Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

pomilion

Sociando is sometimes a little rustic for my taste, but I liked '05 quite a bit and bought a case. I haven't touched my 05s yet. Did you try 05 SM yet pomilion? What's the scoop? Didn't take notes and it was a couple years ago, but yes, I tried it and loved it. 2005 is a very special bordeaux vinta...

pomilion

I noticed Suck'aling being a bit generous with his scoring at times. Is he doing this to gain access and favor with the wineries? He already has access to pretty much any winery in the world, though I'm sure the generous scores won't hurt how he's received in the future at top estates. I think it's...

pomilion

Sociando is sometimes a little rustic for my taste, but I liked '05 quite a bit and bought a case.

pomilion

I'm getting ready to buy the following 2009 wines at 20-30% off these already low prices: Haut Bergey: $32 Camesac $25 Grand Mayne $45 Joanin Becot $24 Monbousquet $46 Cote de Baleau $22 La Tour de Bessan $18 La Tour de Mos $23 La Tour du Pin $42 I'm a regular Parker point chaser! Have you tried '0...

pomilion

Yes Haut Bailly is a tremendous estate but it costs like $180 now. Whatever one thinks of the increasing homogeneity/Parkerization argument, I think it's indisputable that Bob has been the prime mover in the horrific escalation in Bordeaux prices over the past 15 years. Yes, as Jeff will argue, it'...

pomilion

I really don't think there is any controversy here -- the answer is clear. In his early years, Bob, regardless of whether you agree with his taste preferences, was a big positive for bordeaux -- promoting the region and introducing millions of people to its wonderful wines with his enthusiasm and vo...

pomilion

Mmmmmm, loves me some '99 Palmer. Wish I'd bought a few cases when it was decently-priced in the early 2000s. Something I kick myself over with some regularity...

pomilion

... I've never really considered the right bank part of Bordeaux... The right bank is a place where some interesting wines are made but they are not to me the wines of the Gironde, the wines of 1855. They are not "Bordeaux." Perhaps the site should be rechristened "Bordeaux and Near ...

pomilion

I voted no preference. Started out firmly in the right bank camp, now gravitating more toward left bank but still split and opportunistic - I'll buy whatever appeals, left or right, in a given vintage...

pomilion

The Pavie Decesse was the more serious wine, bigger, lots of sediment... the Pavie Decesse more cedary and complex. Still, they seem to lack the gravitas of my St. Juliens and Pauillacs and Margauxs. '00 PD was very shut down when I had it recently. Having had it multiple times, it's a very serious...

pomilion

On her web page Jane Anson has expressed some concern about the levels of fruit in the vintage. After discussing the high tannin and acid levels she writes: "I haven't talked about the fruit - which is definitely there, although in the most disappointing wines it is hidden by the other element...

pomilion

More very mixed results: http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=20411 Tooch is a solid taster. I follow him on Loire and Northern Rhone. The only note that surprised me was Canon La Gaff and Poujeaux. Helpful to have these counter-points. Interesting cellartracker notes -- I agree with most ...

pomilion

When I tasted 2008s at UGC, almost all the wines had this mouth puckering acidity. Maybe that's the way they were showing at that particular night, but it may show Gilman's palate preference toward more acidicity....which is consistent with how he also ranks Burgundy vintages. My experience exactly...

pomilion

I've had the '00 PD twice in the past year -- once it was mind-blowing, the other time shut down hard. A bit of a head-scratcher, look forward to your thoughts.

pomilion

Nine or ten years ago my now wife, then gf, and I had another two couples over to our house for dinner. I was starting to really get into wine but didn't know much about bordeaux (more into CA wine at the time). One of our friends was really into bordeaux, and I was in charge of wine for the evening...

pomilion

One of the loudest, the bete noir of wine tasters, is John Gilman. In an exercise in serendipity, he just "tweeted" a couple of remarks re: the 2010 UGC event. Just to be provocative, here's the two most recent comments he made: 1. "Fascinating tasting of 2010 claret at UGC event yes...

pomilion

Jon -- forgot to mention that we looked for you at Saturday's UGC, sorry you weren't able to make it.

pomilion

Thanks Pomilion. Sounds like a great time -- great approach to tasting by the way. Interesting that you prefer lots of '09s to '10s. 08 was the last year I bought PLL; '09 is nuts, '10 nuttier. Looks like Haut Bergey is on a roll; nice '09 and now a nice '10 too. I guess I do slightly prefer 2009 (...

pomilion

Here are my impressions from yesterday's UGC tasting of the 2010s in Los Angeles. First, I should say something about my strategy at UGC tastings. I usually end up tasting half or fewer of the wines -- 35 to 50 is about all I can handle, and I like to revisit a number of them and do some comparisons...

pomilion

Great notes, Outlier, and glad you had a great time! My wife and I went to the Los Angeles UGC this afternoon and just finished our traditional post-UGC sushi and mineral water feast at home. I will post some notes tomorrow, but suffice it to say that it was another great UGC, up there with the UGC ...

