A few Christmas wines

[Claudius2]

Rather layback Christmas this year.
Quiet time to gather with Wendy.

De Villandry Brut Premier Cru NV
Not the best bottle I’ve had of this.
Nice light gold colour.
Nose shows nice citrus, yeasty, bready aromas and a touch of honey. Palate was well balanced with soft fruit, good acidity and a bit too much sweetness. Pretty good but the pithy fruit is somewhat masked by sweetness.

2015 Lagrange St Emilion
Picked up a few days ago on clearance, it was a nice ruby red colour with a bright, fruity nose. There is some French oak as well, with vanilla, cedar and smoky characters. A touch of musk and floral notes.

The palate is medium bodied - maybe a bit lighter than expected for 2015 - but was quite complex and enjoyable. There is typical Medoc dark fruit and plums, plus a lifted fruitiness that reminds me of tangerine or orange. The oak is well integrated though firm. It’s at an in between stage of development but not wasted. It improved with air and I should have decanted it earlier than I did.

Not a top Bordeaux but a nice wine that got better with air and warmth. Will leave the others for a few years.

2001 Castagnier Bonnes Mares GC
This wine has been on the list of “need to drink” list some time so I popped the cork.
Colour is a nice tiny with mahogany tones - looks young for a 22 yr old Burgundy.

Nose was initially muted - where is the fruit?? I get some dusty French oak and fruit that reminded me of cranberries and cherries. But not very expressive and seemed to lack tertiary flavours.

Palate was rather light - it isn’t out of condition and I’ve stored it carefully for twenty years. There is some typical red fruit and some dark Cherry flavours though not quite enough of them. The acid is firm and the tannins rather soft. it is an okay wine but not GC class.

Cheers
Mark

[Claudius2]

Rather layback Christmas this year.
Quiet time together with Wendy.

De Villandry Brut Premier Cru NV
Not the best bottle I’ve had of this.
Nice light gold colour.
Nose shows nice citrus, yeasty, bready aromas and a touch of honey. Palate was well balanced with soft fruit, good acidity and a bit too much sweetness. Pretty good but the pithy fruit is somewhat masked by sweetness.

2015 Lagrange St Emilion
Picked up a few days ago on clearance, it was a nice ruby red colour with a bright, fruity nose. There is some French oak as well, with vanilla, cedar and smoky characters. A touch of musk and floral notes.

The palate is medium bodied - maybe a bit lighter than expected for 2015 - but was quite complex and enjoyable. There is typical Medoc dark fruit and plums, plus a lifted fruitiness that reminds me of tangerine or orange. The oak is well integrated though firm. It’s at an in between stage of development but not wasted. It improved with air and I should have decanted it earlier than I did.

Not a top Bordeaux but a nice wine that got better with air and warmth. Will leave the others for a few years.

2001 Castagnier Bonnes Mares GC
This wine has been on the list of “need to drink” list some time so I popped the cork.
Colour is a nice tiny with mahogany tones - looks young for a 22 yr old Burgundy.

Nose was initially muted - where is the fruit?? I get some dusty French oak and fruit that reminded me of cranberries and cherries. But not very expressive and seemed to lack tertiary flavours.

Palate was rather light - it isn’t out of condition and I’ve stored it carefully for twenty years. There is some typical red fruit and some dark Cherry flavours though not quite enough of them. The acid is firm and the tannins rather soft. it is an okay wine but not GC class.

Cheers
Mark

[Claudius2]

Rather layback Christmas this year.
Quiet time together with Wendy.

De Villandry Brut Premier Cru NV
Not the best bottle I’ve had of this.
Nice light gold colour.
Nose shows nice citrus, yeasty, bready aromas and a touch of honey. Palate was well balanced with soft fruit, good acidity and a bit too much sweetness. Pretty good but the pithy fruit is somewhat masked by sweetness.

2015 Lagrange St Emilion
Picked up a few days ago on clearance, it was a nice ruby red colour with a bright, fruity nose. There is some French oak as well, with vanilla, cedar and smoky characters. A touch of musk and floral notes.

The palate is medium bodied - maybe a bit lighter than expected for 2015 - but was quite complex and enjoyable. There is typical Medoc dark fruit and plums, plus a lifted fruitiness that reminds me of tangerine or orange. The oak is well integrated though firm. It’s at an in between stage of development but not wasted. It improved with air and I should have decanted it earlier than I did.

Not a top Bordeaux but a nice wine that got better with air and warmth. Will leave the others for a few years.

2001 Castagnier Bonnes Mares GC
This wine has been on the list of “need to drink” list some time so I popped the cork.
Colour is a nice ruby with mahogany tones - looks young for a 22 yr old Burgundy.

Nose was initially muted - where is the fruit?? I get some dusty French oak and fruit that reminded me of cranberries and cherries. But not very expressive and seemed to lack tertiary flavours.

