Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

I say why wait until we are all reunited in the Great Tasting Room in the Sky?

Along with his beloved partner Lucie/Jan, in tribute to and recognition of the heart and soul of BWE, for his wit, spirit, generosity, and goodwill, which have epitomized the ideals of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts the world's greatest wine internet web site for the past 22 years....

In my capacity as the kind and benevolent dictator of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts, I hereby declare that from this point forward, and into perpetuity, the annual award shall be known as "The William 'Stefan' Johnson Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts Wine of the Year."

So it is written. So it shall be done.

Does that mean they all have to be La Lagune?

Or that none of them can be La Lagune?

Seriously, though: well done!

Well deserved for stefan, a great BWEers!

And i really think that "The William 'Stefan' Johnson Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts Wine of the Year" is way better than let say "The Jean-Nicolas 'Nicklasss trousers down' Maltais Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts Wine of the Year"!

I like it. He's the Bill Russell of BWE. Pretty sure he won't allow La Lagune to be named while he's still buying it, David.

Since there is little hope for another Pomerol 2014 to win, I will stifle any call for 2014 VCC. So I think I will go for an Uber Medoc, the utterly brilliant if totally unready 2010 Palmer. If the merchants in 1855 could have tasted this wine, they would have crowned it as a First Growth.

My nominations would be two each from three chateau:

- La Mission Haut-Brion 1961 and 1982 (or the 1988 which is much more accessible price wise)
- Palmer 1999 and 2010 (echoing Musigny)
- Magdelaine 1985 and 1998

Aw, Lord BD, I am not worthy.

Nevertheless, on behalf of Lucie and myself, I am happy to accept this great honor.
I hope that my pitiful collection contains an appropriate celebratory bottle for this occasion.

As for the wine of the year, my LL agenda would be furthered if 2013 La Lagune is chosen.

My nominations both come from the 2016 vintage as that was arguably one of the top vintages ever and these 2 super seconds have only excelled over the past 10 years and find themselves sitting on the doorstep of the fabled first growths. It seems a little hard to decide picking one over the other so picking both seems the more apropos thing to do.

2016 Montrose and 2016 Pichon Lalande

Some of you may know that Stefan has like a father, brother, and like various relatives with buildings, awards, parks, etc., named after them, a very high achieving family. I figure this just continues the tradition....

Excellent idea!

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:42 am My nominations would be two each from three chateau:

- La Mission Haut-Brion 1961 and 1982 (or the 1988 which is much more accessible price wise)
- Palmer 1999 and 2010 (echoing Musigny)
- Magdelaine 1985 and 1998

I love the idea of Magdelaine. Interesting award for a dead chateau. The 1985 is so difficult to find I would suggest the still available 1998 or the even more available 2005.

jckba wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 1:21 pm My nominations both come from the 2016 vintage as that was arguably one of the top vintages ever and these 2 super seconds have only excelled over the past 10 years and find themselves sitting on the doorstep of the fabled first growths. It seems a little hard to decide picking one over the other so picking both seems the more apropos thing to do.

2016 Montrose and 2016 Pichon Lalande

Good call JC

Along with Pichon Baron, Montrose did rise to the top of the second growth category in my recent recommendations in the BWE/Comte Flaneur re-Classification of the Wines of the Medoc. And 2016 is indeed a vintage of greatness. Sadly I have no 2016 Montrose in my cellar. I do have six bottles of 2019 Montrose due in from Zachys at some point but I am reluctant to uncork one in the name of science.

1970 Petrus should get at least an honorable mention for JimS's recent presentation alone.

Bravo

JimHow wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:10 pm Along with Pichon Baron, Montrose did rise to the top of the second growth category in my recent recommendations in the BWE/Comte Flaneur re-Classification of the Wines of the Medoc. And 2016 is indeed a vintage of greatness. Sadly I have no 2016 Montrose in my cellar. I do have six bottles of 2019 Montrose due in from Zachys at some point but I am reluctant to uncork one in the name of science.

1970 Petrus should get at least an honorable mention for JimS's recent presentation alone.

I think we should somehow contrive to send BD a bottle of 2016 Montrose before he decides - sensational Montrose - happy to contribute in any way

Two wines that I’ve had multiple times this year and have been amazing every time: 1989 Pichon Lalande. And 2014 Montrose. A few others to throw into consideration. 2000 and 2005 Montrose.

I like your Bill Russell of BWE analogy Joel, that nails it!

I'll try to source a bottle, Ian. Marty's in Newton says it's in stock, Gerry/Eric, have you guys ever shopped there?