pomilion

2009 is like shooting fish in a barrel when it comes to finding merely "good" wines... With this kind of material, these wines could probably even age some. They are so easy to drink now though... Now, one can quibble over the style of the vintage, and I do. But these are still enjoyable....

pomilion

Blame the Chinese and Parker for D-M: the Anti-Wine Consumer Advocate strikes again! I wonder if Parker appreciates the irony of his note on the wine (along with giving it 97 points): "Consumers looking to maximize value should be checking out Duhart Milon, as this may be the single smartest pu...

pomilion

D-M was quite affordable ($60) at the beginning of the '09 futures campaign, but it was gone almost instantly at its opening price. I managed to get perhaps the last 6 bottles in the country at that price -- wish I'd gotten more... It appears to now be going for $125+ in the States. Looking forward ...

pomilion

Going to the UGC in Los Angeles this Saturday and will post some thoughts afterwards. 2010 Grand Puy Lacoste (widely available under $100) is intriguing to me. Parker gave it a solid but not spectacular score (93-96, which ought to be high but for RMP these days is middling...) but other critics, in...

pomilion

A couple years since my last serious inventory, but I'd guess 50% bordeaux (including sauternes and barsac, all 01s), 35% California and 15% Southern Rhone. Producers most represented: Ridge (largest holding, mostly Monte Bello), Angelus, Pontet Canet, Tertre Roteboeuf, Canon La Gaffeliere, Pavie/Pa...

pomilion

I've only gone to the public tastings and not the trade tastings. I suspect the latter are better organized than the former. I've been to a fair number of the public UGC tastings (this year's will be my sixth); some have been decently organized, others not so much. No question they are big, mass tas...

pomilion

Nice wine, had it a few weeks ago along with Haut Bages Liberal, another winner in the same price range. Agree that everyone should try a bottle and see what they think.

pomilion

Other thoughts as to logistics... Spit, don't swallow Drink plenty of water Bread can help refresh the palate A bit of rare beef will help kill the tannins even more effectively Don't try to taste everything, make a list and scope out the room at the start I'm not a big fan of whites, but if you ta...

pomilion

Will be attending the Los Angeles tasting. See some of you there!

pomilion

Back to the Gisours... -- what a nice wine, very very promising! I tried it over the holidays and ordered a case the next day. Getting up there price-wise (I paid $75 in CA) but still worth it. As many have commented, although prices are creeping up there are many beautiful moderately-priced '09s. A...

pomilion

Ranking 08 ahead of 09 (and 01 and 10), and ranking 02 ahead of 10 and -- at least in the Northern Medoc -- 03, tells you pretty much all you need to know about Gilman. An old-school traditionalist, hates modern-styled wines with a passion (and lots of self-aggrandizing flair), prefers leaner, more ...

pomilion

It's all a function of where we are with unemployment, gdp growth rate, gas prices, etc. in October 2012...

pomilion

Once again, questionable judgement exercised by Parker. Liv-Ex is a very poor choice of a forum to proclaim 2001 underrated/undervalued... Parker himself notes in the interview: "I do know the impact my scores can have, particularly in Bordeaux. It’s scary sometimes; no one should have that kin...

pomilion

Welcome, peroivind. Ditto on the 04, I bought a bunch after it showed really well at a PC dinner in late 2010. I think it's almost as good as the 03. Agree with Jeff that PC's wines took a step up starting in 2005.

pomilion

Jim -- there are definitely some very nice less expensive 09s, some of which I got a chance to taste at the UGC. I've posted before about Domaine de Chevalier and Gruaud, but Haut Bergey was very nice as well as Poujeaux (not on your PJ's list), and although I neglected to try de Fieuzal at the UGC ...

pomilion

Jeff -- I agree that some chateaux have upped their game in the past 10-15 years. Pontet Canet, as you point out, is a great example. I went to the Pontet Canet dinner with Alfred Tesseron at the Peninsula in November of 2010 (perhaps you were there as well) at which 94, 96 and 00-08 were poured, an...

pomilion

On a related, but different point, why are people calling Parker an Anti-Wine Consumer Advocate for giving wines the scores and comments he thinks they deserve? I'm a subscriber. I pay him for his views, up or down, he needs to call it as he sees it. That is not to say he is right or wrong, it is s...

pomilion

Bacchus The market here is driven by RP points. 100 pts mean the prices double. Got a mailer from a local retailer singing the praises of a pile of 100, 99 and 98 point wines from 2009, with outrageous prices. Several of the wines I ordered on indent for around half the price (and the Euro was much...

pomilion

Great note on 01 Lafaurie-Peyraguey, haven't had this in a while. Not sure it's possible for a wine region to do much better than 01 Sauternes/Barsac -- almost all I've tried have been amazing. Bought decent amounts of L-P, Climens, Rieussec, Suduiraut, La Tour Blanche and Guiraud but haven't tried ...

pomilion

Bacchus wrote: ... you sure make the 03 SM sound tantalizing. How would you compare it with the 05, assuming you've tried it?

I like the 03 quite a bit, but the 05 is a step up like so many 05s (even though 05 is only 2/19ths as good a bordeaux vintage as 09).

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