Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Speaking of Chateau Margaux - at 8am this morning I double decanted my bottle of 1988 Ch. Margaux to drink with filet mignon, picked up at 9am on my way to work, from my favorite grocer where the tenderloin is on sale this week.
The cork was slightly bulged against the foil, but no evidence of seepage, and it came out perfectly with my corkscrew. Also the aroma was quite pleasing.
The cleaned and refilled bottle was recorked halfway and it went back in my kitchen wine fridge at 62 degrees F to rest until after 6pm tonight when I get home and start dinner.
I also need to open something for the sauteed mushrooms. A Cru Bourgeois from the Margaux appellation that I already have in the kitchen should fill the bill - 2014 Ch. Marsac Seguineau.

I had a bottle of '88 Krug in February 2019 and it was wonderfully complex, not tired. Happy to have a few more to pop in coming years.

With a bison and pasta casserole we drank 2015 Domaine Drouhin Laurene. This Dundee Pinot Noir is a step up from their Dundee Hills bottling and two steps up in price. It is very much in the Drouhin style, with pure flavors and bouquet. While it does not taste too young, I think it has a while to go to gain the expressiveness that the 2014 vintage can offer.

Day 6 of my 23 day alcohol fast... Tonight I’m drinking a mature can of blackberry seltzer with a dry aged t-bone, braised shallots and green beans, and scalloped purple potatoes au gratin.

Calon Segur 2014.
Came into its stride on day 3. Hints at being something quite special, but needs time+++.

Friends came over for dinner last night. I got a bit too much excited.

2019 Puech Haut rosé: excellent, great under the warm sun. Fancy gimmick bottle.

2010 Hommage à William Deutz : 100% pinot noir from Aý. A complex structured Champagne, extremely good: bread, fruit, saline. Quite long. I recommend it for the price, even if from 2010.

2016 Gilles Barge Cuvée du Plessy Côte Rôtie: less floral than a first bottle a few days ago, but still a complex rich rocky Rhône. Excellent again. A glass leftover for tonight.

2016 Bouchard Hautes Côtes de Beaune: nice pinot,not very complex but franjly, the fruit is just wouderful. Good freshness.

2017 Alain Chavy St-Aubin 1er Cru Remilly: quite rich, remind me Chassagne. Oak is medium, fruit is yellow, big body, long and well made. A bit expensive but woth it i guess. A glass leftover for tonight.

Nic

Chavy: still quite good, with a lightly greenish yellow color. Good oak, strong fat fruit.

Barge: better than last night, as the aromas have blossomed to flowers, fruits, mineral rocks. Textured medium body syrah, long caressing tannins. Miam!

Tonight, i wanted a Bordeaux but could not choose one and decant before dinner, so went for 2016 Blain Côtes de Brouilly. Very good gamay, with a light body, but enough granite and flowers flavors to enjoy the evening.

Nic

Just finished 2010 Berthaut Gerry Chambertin Clos des Chezeaux.
Very nice wine reflecting the vintage. Smoky red fruits on the nose with some savory characters.
Medium bodied palate with dark cherry, red currant and cranberry. Medium acid and minerality.
Not a great Burgundy but very drinkable.

1996 Pichon Baron. Nicely developed with some more upside potential.

Whistle Pig 10-yo Rye.

Traveling to the beach tomorrow and didn’t want to open a bottle of wine tonight, but we’ll take some with us.

Philip Togni 1994. Superb wine, and although it shows some California opulence, it is relatively dialed down, leaving a Bordeaux style wine with a bit of California richness thrown in. At my edge of acceptability, but that is what made it so alluring.

Musigny 151 wrote:Philip Togni 1994. Superb wine, and although it shows some California opulence, it is relatively dialed down, leaving a Bordeaux style wine with a bit of California richness thrown in. At my edge of acceptability, but that is what made it so alluring.

Exactly how I felt about the 01 Togni a few years ago.

2013 Chateau Coutet Insanely pure aromas of apricot marmalade and honey that lead to a lively, balanced, sweet tropical fruit flavored expression that turns to orange with a delayed burst of acidity that lingers ever so effortlessly on the finish. 95

That 1994 Togni is a gem. Went through a six pack and wish I had more.

jckba wrote:2013 Chateau Coutet Insanely pure aromas of apricot marmalade and honey that lead to a lively, balanced, sweet tropical fruit flavored expression that turns to orange with a delayed burst of acidity that lingers ever so effortlessly on the finish. 95

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These days if you've ever heard of the chateau, there's no such thing as bad sauternes... maybe even no such thing mediocre sauternes.

