Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Must. Resist. Enablement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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