I was going to call it "The Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts William "Stefan" and Janet "Lucie" Johnson Wine of the Year Award" but it becomes a bit lengthy, and Lucie is part of the whole package in any event, the spirit is there, I think most agree that when we say "Stefan" we are saying "Stefan and Lucie," I just wanted to note that thought process on the record. So it is written, so it shall be done.

Saratoga has it on sale for $269, 12 bottles ship free.

I'm hoping to buy a 2023 Toyota Corolla hybrid in early 2023 so I may need to save my pennies, not that the Blue Demon is showing any sign of dying any time soon, that fucker at 379,000 miles is going to outlive Keith Richards, I'm just hoping to relegate it to back up status. Thus I may temper my wine purchases for a bit this winter, but I do intend to access at least one bottle (more likely two bottles) of 2016 Montrose. What do you recommend, RC, should I get the regular gas-powered 2023 Toyota Corolla LE, or go with the fancy hybrid? Since I'm hoping to die on my 80th birthday, I'm hoping this will be the last car I have to buy.

definitely hybrid

Yes, that was what I was thinking. So it is done. The new '23 Corollas have some nice colors, there's some sort of underground brown that appeals to me. A hybrid it is, that's where I was leaning.

If I was ever going to spend that kind of $$$ on a young bottle of wine, the '16 Montrose looks very inviting.

The place in Mass has it for like $220+.
NH had it for $179, they are long gone.

I rarely drink young claret and when I do it’s usually something ITNOS. With that caveat, here’s an unheralded chateau that I happen to think is wildly unrated: Branaire Ducru.

We’ve heaped well-deserved praise on other fairly priced estates through the years, places like Cantemerle, Sociando, Meyney (when it was still good), even the Lanessans and Lafon Rochets of the world. Is it Branaire’s turn?

I know it’s not a sexy pick, that it usually can’t fully run with the big boys, but the 82, 89, 96, 00 and 05 are notably strong. I really like the 02 as well, which counts for something around here. But starting with 2016, that is when I think they’ve really taken things to a new level, it was one of my handful of favorites at the UGC against some stiff competition. If William Kelley had Parker’s old marketing-moving influence, his recent note on the 2019 would be a game changer:
“The 2019 Branaire-Ducru unwinds in the glass with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, sweet soil tones and hints of cigar wrapper, rose petals and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's youthfully tightly wound, with terrific concentration, tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. While this is a little reserved out of the gates, its energy and classical proportions will richly reward bottle age. 95 pts”

How about we source a bottle of 2019 Branaire and add it to the running?

That sounds like a great wine too Patrick

Jim if I were you I would go for a hybrid but one you don’t need to plug in, but is charged by the engine.

I am thinking of getting a Lexus non plug in hybrid SUV

I could get behind a Branaire-Ducru pick even if I thought the 2016 was markedly better than the 2019 edition cellartracker average scores be damned.

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:53 am Jim if I were you I would go for a hybrid but one you don’t need to plug in, but is charged by the engine.

Do they still make those? I couldn't find any in the US

Yes that’s correct, Toyota has a hybrid Corolla you don’t plug in. That’s the one I’m planning on buying, the 2023s have just been released. You have to pay $500 to reserve one coming off the ships from Japan, it been about a two month wait. The 2022s are fairly available, Jacques, I think it may take a while for the 2023s.

A well deserved honor! Looking forward to some amazing selections in the coming years.

I got a Tesla Model 3 just over 4 years ago, and while it’s not a perfect car, I love it.

We're going to trade in one of our ICE cars for a full electric. Maybe the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Tesla was tempting but ruled out for a few reasons even before I began wishing Mr. Sparky Car would die of boils.
Also thinking about putting solar panels on the roof. And maybe a Tesla battery for storage.

DavidG wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 4:36 pm We're going to trade in one of our ICE cars for a full electric. Maybe the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Tesla was tempting but ruled out for a few reasons even before I began wishing Mr. Sparky Car would die of boils.
Also thinking about putting solar panels on the roof. And maybe a Tesla battery for storage.

Do it! We first got solar panels in 2014, so combined with the Tesla, our house and car are >100% powered by sunlight (we generate a little bit of surplus power on an annual basis that we feed back into the grid). A great feeling and a great investment it turned out. It’s also a good hedge against inflation— when gas was $6-7 a gallon, we (Kim also got an EV) were oblivious.

One thing that really gives Tesla an advantage (ignoring the idiocies of their CEO) is their SuperCharger* network— we took a road trip this summer and drove all over rural Colorado with only the occasional 30-45 min stopped needed at SuperChargers. I did read recently that Tesla plans to open their network up to all EVs, which would make a huge difference for electric mobility in general.