1986 La Lagune with lamb chops that actually tasted like lamb. The '86 La Lagune is mature, absolutely true, and has the weight to complement real lamb. I was lucky to find this last year at an acceptable price.

Since Sauternes is a Bordeaux wine I am drinking a 2010 Chateau Caillou.
Nice golden color with a nose of apricots, nuts and honey.
Palate is rich and sweet with similar flavors and some acid balance. Compared to the best Sauternes it is a little simple but still quite tasty and drinkable.

Had one of my last Tour St Bonnet 2016's over the weekend.

This is a seriously good QPR. Whilst not particularly complex, definitely Old School in style and a steal at under NZ$30. Need to try and get more.

Ianjaig wrote:Had one of my last Tour St Bonnet 2016's over the weekend.

This is a seriously good QPR. Whilst not particularly complex, definitely Old School in style and a steal at under NZ$30. Need to try and get more.

Very cool. AlexR and I commend you. I’ve always been attached to this cru bourgeois, I bought a case of the 1989 vintage in 1996 for $9/each and never looked back.

I just sold some 05 TSB on auction, as I somehow still had 2 cases of it, which is way more than I wanted, but that little wine is really just starting to shine.

2016 seems like a vintage where TSB would excel.

Nice one, Blanquito.

Unfortunately its hard to find over here. I bought a case off the only retailer I know that brings it in and emailed them last night, hoping to get some more. I'm expecting a no, but fingers crossed. If I do secure some more, will cellar some this time as it sounds like it will reward the effort based on your comments.
Cheers.

Louis Roederer Brut NV. Always delicious, perfect Summer night Champagne. The latest vintage is I understand based on the excellent 2012s.

A 2017 Remi Jobard BB and a 2017 Gilbert Picq Chablis VV and both were good examples in that $25 - $30 entry level price point.

That Roederer NV Brut Premier is one of my favorite Champagnes at well under $50.

Tonight we went with 1995 Grand Puy Lacoste. Very 1995 and pretty old school Bordeaux - very nice wine but still a little stern.

Other recent wines:

Really enjoyed 2010 AJ Demiere Egreg’ Or it’s 100% Pinot Meunier. Quite tasty and very interesting.

Last week, a 1988 Pichon Lalande was a bit below my expectations.

Another bottle of 2019 Mordoree Tavel Dame Rousse (Rose) was nice as expected.

Another 2013 Willi Schaefer Graacher Dompropst Kabinett. Nice but a bit on the sweet (and rich) side for a Kabinett.

Other recent wines have escaped my memory.

Chris Bublitz

Last night with meat loaf and tonight with pasta: 2003 Sociando-Mallet Jean Gautreau. Strong cassis flavor, good balance, sweet fruit. I think S-M did a good job in 2003.

I'm fasting like a demon, working to lose those final 15 pounds.
Watching a lot of YouTube videos on Alaska salmon fishing, right now we are scheduled to be in Fairbanks the week of Sept. 21st, Covid-permitting.

You go Jim! I'm on day 17 of my alcohol fast (with 6 more days to go), and I've lost 5 pounds.

Well done, Patrick. Very well done indeed.
My goal is to continue fasting until October 5th, when I have my annual check-up and by which time I expect to have achieved my weight loss goals.
At least in my case, there is an undisputed correlation between wine consumption and weight, regardless of how much exercise or dieting I do otherwise.

Blanquito wrote:

Musigny 151 wrote:Philip Togni 1994. Superb wine, and although it shows some California opulence, it is relatively dialed down, leaving a Bordeaux style wine with a bit of California richness thrown in. At my edge of acceptability, but that is what made it so alluring.

Exactly how I felt about the 01 Togni a few years ago.

After a very telling experience a while ago where that 2001 Togni was the clear WOTN up against a host of great competitors, including the 2001 Pichon Baron, the 2000 Gruaud Larose, the 2001 Conseillante, and the 2002 Hudelot-Noellat Clos Vougeot (WOTN as in blew the others off the table even though they performed really well), I went kind of nuts and started collecting this wine like Musigny 151 does with VCC. I now have almost two cases that will last me the rest of my life. I think it will be the equal of those great early 90s Tognis but I got them at almost $100/bottle less than those wines go for now.