Palate was rather light - it isn’t out of condition and I’ve stored it carefully for twenty years. There is some typical red fruit and some dark Cherry flavours though not quite enough of them. The acid is firm and the tannins rather soft. it is an okay wine but not GC class.

Cheers
Mark

[Claudius2]

Rather layback Christmas this year.
Quiet time together with Wendy.

De Villandry Brut Premier Cru NV
Not the best bottle I’ve had of this.
Nice light gold colour.
Nose shows nice citrus, yeasty, bready aromas and a touch of honey. Palate was well balanced with soft fruit, good acidity and a bit too much sweetness. Pretty good but the pithy fruit is somewhat masked by sweetness.

2015 Lagrange St Emilion
Picked up a few days ago on clearance, it was a nice ruby red colour with a bright, fruity nose. There is some French oak as well, with vanilla, cedar and smoky characters. A touch of musk and floral notes.

The palate is medium bodied - maybe a bit lighter than expected for 2015 - but was quite complex and enjoyable. There is typical Medoc dark fruit and plums, plus a lifted fruitiness that reminds me of tangerine or orange. The oak is well integrated though firm. It’s at an in between stage of development but not wasted. It improved with air and I should have decanted it earlier than I did.

Not a top Bordeaux but a nice wine that got better with air and warmth. Will leave the others for a few years.

2001 Castagnier Bonnes Mares GC
This wine has been on the list of “need to drink” list some time so I popped the cork.
Colour is a nice ruby with mahogany tones - looks young for a 22 yr old Burgundy.

Nose was initially muted - where is the fruit?? I get some dusty French oak and fruit that reminded me of cranberries and cherries. But not very expressive and seemed to lack tertiary flavours.

Palate was rather light - it isn’t out of condition and I’ve stored it carefully for twenty years. There is some typical red fruit and some dark Cherry flavours though not quite enough of them. The acid is firm and the tannins rather soft. it is an okay wine but not GC class.

After another hour, the wine has filled out somewhat with more fruit and oak derived flavours. Still not a GC maybe 1er Cru level.

Cheers
Mark

[AlexR]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your notes and best wishes for the New Year.

I am also grateful to you for letting me know that there is a Château Lagrange in Saint-Emilion!

All the best,
Alex

[Claudius2]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your notes and best wishes for the New Year.

I am also grateful to you for letting me know that there is a Château Lagrange in Saint-Emilion!

All the best,
Alex

Alex
Err I think I’d had too much to drink when I posted that note.
From memory I think I posted it at about 3am. Actually it is now 3.32am Singapore time which is the result of chronic insomnia. I am never asleep this time of night worse luck. Yet my copying of my own notes - I was trying to do a few edits - spent augur well for my cognitive faculties at this time. Wendy however is cat like in that she can sleep anywhere at any time.

The Lagrange was actually from St Julien and I think the spell checker clearly knew better than me….

Having said that I drank few really good wines in 2023 partly as my palate was blunted by two doses of Covid and then flu picked up in Central Java. Two Orthopaedic operations and a lot of drugs probably didn’t help. Luckily it was okay when I did the Union tasting of 2020 Bordeaux - very good young wines. It was quite a highlight in a largely forgettable year.

I wonder if you are still buying En Primeur Bordeaux? No more for me though I have backfilled a few wines from older vintages notably 2014, 15 and 16.

Also hope we can try the 2001 Yarra Yarra vineyard again as the last one I tried here was outstanding. In the meantime hope you all have a great year in 2924.
Cheers
Mark

[Comte Flaneur]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your notes and best wishes for the New Year.

I am also grateful to you for letting me know that there is a Château Lagrange in Saint-Emilion!

All the best,
Alex

Alex
Err I think I’d had too much to drink when I posted that note.
From memory I think I posted it at about 3am. Actually it is now 3.32am Singapore time which is the result of chronic insomnia. I am never asleep this time of night worse luck. Yet my copying of my own notes - I was trying to do a few edits - spent augur well for my cognitive faculties at this time. Wendy however is cat like in that she can sleep anywhere at any time.

The Lagrange was actually from St Julien and I think the spell checker clearly knew better than me….

Having said that I drank few really good wines in 2023 partly as my palate was blunted by two doses of Covid and then flu picked up in Central Java. Two Orthopaedic operations and a lot of drugs probably didn’t help. Luckily it was okay when I did the Union tasting of 2020 Bordeaux - very good young wines. It was quite a highlight in a largely forgettable year.

I wonder if you are still buying En Primeur Bordeaux? No more for me though I have backfilled a few wines from older vintages notably 2014, 15 and 16.

Also hope we can try the 2001 Yarra Yarra vineyard again as the last one I tried here was outstanding. In the meantime hope you all have a great year in 2924.
Cheers
Mark

I have had similar issues related to my dyslexia, which I seem to be getting over now. New Year Happy 2420!

[Claudius2]

Guys
I think my fingers are just too chunky for the tiny iPhone keyboard. Anyway I’m turning 67 this year or is that 76….
Cheers
Mark