jckba wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:29 pm
And here I was thinking the exact opposite; the Baron was my wine of the tasting and liked it more than the Lalande, the Lynch was good but a little closed down in comparison and as such, didn’t really register for me.
I hear you JC...
I think it depends when you get the pour after the bottle was opened. I remember my Lynch was one of the last pours of the opened bottle..., but anyways, considering all the variations and parameters involved, there can be subtle differences in tasting experiences. But such tastings IMO give overall picture of which wines are better, but it’s hard to nail exactly the pecking order (even for experts it’s hard and also each to his/her own palate)...
As another example, I think for Blanquito, Langoa was dead closed with nothing on the nose. But for me, Langoa opened very nicely, better than Leoville in terms of nose. Langoa has more Cab Franc in the blend, and boy it expressed itself quite well on the nose (ofcourse Leoville was better on the palate). I think for me, it’s one of the best Langoas, I have had of recent vintages...
Your Barton experience echoes mine here in NYC where Lilian was pouring in person. The Leoville Barton was pure with a long finish and I can def see what drew Patrick in but I had it in that same 93-95 point bucket as Beychevelle and Gruaud Larose (which I ended up pulling the trigger on a 6pack of).
Typical English phrase from Jancis Robinson - "....looking very good indeed". With English language being so rich in synonyms like, excellent, glorious, thrilling, stunning, remarkable, fabulous, etc, I hear far too often this "looking very good indeed". I don't want to be sarcastic but this standard line is boring imho.
Personally, I don't agree on 2018 having dry tannin, 2019 being better than 2016 with latter having the remarkable nobility which 2019 lacks. 2019 is sweeter and with more round tannins.
Just wait for 2020 vintage and then we can talk....
Yes she did. You never know if the wine is good, quite good, pretty good, damn good or thrillingly good. Very good indeed line is too neutral and not saying much.
That's why I like comments from Jeff Leve.
Anyone has read the article about 2020 vintage from Vinous (Neal Martin)?
I think it is pretty obvious that 2019 is an extraordinary vintage, and a bargain at the time. I am not sure why we spend so much time with all the generalizations, when we have for years had the technology to focus on individual wines.
But tastings at this early stage of a wine’s development is only an informed snap shot, and to make really definitive pronouncements, the wines need to be tasted after fifteen to twenty years.
The Brits do it after ten, so the poor buggers doing the ten year anniversary this year are tasting the 2013. In the words of Shakespeare “I wish them joy of the worm.”
Yes I am looking forward to the notes of the 2013 tasting
I don’t know what you expect Jancis to say otherwise Izak? As Mark implies the vintage appears to be showing very well three and a half years into its evolution. She could actually have been a bit more cautious and said that the vintage is ‘highly promising’ (based on this snapshot) or words to that effect. Very good indeed is a Coatism, and therefore has precedent and covers many possible bases. Classic British understatement and not falling into the temptation of employing more flowery language. It might be a bit premature, hyperbolic or even crass to label the wines ‘magnificent’, ‘amazing’, ‘mind-blowing’, ‘to live/die/kill for’, ‘killer juice’ or ‘smashing it out of the park’, etc. Like the 100 point scale, superlatives can be abused and some other critics seem to be guilty of that - I am not suggesting that you are.
Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:28 pm
Yes I am looking forward to the notes of the 2013 tasting
I don’t know what you expect Jancis to say otherwise Izak? As Mark implies the vintage appears to be showing very well three and a half years into its evolution. She could actually have been a bit more cautious and said that the vintage is ‘highly promising’ (based on this snapshot) or words to that effect. Very good indeed is a Coatism, and therefore has precedent and covers many possible bases. Classic British understatement and not falling into the temptation of employing more flowery language. It might be a bit premature, hyperbolic or even crass to label the wines ‘magnificent’, ‘amazing’, ‘mind-blowing’, ‘to live/die/kill for’, ‘killer juice’ or ‘smashing it out of the park’, etc. Like the 100 point scale, superlatives can be abused and some other critics seem to be guilty of that - I am not suggesting that you are.
I have literally one bottle of VCC which is slated for a tasting next year. I tasted a few wines, and apart from a Pichon Lalande that was merely mediocre, the wines have been pretty godawful
2013 P. Comtesse was the first vintage made by Nicolas Glumineau in the cellar without some equipment which arrived too late. It's all C. Sauvignon and production was vert small. I've tasted it and it is a nice effort for the vintage.
Last edited by greatbxfreak on Sun Feb 12, 2023 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2013 P. Comtesse was the first vintage made by Nicolas Glumineau in the cellar without some equipment which arrived late. It's all C. Sauvignon and production was vert small. I've tasted it and it is a nice effort for the vintage.
I still say the 100% cabernet La Lagune was a nice tannic ribeye steak wine, and the Lagrange second wine from 2013 sipped very nicely with cheese overlooking the Eiffel Tower in Paris a few years back.