*a 100v outlet gives ~5 miles of charge per hour
*a 220v outlet gives ~35 miles of charge per hour
*a Supercharger gives ~250-1000 miles of charge per hour, depending on the charger and the model of vehicle

Recently bought a mixed case of 6*2014 and 6*2016 Montrose for $156/bottle all in…am happy about it

Congrats Stefan! Couldn’t go to a more deserving individual. However, knowing the BD his beneficence will not extend to sharing the power to pick the wine!

Blanquito wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:42 am I rarely drink young claret and when I do it’s usually something ITNOS. With that caveat, here’s an unheralded chateau that I happen to think is wildly unrated: Branaire Ducru.

We’ve heaped well-deserved praise on other fairly priced estates through the years, places like Cantemerle, Sociando, Meyney (when it was still good), even the Lanessans and Lafon Rochets of the world. Is it Branaire’s turn?

I know it’s not a sexy pick, that it usually can’t fully run with the big boys, but the 82, 89, 96, 00 and 05 are notably strong. I really like the 02 as well, which counts for something around here. But starting with 2016, that is when I think they’ve really taken things to a new level, it was one of my handful of favorites at the UGC against some stiff competition. If William Kelley had Parker’s old marketing-moving influence, his recent note on the 2019 would be a game changer:
“The 2019 Branaire-Ducru unwinds in the glass with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, sweet soil tones and hints of cigar wrapper, rose petals and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's youthfully tightly wound, with terrific concentration, tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. While this is a little reserved out of the gates, its energy and classical proportions will richly reward bottle age. 95 pts”

How about we source a bottle of 2019 Branaire and add it to the running?

I agree it’s underrated. In my experience near the top of the “bargain” wines below the big boys. The 03 Branaire ducru is good too. Interesting you say they upped their game in 2016 as the price has not yet reflected that…I had a choice between 16 Beychevelle and Branaire and picked the former, hope I won’t regret my choice

P.S. actually NEVER MIND - check that - remember now that I tried the 2016 Branaire early on and loved it for its elegance and slightly hard-edged left bank sophistication. I purchased eight bottles now happily waiting in storage. So I am well stocked on both the 2016 Bs, Branaire and Beychevelle. What a relief!

I can’t imagine how I forgot that but I am leaving this PS up as perhaps the most BWE correction of all time

Nice, Marcus! Both the Beychevelle and Branaire deserve a spot in the cellar, though Beychevelle seems to get ever glossier (and pricier) each year.

The thing I dig about Branaire is its balance and equilibrium, it’s never overdone.

Grade inflation has gotten silly, but check out these notes:

“The 2020 Branaire-Ducru is utterly magnificent. A wine of extraordinary depth and dimension, the 2020 possesses tremendous intensity right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice, cloves and lavender build as into the explosive, palate-staining finish. I don't think I have ever tasted a Branaire quite like this." 94-96 pts, Galloni.

“The 2019 Branaire -Ducru… has plenty of dark berry fruit on the nose mixed with smoke, tobacco and undergrowth scents - just classic Saint-Julien. The palate is medium-bodied with a tangy saline entry, fresh and defined by the crisp tannins… this is focused and detailed with a seriously impressive classically styled, graphite tinged finish. Result? Best Branaire I've tasted in barrel.” 94-96 Points, Neal Martin

P.S. Posting in the iPhone is so convenience and so hazardous, as the autocorrect changes so many wine-related words...

Always good to check in with the “critics”. Every day in every way every wine is getting bestest bestest bestest ever

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:42 am My nominations would be two each from three chateau:
- Magdelaine 1985 and 1998

If Magdelaine were on the ballot, you know how I’d vote.

That said, I’ve not had the 85 or 98 before. I have 6 of the 98 in the cellar, but every time I look at it I assume it still needs more time. Of the younger vintages (95-present), I’ve only had the 95 and 96 (both v good, with the 95 still needing time) and the terrific 2000 several times (including BWE Denver) which is early maturity I think.

Blanquito wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:53 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:42 am My nominations would be two each from three chateau:
- Magdelaine 1985 and 1998

If Magdelaine were on the ballot, you know how I’d vote.

That said, I’ve not had the 85 or 98 before. I have 6 of the 98 in the cellar, but every time I look at it I assume it still needs more time. Of the younger vintages (95-present), I’ve only had the 95 and 96 (both v good, with the 95 still needing time) and the terrific 2000 several times (including BWE Denver) which is early maturity I think.

We had the 1952 Magdelaine tonight. Steve, originally from CT but over here for over 30 years with his British wife, grabbed a bottle of Magdelaine for our 1982 dinner tonight, seeing the ‘2’ and assuming it was an 82, but it turned out to be a 52. It was easily wotn in an otherwise disappointing line up of mid-tier 1982 classed growths. What a contrast from a week ago.