Two Bordeaux

[RPCV]

Colder weather arrived this past weekend so we stoked a fire and opened a couple of bottles. Served with a grilled steak, cast-iron rosemary potatoes and grilled zucchini (kitchen is in reno now so the grill is my oven!)

2000 Chasse Spleen - Moulis en Médoc

Perfect cork, no decanting. Mature and ready to go with a lifted and beautiful leafy cabernet nose with blackcurrant and tobacco. This wine remains youthful in the mouth and has a rich, but grippy mouthfeel. Fresh wine, resolved tannins but there's still some grip. A four-star effort for this estate.

1996 Lagrange - Saint Julien

Another perfect cork. Poured into a glass 60 minutes ahead of sampling. Very 1996. The complex nose reveals leather saddle, ripe blackcurrants, some leafy herbaceous notes, earth, lifted notes of tobacco, lead pencil, and a lasting aroma of berries. Dry, juicy and savory on the palate with blackcurrants carrying from the nose to the palate. It's a medium-bodied wine of great character balanced by that '96 acidity, ample fruit and resolved tannins. No rush on this one. A four plus-star effort for this estate.

[jal]

Just as I said I didn't understand Lagrange!
Nice note RPCV, I remember liking the 1996 when young.

[JimHow]

1996 left bank is almost too good.
The Cabernet is so ripe it is almost brooding and unforgiving.
I too enjoyed the Lagrange young, as well as Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages, Lafon Rochet, Sociando Mallet, and numerous other left bankers.
RMP’s “there are hundred point wines and then there are hundred point wines” 1996 Lafite is almost TOO perfect, to the point of becoming one of my less interesting Lafites as it has aged.

[jal]

Alex and Stefan,
I deleted your posts that were duplicated on the White Burgundy thread

[SF Ed]

2000 Chasse Spleen is very tasty and great value. Nothing spectacular but tastes like old fashioned Bordeaux with good fruit and great balance.

I tend to like Bordeaux with a lot of age but Chasse Spleen hits well for me at about 20.

SF Ed

[JoelD]

Had that Chasse Spleen recently and it was lovely. The early WOTN against some much higher tier wines. Although the 2000 Beychevelle unfurled more slowly and showed a lot more depth and beauty in the end, especially once the Chasse fell off with a bit too much air.

[AKR]

Those two are such real classics.

[Claret]

Those two are such real classics.

We finished my last 96 Lagrange recently with Bill. It always delivered.