C’mon guys, you really don’t know whether she really, really liked the vintage? I get the criticism of “very good indeed,” but she immediately goes on to say:
Now that the wines have well and truly settled into bottle, on the basis of tasting 270 of them blind two weeks ago, I can report that the vintage is looking very good indeed, perhaps the best I have ever tasted at this stage.
I do agree with Mark’s criticism that some specific call-outs and notes on individual wines would be more useful than vintage and commune generalizations.
greatbxfreak wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:08 pm
stefan,
Yes she did. You never know if the wine is good, quite good, pretty good, damn good or thrillingly good. Very good indeed line is too neutral and not saying much.
That's why I like comments from Jeff Leve.
Anyone has read the article about 2020 vintage from Vinous (Neal Martin)?
Oh boy!
Ch Montrose, St Estephe 2020
6 cs (6x75cl) – GBP 875 / cs IB
The 2020 Montrose was bottled in July 2022. The alcohol is 13.4%, a whole degree less than the previous year but with the same concentration (IPT is 80). It has a fabulous bouquet that delivers on all that promise from when I finally tasted the wine around a year earlier from barrel, a cornucopia of blackberry, bilberry, crushed stone, Indian ink and loamy/undergrowth scents. Very mercurial in the glass, it seems to shapeshift with every minute. The palate is medium-bodied with such a precise entry. This is far more detailed than either the 2019 or 2018, a symmetrical Montrose with unerring detail and mineralité, its silky texture belying the power underneath. This is unequivocally a brilliant wine and a benchmark in recent years. Contender for wine of the vintage. Drink 2025-2065. 99 pts Neal Martin, Vinous (Feb 2023)
My final shipments of '19s (including the first '19 Lynch Bages for me) arrive this week. Really looking forward to these. The '19 Pichon Lalande in particular has blown me away.
I still say there is something messed up about the 2019 deliveries.
Lynch Bages is one of the largest producers in Bordeaux.
Where is all the 2019 Lynch Bages?
JimHow wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:18 am
Still waiting for my Rauzan Segla from Zachy's, but otherwise my futures are in.
Did you have a chance to try the 2019 Lynch, Blanquito?
Not yet, but I thought the 2020 Lynch was a top 3 or 4 wine at the UGC.
I think the only ‘19s I’ve tried were at our visit with Lilian Barton when we tried the ‘19 Leoville Barton, Langoa Barton and Mauvesin Barton. I do plan to try a ‘19 d’Issan and DDC rouge soon though.
Received the last of my '19s this week. Yes, later delivery than usual, but Millesima and HDH were both reasonable in their communication and scheduling.
Adding to the other thread regarding 2019 shipping, my EP recommendation in this environment would be to only use highly reputable sources, and that EP only makes sense if you are receiving a 20+% discount over release prices. I have ordered from Total Wine in previous years (50% down is nice), but their pricing, timing of releases, and lack of format choices pushed me away during the releases during the pandemic in 2020.
Some quick notes for the two final wines that were received this week:
'19 Pontet Canet (from Coravin) is soft, approachable, and red-fruited. Freshness is there. It is not the big, black-fruited '16 Pontet, although unlike most all other '16s, I have not completely loved the '16 Pontet so far. '16 PC comes off a bit big, warm, and extracted for my palate. '15 is my preferred and highly underrated recent Pontet. '19 is very enjoyable and was a great value at EP prices but may not worth seeking out at the current rates
Now on to the '19 Lynch Bages - this is a legendary wine. The Cazes Family has this property firing on all cylinders in recent years. I am a massive fan of the '16 as well, and I cannot wait to compare the '16 and '19 (and sounds like the '20 is right there as well) over the coming years. To me, the "16/'19 Lynch Bages and Pichon Comtesse are four legendary wines in the making. This is blasphemy, but I checked in on an '89 Lynch last month, and I think these wines could turn out to be better versions.
Big and expressive without being heavy, mineral-driven, on the burly side with a mix of mostly black and red fruits, yet not a hair out of place on the licorice/earth-driven finish. The bottle says 14.5 degrees and I am typically sensitive to abv > 14 degrees, but I'm not detecting heat. This was also a (few) Coravin pours so I will spend more time with some '19s over the weekend. In addition to ordering 750s and splits, six magnums + a few double magnums are now in my possession, I am happy.
It's definitely a bit bizarre that LB were the last to be received. My contacts at these retailers/merchants/auction houses have made some off-handed comments regarding shipping delays, but I have not heard enough details to put together a cohesive picture of the logistical issues or the level of risk/concern.
I will continue to echo your points that as a customer I would be diligent of the financial stability of the company you use, cover your interests as best as possible, and demand shipping to get in your possession ASAP.
I'm baffled that the big guys at Southfold tasting didn't quite find out of Carmes Haut Brion 2019. It's probably not quite liked by English tasters and I think they hadn't had in the glass for two hours as I had it last year. Why, because it starts with a big attack of luscious and high-quality fruit and then turns in typical Pessac Leognan wine, with saltiness, earth, and shell-fish scent. One of the best 2019 I have tasted up to now!
No mention of La Lagune, Beausejour Duffau, Bourgneuf and other important wines.