Togni somehow combines Bordeaux complexity, Loire savory herbaceousness, and California richness and sweetness into a totally coherent and unique package. Although it's very reliably good some vintages are better than others and 2001 is one of those (and for that reason has recently inflated pretty significantly in price over other early 2000s vintages, which can often be found for $100 or so).

Nice haul, Marcus. My go-to Togni for a good stretch was the wonderful 1993, which actually showed better than the 92 for me (caveat: I've only had the 92 the one time). I used to be able to pick up the '93 on Winebid for $55 like 8 or 9 years ago, and I reloaded a few times.

I managed to get a half case of the 2010 for $89/each at auction a year ago, hopefully it is still the same wine.

I think you nailed the essence of Togni, Marcus, with that Bdx/Loire/Napa nexus. My favorites were the 1991, 1992, and 1994. Probably had each 6-10 times but they’re sadly all drunk up.

A glass of 2016 St Innocent Justice with a pasta lunch. Justice has the blackest fruit of any of the SI Pinot Noirs, and it is accented with tar. I love it. The 2016 shows no signs of going dumb.

A 1999 Pavie. Ripe fruit that will cause spontaneous combustion of any hair remaining on the heads of dyed in the wool classicists. But great balance. Some tertiary complexity but not fully developed and maybe never will be. I loved it.

I absolutely loved the 98, 99, and 2000 Pavie in their youth, the 2000 was my WOTN at that 2000 dinner.
Whuzzup got rid of all of his 1998 right bankers because he didn't think the fruit would outlast the wood.
Well, here we are 20 years later.

I really liked the 1994 Togni but of course mine are all gone now.

Tonight a Rioja, Vina Ardanza 2010 Special Selection. Very good but a bit on the young side.

Chris Bublitz

I’ve never had a Perse-era Pavie.

I had a 1999 Pavie a long time ago and thought it was pretty good and do have some bottles of the 1998 around here somewhere (but haven’t tried them yet).

Chris Bublitz

I had a 1999 Pavie a long time ago and thought it was pretty good and do have some bottles of the 1998 around here somewhere (but haven’t tried them yet).

Chris Bublitz

Like blanquito, i think i never had a Perse Pavie. And i don't feel i'm missing something. I once had the 2001 Pavie Decesse (Perse wine too if i remember well) and hate it.

Tonight, the 2016 Qupé syrah is quite good, on a lighter style for that vintage. But the color is great, nose mix the nice dark red berries, leather, meat, and light bbq spices intelligently. Mouth is light, fresh, flavors of tex mex wood, syrah smoky dark berries and smoke, with light fresh purple flowers on the final. Was very good with pork ribs.

Nic

Blanquito wrote:Nice haul, Marcus. My go-to Togni for a good stretch was the wonderful 1993, which actually showed better than the 92 for me (caveat: I've only had the 92 the one time). I used to be able to pick up the '93 on Winebid for $55 like 8 or 9 years ago, and I reloaded a few times.

I managed to get a half case of the 2010 for $89/each at auction a year ago, hopefully it is still the same wine.

The 1992 Togni is pretty high on the list of the very best wines I have ever had in my life, while I always found the 1993 to be good but not great. But bottle variation is a big deal for wines that old, plus of course peoples' palates are different.

This is a painful reminder of the days when Togni was like $70-100 for everything. Unfortunately prices seem to have inflated over the last year or so and those days are gone -- my per-bottle price to put together my collection of 2001s was probably $140-150 a bottle. Oh well, it's worth it for a top vintage of one of my favorite wines in the world.

You did well on the 2010, I heard Philip Togni say that it was perhaps his favorite post-2001 vintage and reminded him of the 2001 a lot. Not very available at all at retail these days.

Clement Perseval Champagne Premier Cru Chamery, V2016 - Sommpicks late release, disgorged December 2018, 40% Chardonnay 35% Pinot Noir 25% Pinot Meunier; a complex nose with yeasty, citrusy, green apple, toasted almond and mineral scents that lead to a racy, effervescent burst of pear, drying citrus rind and toast flavors that last on the finish. 92