Quick notes on some wines I've been drinking lately

[JimHow]

Have consumed a lot of wine up here in Maine in the past month or so with relatives and friends, including, among others....

1995 Grand Puy Lacoste: For the first time, I thought this usually outstanding wine was outshined by its 1996 counterpart. May have been a tired bottle. 89 points.

1996 Grand Puy Lacoste: For the first time, this wine outshined its 1995 counterpart. Seems to be evolving to a new level. 93 points.

2000 Giscours: Earthy and aromatic, drinking well now. 91 points.

2000 du Tertre: Earthy and aromatic, drinking well now. 91+ points.

2001 Fattoria di Rodano Viacosta Chianti Classico Riserva: Fruity and friendly, not sharp at all. 90 points.

2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia: A beauty, rich and bold, a steak wine, which is what we had it with. Young, but oh so mouth-filling. 95 points.

1998 La Fleur Petrus: Stunning, everything you look for in great Pomerol. What a nose, what depth on the palate, a ripe chocolately Pomerol. Not too young to drink now. 96 points.

1998 Le Bon Pasteur: Closed at first but opened up beautifully. Again, for my taste anyway, not too young at all. 91 points.

2000 Duhart Milon: 2000 is the greatest vintage in history. Classic Duhart in its cedary Lafiteness. 92 points.

1997 Domaine Michelle Niellon Chassange-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs Gain: Rob Dayton left this golden beauty in Maine. We drank it, with immense pleasure. Seductive from beginning to end, on both the nose and palate. I want more! 93 points.

2006 Clerc Milon: Boring as a '93 Batailley. 89 points.

2003 Lafaurie Peyraguey: Didn't seem quite as voluptuous as previous bottles, but still enjoyable: 90 points.

2003 d'Arche: Consistent over-achiever. 91 points.

There were many others, i'm just going off the top of my head.

[stefan]

The '03 Sauternes have begun to tone down, I think.

Do you hate Clerc Milon or Batailley more, Jim?

It is nice that the right bank '98s have come around even if they have not yet peaked.

stefan

[Houndsong]

You could have entitled this "Late notes on wines I've been drinking quickly."

[Blanquito]

Nice updates, Jim, especially nice to see some data on the 2000 Bordeaux. I am thinking of organizing a 2000 Bordeaux tasting here in CO, to check in.

Was that the Viacosta Riserva 2001 from Rodano or just their straight riserva?

[JimHow]

Yes it was the Viacosta you directed me to at PJs a few months back.

[JimHow]

The 2000 Chasse Spleen was kind of hard and rustic, not real exciting.

[JCNorthway]

Jim,

Your notes are tempting me. I've been sitting on several bottles each of the 95 and 96 GPL. I also have some 2000 Armailhac and Lascombes I have been thinking about lately. Given your notes on the GPL, Giscours and du Terte, I may need to check all these out soon.

Jon

[JimHow]

All of those wines will last for many more years, Jon, but I think they are evolving into a good place right now.

[AlexR]

Jim,

I see you haven't been doing to badly for good wine lately!

Most interesting to see the 2000s that are OK to drink now.

All the best,
Alex

[PatrickDL]

I've starting drinking the Left Bank 95's and 96's also. We've enjoyed 95 Dauzac, D'Armailhac, Talbot and 96 Hortevie, Batailley, and Lafon-Rochet recently. All were ready to drink upon opening, all quite traditional in character. A surprise to me was the Hortevie--maybe the best of the six. I know very little about the estate but as Alex reminds us, there are thousands of estates in Bordeaux--just because they're not famous doesn't mean they don't produce good wine. When I do my annual cellar rearranging this winter I'll dig out some more cases to move to the drinking queue. I'll probably not open any of the 1st's or 2d's yet...or the wines like Calon-Segur or Pontet-Canet that seem to reward longer cellaring--they may be waking up by now but we like our clarets further along in maturity. The 2000's will also remain hidden. Life is good, P

[Nicklasss]

Clerc-Milon is a traditionnal ''austere'' style Pauillac. I think it will never be a seductive ripe great fruit Pauillac. But sometime, you need to drink those austere closed traditionnal hard as nail wine, to appreciate the other.

In the last years, I've tried the 1985, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 ans 2004. My above judgment is based on that sampling.

I still have some 1996, 2000 and 2002 in the cellar.

Nic

[DavidG]

I don't have anywhere near the experience that Nic does with Clerc Milon, but the '89 is a wonderful wine that's currently drinking well. I would imagine the '06 is closed about as tight as can be right now.

[RDD]

Here are my recent contributions.
1989 de Fieuzal Rouge
Very nice Graves texture but that's is it. No fruit. Parker said they had over filtered and ruined whah could have been a very good to great wine based on barrel samples.
I'd have to agree. If the wine had flesh on the skeleton it would have been great. But it is merely drinkable.
1989 Beycheville
Pretty much a similar story. Has eveything a proper St Julien should but no fruit. Too austere to even raise an eyebrow. Again very drinkable with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but I'd like some Wow factor. It did lower my inhibitions and I went back to the cellar to pull something else and drank the next wine.
1995 Pavie MacQuin
Now we are talking. Nice fruit. Enough structure to avoid being too much of a sissy St Emillion. Very nice.

It is Susan's B-day and mine is on Tuesday so off to a nice dinner. We're old enough now where we can pull the trigger on nicer botles as we can catch a glimpse of the future when we may not be able to pull the trigger.

[aimeedogdogdog]

I have similar impression as Nick on Clerc-Milon. Of course there is always exception, like the 2000 vintage of it, which is a beautiful wine and a great wine. The '90 was nice too in a lean and austere way, contrary to the '90 vintage style of ripe and rich. When it's too lean and austere for you, try it with food and it might become better (not always help).

Werner

[hautbrionlover]

I agree with DavidG on the 1989 Clerc Milon, which I had on Friday. I thought it was balanced and rather elegant.

[Winona Chief]

My recent wines, all relatively young:

2007 Chateauneuf - Bastide St. Dominique Secrets Pignan VV - big, rich, fruity wine that's open for business (93)

2001 Fleur de Bouard - Le Plus - black, young, fruity, deep, rich and concentrated. It's a big wine and a bit like a Chateauneuf made out of merlot. Not exactly classic Bordeaux but I like it (92)

2004 Chateauneuf - Pegau - elegant, showing well for a young CdP (91)

2002 Selbah-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Eiswein - bulging capsule, slight leakage, very intense, ready to go (93)

2001 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese - bad cork, slight leakage, golden color, intense minerals, nicely balanced, losing sweetness (93)

2000 Brane Cantenac - nice fruit, staring to show well (91). I'm liking the 2000 Bordeaux that I've had lately.

Chris Bublitz

[JimHow]

Yes, 2000 is a tremendous vintage, one of my favorites.