregon.

Alright! Be sure to report back!

Blanquito

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 10:39 pm The Palmieri stash included one - pristine - bottle - of - by far - the greatest wine ever produced by human kind…

What could it be? 1961 Latour? 1900 Margaux? 2016 Tour Saint Christophe? Or the fabled deserted island juice?

Blanquito

JimHow wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 10:35 pm I'm still deciding on which Burgundy to bring but I'm planning on bringing a half bottle of 2000 Ducru Beaucaillou as well for MichaelP and HM$.

A half bottle each? That’s some slim pickings.

Blanquito

stefan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:58 pm 2009 Sociando Mallet Jean Gautreau

Planning to open one of these for a wine dinner in a month’s time, I will report back. Another ‘90 in the making, me hopes.

Blanquito

One small step for sommelier, one giant leap for BWE…

Blanquito

Nicklasss wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:19 pm 3 x 2010 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva

Just grabbed a half bottle of this today!

Blanquito

Since 14 is the new 02, and everyone seems to love the 14 Sociando Mallet (normale), I just grabbed 3 magnums of the ‘14 Cuvée Jean Gautreau for $90/each for future conventions.

Blanquito

Starter: Burrata
Main: Slow cooked lamb belly
Side: Wilted spring greens
Dessert: French cheeses

Canape Menu
Half dozen oysters

Thanks Ian!

Blanquito

JimHow wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:40 pm In a fight between MTG and Tucker I’ve got my money on MTG.

Agreed, she would spank Tucker.

Blanquito

2013 Wind Gap Woodruff Chardonnay Bright, fresh, gingery-limey bouquet. Tart palate, all lime and wet stones. Zippy, simple, long, lean, nice pairing with salmon, gets the job done. So, as mentioned previously, I got a 6 bottle lot of this from WineBid for $10.78 all-in. Best $1.79 bottle of wine in...

Blanquito

Sorry, I misspoke, I have the 2019 Giscours (not the Gloria). Even better. Will save me a trip to the store. Now I just need to know if everyone wants the Branaire, or some other fun 80's Bordeaux. Maybe 89 Pichon Lalande. Or 1990 Haut Bailly etc. Easy! 80’s Bordeaux, the best ever! If it helps, I ...

Blanquito

Sorry, I misspoke, I have the 2019 Giscours (not the Gloria).

Blanquito

Actually, I’ll can bring a 19 GISCOURS easier than a Branaire.

Blanquito

I can bring a 750 of the 19 Branaire, happy to do it especially as Branaire has become my poor man’s Lynch Bages/rich man’s Cantemerle.

Blanquito

You’ll be missed, Marcus. Hope your mother’s health improves quickly.

Blanquito

Thinking on this, I realized there’s at least one wine from the post-90 era that can run with the best of the 80’s: 1995 Figeac. What an incredible wine. I think once fully ready — they’re evolving glacially indeed — some 98 Right Bankers will be as good as of yore. Overall I’m higher (possibly much...

Blanquito

Nice write up, Mark. Several takes away (from my perspective): (1) for your palate, modern Bordeaux isn't better than traditional Bordeaux; (2) but given the realities of climate change and the market place, modern Bordeaux is probably as good as nature allows it, with ripeness and extraction dialed...

Blanquito

Can’t argue with most of these worthy nominees. But lots of them were making plonk in the 80’s, so nowhere to go but up from there. An interesting debate could be centered around a chateau like Montrose. Arguably it didn’t round into peak form until 89/90 (though there are lots of glowing notes on t...

Blanquito

JimHow wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:30 am But from what I’m seeing of the 2019 vintage, from wines like Montrose, Giscours, Kirwan, and others, I’m suddenly optimistic about modern Bordeaux again!

Love it, bring it on! I’ll take some of that optimism.

Blanquito

Good questions. I’m definitely thinking about chateau that made good to great wine in the past, but have really pulled off something even better in the new era.

But if you have examples from outside Bordeaux that meet this criterion, I’m all ears.

Blanquito

The WK article chatter, here and on Berserkers, has prompted some reflection. Do I even buy that notion that any chateau is indubitably making their best wine ever? Of course, we only have the vintages we’ve tasted to compare to and most of us haven’t been lucky enough to taste these wines through t...

Blanquito

I should add that my skepticism doesn’t mean I think the Bordeaux of today is no good. I still buy it, cellar it and enjoy it (some of it anyways). I just reject/doubt the “best ever” notion and will continue to until my palate tells me otherwise.

For my curmudgeonly old-school palate.

Blanquito

Very interesting and well written article. Nevertheless I’m still skeptical, but maybe because we’ve been hearing for 35+ years “the bordelaise have never made better wine”, which WK’s essay debunks… right up until the current vintages that just happen to be for sale. Sorry to be cynical, but I’ve s...

Blanquito

I think that's a solid idea, Patrick. I plan to have bottles of each with me. Still whitling down the list but I know that I have an 83 Gruaud Larose that I'd be happy to bring. I have a 1990 Haut Bailly that I could bring. I was thinking about bringing a 1989 Pichon Lalande as well. But I think Ia...

Blanquito

Can’t wait to try this in London!

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