On Deck: 2009 Ch. Haut-Beasejour, St. Estephe

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Picked this one up at local Costco for $24. Will be taking another one for the team tonight, with enjoyment foremost in mind but also with a view towards discerning if the St. Estephe "brand" is worth $5-10 more than the "Bordeaux Superior" brand in the context of the vintage. Yes, a systematic, scientific approach would require tasting many more samples before drawing conclusions, but f*ck it.

So this is a wine I've heard of but it appears to be of no particular repute or renown. It is under same ownership as Ch. Pichon Lalande, I see, courtesy of Winedoctor (which, BTW, I am reading voraciously before it goes paywall. I'll soon have it all memorized up to 2011 en primeur.). We'll see if that matters.

We'll give this humble wine every advantage possible by pairing it with some grilled lambchops. That's still hours off. You can read all about it in the morning edition.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

OK, the lid is off this baby and to look at and sniff it's promising. There's a nice dark color that gains in purplish-black hue and intensity as does volume in the glass. Check. The bouquet - well, I get a charry, savory sensation, a bit of dilly oak and some very subordinate blackberries. Yes, this is going more towards the earthy spectrum. The palate is very expansive but actually rather lithe. It's not a gobsmack of fruit although there's warmth and a flourish of fine tannins at the end. Sort of large-scaled mid-bodied. Perhaps a touch low-acid. Will have to let this compose itself in the glass for an hour. It spent a couple of hours in the vinotemp but I think it could use the refrigerator treatment to knock it down a few more degrees.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Sorry for the delay. I regret to report that this wine (one of few it seems as I am almost always pleased) failed to meet or exceed expectations. Before I expound, let me say this is far from DNPIM material. Far. But almost from the get go this wine recalled the 2005 Ch. de Fieuzal (or at least the four bottles I've had of a case) in that it seemed flat. It has the 09 warmth, clocking in at 14%, and the expansive mouthfeel noted above but it seemed to lack any sappiness/punchiness in the core. In fact I would almost say it had no core, and not in some philosophical, spiritual, "Has Bordeaux Become Boring" sense, but in a physical, fruit and mouthfeel sense. I gave it some time and the lamb chops helped tease a bit more acidity out of the finish, but unless this wine is somehow shutting down and in a way I'm not used to recognizing, then it's going to get by and just barely on charry flavors and dusty tannins. I've only had a handful of 09s but from the Gruaud Larose on down to the Bordeaux Superior level they've all shown some exuberant fruit, in a good way. For comaprison, the Ch. Capern Gasqueton, also a St. Estephe, just had a lot more appeal and dynamism.

So I can't give this even a single raised eyebrow. More like a consternation face.

[Blanquito]

Thanks for the info, AlohaArt.

I had the 2003 version of this wine and it was pretty good value at $20.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

FTR, another bottle, a nearly identical impression. Kathy liked it though.

Again this just does not seem to have quite enough acidity and not the essence of other 09s I've tried. With the warmth and volume it shows I'm discounting the possibility it could be closing down; this can be deceiving admittedly. It would probably be instructive if nothing else to try a bottle in five or even 10 years and see what happens if and when the tannic veil dissolves but it's unlikely I will. As always I would be interested in others' opinions should anyone come across this wine.