Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

AlexR

In the name of science, I opened 2010 Fleur Cardinale for lunch, uncorking it four hours before the meal (roast lamb) and decanting it one hour before. I had hoped to provide a counterpoint to Jim’s impressions, but must admit I have to agree with him. The wine looked older than its years (my wife g...

AlexR

Jim, I went to see Cellartracker and saw your notes there. The other comments, including from this year, are pretty different. I wonder why? Perhaps you are into more elegant, understated Bordeaux, which i can certainly relate to. I have a bottle of this wine, and you make me want to try it soon. Al...

AlexR

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_(film)

Great flick....

AR

AlexR

Word here is that recent vintages of DV are very much on the rise.
Not among the wines I tasted from 2022.

For those of you laying down wines to age, might be a good idea to stock up.

AR

AlexR

Hey guys, There are at least 2 BWEers out there tasting he 2022s. I'm wondering if my teeth are permanently stained. Today there were UGC tastings at Lascombes, Beychevelle, and Lynch Bages. After lunch, i went to Lafite, Mouton, Calon Ségur, Cos d'Estournel, Haut Marbuzet, and Meyney. That's what y...

AlexR

Izak tasted with me and his opinion was not dissimilar to mine.

Château flavor profiles can change. Some go up 8n quality, others go down...

AR

AlexR

Sorry, ian, it must have been 2015. Yes, some vintages of Corbin are indeed lacklustre, including the one we shared at le Terrasse Rouge (Ch. La Dominique). Byut there have been changes at Corbin, with Nicolas Fabre coming to run much of the operation. He was assistant cellar master at Pétrus. All t...

AlexR

Hi, I'm doing the rounds on the 2022 barrel tastings. It's exhausting, but exhilirating. Lots to say, but I wanted to weigh in here with a BWE favorite, Château Corbin. The BWE magical mystery tour visited here in 2005 (yes, that long ago...). Anyway, i fell in love with the 2022 Corbin and seeing t...

AlexR

Vintage generalizations are for the intellectually-challenged (writes he who recently shared one-word appraisals on another thread...). I prefer to call off vintages "politically incorrect" ones, because that's tongue-in-cheek and makes fun of our propensity to oversimplify complicated rea...

AlexR

My Republican friends are patting themselves on the back that the United States is a country where a former ruler can actually be prosecuted in a court of law i.e. does not have some sort of immunity. That sounds good, but some questions remain: - Does anyone believe that Trump will actually spend a...

AlexR

I assume you're talking about "politically correct" vintages here ;-). Because 91s, 92s, 93s, and some other vintages are clearly close to, at, or past maturity. Many good surprises with the 94s. The 95s are richer and more forward than the 96s. 97s: best to drink up. 98s: mostly there for...

AlexR

Hi Nic, I’m weighing in rather late in the game, but I really had to say something about the BWE London convention, especially after your great summary. First of all, Ian Amstad did us proud in all sorts of ways and, in fact, made everything possible. His good relationship with Mathieu at Noizé resu...

AlexR

Why is it so difficult to post photos?

AlexR

I had more than a small sip, Michael. It was a great pleasure, a "wine of meditation" as the Italians say. Although clearly into another dimension, it was much more than a footnote to history. It was a joy. It was one of the top wines of the evening for me. Thanks so much for sharing. Alex...

AlexR

Yes, Indeed, Ian did us very proud.

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AlexR

5 course suits me just fine.
Alex R.

AlexR

I think the problem is both societal and poltical. One of the yardsticks by which developed countries are measured is the way they treat their poor. The Protestant Ethic is alive and well in America and this weighs heavily on the political reality. It means that the "haves" figure they des...

AlexR

82 Sociando is a controversial wine because if its mercaptan/green pepper aromatics.
Perdonally I find these more weurd than offputting.
I have one bittle left and am wondering how it will taste in years ti come.

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AlexR

The French have a saying "There is no paradise on earth". This is to say that everywhere, even places like wealthy, postcard pretty, neutral Switzerlan, has its problems, failings, and frustrations. Let's face it: the cost and organization of medical care in the US is not anything to boast...

