2003 La Tour Blanche, 2000 Poujeaux
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:22 am
Three wines with dinner on Saturday night.
We kicked off with 2006 Castelnau Champagne. I was unfamiliar with this house. The wine seemed far younger than its age with good tension and fine balance. A nice discovery.
We then had 2003 Ch. La Tour Blanche with duck foie gras. Sauternes and foie gras is one of the most hallowed food and wine matches in France and, when it works, is indeed a great gastronomic experience. This LTB, however, was a caricature of the 2003 vintage: too rich and syrupy without the requisite structure and acidity to provide a counterpoint – a disappointment from a wine I normally appreciate.
The main course (veal blanquette) and cheese platter were accompanied by a 2000 Ch. Poujeaux. I am a longtime advocate of this estate which was, for many years, a cru bourgeois exceptionnel (they have since withdrawn from the classification, for whatever reason). I have often found that Poujeaux represents excellent value for money, is made in a traditional style that I like, and that it ages well.
My impression this past weekend was perhaps a little less enthusiastic. At 23 years of age, the nose was that of a classic Médoc (more a northern one, in fact, with graphite and blackcurrant nuances). However, the wine was not quite as good on the palate. It was somewhat angular with tannin that still had rough edges – not, to me, the kind that disappear with age.
I will find out though because I have another bottle in the cellar.
Alex R.
We kicked off with 2006 Castelnau Champagne. I was unfamiliar with this house. The wine seemed far younger than its age with good tension and fine balance. A nice discovery.
We then had 2003 Ch. La Tour Blanche with duck foie gras. Sauternes and foie gras is one of the most hallowed food and wine matches in France and, when it works, is indeed a great gastronomic experience. This LTB, however, was a caricature of the 2003 vintage: too rich and syrupy without the requisite structure and acidity to provide a counterpoint – a disappointment from a wine I normally appreciate.
The main course (veal blanquette) and cheese platter were accompanied by a 2000 Ch. Poujeaux. I am a longtime advocate of this estate which was, for many years, a cru bourgeois exceptionnel (they have since withdrawn from the classification, for whatever reason). I have often found that Poujeaux represents excellent value for money, is made in a traditional style that I like, and that it ages well.
My impression this past weekend was perhaps a little less enthusiastic. At 23 years of age, the nose was that of a classic Médoc (more a northern one, in fact, with graphite and blackcurrant nuances). However, the wine was not quite as good on the palate. It was somewhat angular with tannin that still had rough edges – not, to me, the kind that disappear with age.
I will find out though because I have another bottle in the cellar.
Alex R.