Couldn't keep my hands off 2016 Siran....

[JimHow]

I think I had about ac half dozen of these puppies at one point, now I only have two. Must be strong. Had one the other day, it has been consistently great each time. I don't know whether folks think this is modern but to me it just seems well-made. I think I have rated it consistently in the 93 point range each of the 4-5 times I've had it. To me it is distinctively Margaux. It's like a baby 1986 Chateau Margaux.... Big and long lived, burly but satisfying.

[Racer Chris]

I went long on 2015 Siran but only managed to snag 3 of the 2016, when passing thru New Hampshire. I can still get it for $40 locally.

[AKR]

The buzz around Siran reminds me of the enthusiasm for Pontet Canet a generation ago. I've still need to buy/try one!

[JimHow]

I once called Pontet Canet a "de facto first growth."
(Pappa Doc, too.)
Ironically, I think I'm more enthused about Siran these days.

[AKR]

although normally Pappadoc would have suggested Siran to go with this roast piglet, he served us grand cru Burgundy instead. We had to order the luckless porcine a day or two ahead of time.

[DavidG]

I think it was Blanquito that turned me on to Siran about 5 years ago.

Jim, your note almost had me pull the trigger on a case of the 2016 from Saratoga. Don’t want to ship in this weather, though, and they won’t hold beyond early September.

[ericp]

Damnit Jim. I own a case of the 15 which up until now I’ve been blissfully ignoring!

Must. Resist. Enablement.

[DavidG]

Well, my first bottle of this was a big disappointment. Modern, a little too ripe and low acid, not much energy, and not very Bordeaux-like. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t live up to the hype here. It paled in comparison to a 2005 Talbot (admittedly a better/costlier wine) from the day before that we were finishing as we popped this.

It just arrived yesterday. I’m not a believer in “travel shock” but I’m hoping that giving it some more time will help.

[JimHow]

Siran appears to be a wine that you either love or you hate.

Interestingly, Blanquito is a fan, as is Wine Enthusiast magazine, which rated the 2018 vintage its very top #1 wine of the year:

https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/ch ... 8-margaux/

Who would have thought my palate would be more aligned with Blanquito's and the pros at wine Enthusiast.

[DavidG]

Who would have thought Blanquito’s palate would align with the critics at WE? I suspect you can find a pro to agree with a variety of different preferences if you look long enough. I used to be a fan of the critics. I mostly now find their besotted impressions rendered after a rapid-fire tasting of 20, 30, 50 wines in a row to be less helpful than a full evening’s worth of impressions from you or most any of the folks here. Partly why I was so surprised at this bottle’s lack of zip.

Blanquito is the one who turned me on to Siran. I drank through a case of the 2015, supposedly a riper, softer, lower acid year, and found them better balanced than this 2016. Very strange. But I won’t condemn the estate or even the vintage based on a single pop and pour glass.

[Blanquito]

Thanks for the check in, DG. I bought the 16 but don’t think I’ve tried one yet. I did seriously enjoy the 15 around release as you know, but a subsequent bottle a couple years later was far less enjoyable and showed more overtly modern. I confess to having dumped my half case of the 16 after reading lots of negative commentary, but I kept my 3-4 bottles of the 2015. I might try one again soon.

[Nicklasss]

2015 is THE Margaux vintage of the last 22 years...

2015 Siran is great, but wait until you try Brane-Cantenac or Rauzan Ségla...