AlexR

£ 1,300 per month?!

I realize that pharmaceutical firms spend millions on research but that seems like an outrageous price.

Aren't their any government watchdogs to keep a cap on things?

Alex

AlexR

Stefan, I'm all for extending a helping hand to people who are suffering. Poor people are often stigmatized because their sad situation is perceived to be their own fault. They deserve what they get (or, rather, don't get)... The Protestant Ethic :-). While there *are* people coasting along with an ...

AlexR

Wow, looks really aged!

There are so many different types of Sauternes.
Some are great for the long haul, others less so.

AR

AlexR

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/14/french-vineyards-bordeaux-payout-pour-wine-down-drain-trade-sales This article in the Guardian speaks of a very serious problem in the Bordeaux wine country. However, if you look at the BWE board, you’ll quickly see that the majority of posts concern onl...

AlexR

I quite like Léoville Barton.

AR

AlexR

Good wines are made in all vintages. Mark, you have thrown down the gauntlet to find you a good 2013 to taste blind! The obviously advantage of "off-vintages" (I call the good ones "politically correct") is their price. This can be less than *half* of a back-to-back acclaimed one...

AlexR

Gentlemen, John wrote "Over all those years there is no other specific Bordeaux wine and vintage for which I have seen more differing, contrasting scores, reviews and tasting notes than 1989 Latour" I went and looked at the 220 Cellartracker notes for this wine. Most are full of praise, bu...

AlexR

John,

In the interest of science, please open your bottle soon and share your thoughts!

All the best,
Alex R

AlexR

Well, here is a wine above my pay grade… and one for a special occasion. That occasion occurred when my friend Chris Howell, manager of Cain Vineyard and Winery in Saint Helena, came to dinner. I first met Chris when he was an intern at Mouton Rothschild years ago. His Napa Valley wine, Cain Five, i...

AlexR

Jim,

The wine has pretty poor press, with Robert Parker famously writing that "Life is too short to drink Croizet Bages".

*However*, things change and there has been a definite upswing in quality in the past few years.

I'm glad you enjoyed the 2019.

AR

AlexR

La Cabotte is: - the name, in Burgundy, for a small stone hut in the vineyards where winegrowers can store tools and seek shelter during inclement weather - the name of a cuvée of Chevalier-Montrachet from Bouchard Père et Fils - the name of a restaurant in Nuits-Saint-Georges and, apparently, the n...

AlexR

Félicitations !

I hope it will be a joyous event.

Alex

AlexR

Well you probably heard (haha) that Amber just negotiated a settlement with her ex. The court fined him 2 million, but her 10 million. Her press release was a masterpiece of hipocrisy and bad faith. Her settling should in no way, ever, be taken for an admission of wrongdoing. And the American judici...

AlexR

Hi, This sounds all very exciting 😀. There are apparently 3 evening events. Would it be correct to assume that the unmissable "gala evening" is on Friday the 24th? Ian, for those people who prefer to buy wine in London rather than cart it from thousands of miles away, do you have any sugge...

AlexR

Hi,

I am pretty sure I can swing a trip to England any time in March 2023.

Alex R.

AlexR

Like "vieilles vignes", "réserve", "cuvée spéciale", etc., the words "crème de tête" have no legal meaning and are left to the appreciation of the producer. At a reputable estate, à crème de tête is à richer, sweeter, more concentrated wine but, as said above,...

AlexR

You're a lucky man Mark.

VCC is such an elegant wine...
And you hit all the high points.

I'll pretend not to be jealous...

AR

AlexR

OMG, what an evening!
Kinda like you died and went to heaven....

Lowest score 96!
Bordeaux still rules

.

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AlexR

Sorry, count me out in all this.
Especially true this year after what I've read about Qatar and the way the infrastructures were built (slave labor).

AR

AlexR

I'm sure that Domaine Dillon have their sights set on grand cru classé status, which they couldn't do in the last classification because of having swallowed up Grand Pontet (not that this was disallowed, just too recent). I have yet to be impessed by Quintus, but it takes years to create a reputatio...

AlexR

David,

A longer "worm" might be an improvement, I agree.

AR

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