2009 La Conseillante; children and wine; blind tasting

[marcs]

My stepmother -- who appreciates wine and always lavishes praise on my wine in a plot to get me to bring out the very best when she visits -- was visiting this weekend. Showing the success of her strategy, I brought out a 2009 La Conseillante to go with a lamb dinner. I had intended the 2005 but my storage facility pulled the wrong bottle.

Anyway, I bought this 2009, which I cannot really afford, after attending a sensational Conseillante vertical a few months ago (http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... nte#p69590) and it lived up to my memory. Just gorgeous, at the very beginning of its drinking life and still young but (as is often the case with good 2009s) the beautiful fruit wrapped around and enveloped the structure in such a way that the structural elements in no way inhibited enjoyment of the wine. The deeply balanced and harmonious quality of this wine helped too. One was left with a sensation that the wine would soften and unfold many complexities with time but that one had not lost anything by drinking it today, just traded one kind of experience for another. Unfortunately I have just one more bottle of this wine and given the price cannot afford more. I do however have several 2005s still waiting!

Several observations from this evening. First, we all waxed rhapsodic about this wine in tasting it, and I gave in to my inner Jeff Leve and started saying things like "beautiful dark chocolate mixed with intense blackberry, some caramel but enough minerality to keep it from being cloying, etc. etc." -- it is a young wine that is not yet expressing your gamier aged flavors, it's all imposing but elegant sweet grace right now. Anyway, I had a six year old at the table and after hearing a couple of rounds of this he started to get agitated and demand a taste, on the grounds that "I LOVE chocolate daddy! I LOVE blackberry ice cream! I LOVE brown caramel! It's a yummy kids drink and I want some!". Besides being a demonstration of the fundamentally juvenile nature of your dessert-based delicious-ness talk in relation to wine, this leads me to think I may need some ickier descriptors for my home-based wine tasting from now on. Truffles, dirt, and olives, anyone?

Second, in reference to a discussion some time ago regarding this frequently repeated bullshit internet claim that wine expertise is just snobbery, all wines taste kind of the same, cheaper wines are actually just as good, etc. I demanded that my stepmother blind taste me on the Conseillante vs a current vintage of Apothic Red. That is, she brought out two identical glasses, one of Apothic Red and one of the 2009 Conseillante and asked me to determine which was which. I not only picked the correct wine, I did it in literally less than two seconds simply by sniffing the two glasses, not even having to taste them. The Apothic Red was a blend of over the top artificial vanilla/oak flavorings and a limp soda pop sweetness that was reminiscent of nothing so much as a flavored Starbucks drink, while the Conseillante seemed to be from a different species of drink altogether. I'm not sure that really justifies the 15-fold price difference, certainly not if all you want is a sweet purple drink that will get you drunk, but is at least reassuring that we are getting something for our money!

[DavidG]

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VS

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[stefan]

2009 is one of the few excellent vintages the wines of which I am happy to drink at age 10. For me 2009s are much better than 2010s--I do not expect to live long enough to enjoy 2010s.

Apothic Red sounds ghastly. There are, however, cheap and relatively sweet reds that I don't mind drinking. For example, last night I drank a glass of 2016 Golan Cabernet with pasta and red sauce. This 3rd tier supermarket wine from Golan Heights Winery cost about $9. It impressed me as a good wine to attract wine friends who like bourbon and coke.

[Comte Flaneur]

“Unfortunately I have just one more bottle of this wine and given the price cannot afford more.”

I don’t believe you! Unless those Porsche keys belong to your step mother...

“I do however have several 2005s still waiting!”

Luck you! One 2005 I bitterly regret not buying. Now sadly priced out of my reach.

[marcs]

“Unfortunately I have just one more bottle of this wine and given the price cannot afford more.”

I don’t believe you! Unless those Porsche keys belong to your step mother...

“I do however have several 2005s still waiting!”

Luck you! One 2005 I bitterly regret not buying. Now sadly priced out of my reach.

That's David's post and photo, both that bottle of 2009 Conseillante and the Porsche keys are his. My ride is a 2015 Subaru Legacy!

NEW PLAN: get David to buy more 2009 Conseillante and bring it to dinner

Yes, I couldn't really afford the 2005 either but got four bottles because it was one of the best young Bordeaux I had ever tasted.

[DavidG]

Not my pic. I pulled it off CellarTracker.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Not my pic. I pulled it off CellarTracker.

Heh, heh. Last time I commented about Cellartracker here I drew a response from its owner. That picture though ... just sayin'.

[Nicklasss]

Marcs, the 2009 Conseillante looks glorious. My biggest deception vs Bordeaux: i don't own any Conseillante, one of my favorite wine, but too expensive.

The Apothic red is all I can afford to bring to BWE Denver 2019... so I'll try to put it blind again other Bordeaux to see if everyone attending have as good as a nose as you.

Nic

[Michael-P]

And then there's no accounting for taste.....

[marcs]

Marcs, the 2009 Conseillante looks glorious. My biggest deception vs Bordeaux: i don't own any Conseillante, one of my favorite wine, but too expensive.

The Apothic red is all I can afford to bring to BWE Denver 2019... so I'll try to put it blind again other Bordeaux to see if everyone attending have as good as a nose as you.

Nic

it doesn't take a great nose believe me...that should be our initiation test for new members of BWE, they have to distinguish blind between Apothic Red and a randomly chosen past BWE wine of the year.

[Nicklasss]

BTW, I'm always trying to get my kids taste a red Bordeaux. At age 10, 8 and 5, none is interested yet. I understand them as myself I got to alcohol late compared to my friends.

Nic