TN: 2000 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

[JimHow]

• 2000 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/1/2010)
  From half bottle. Beautiful on the nose, a bit astringent on the palate. Very tannic, mouth-puckering. Still youthful, you would expect more complexity in the mouth based upon the brilliant bouquet. The wine did improve significantly with oxygen, in the end revealing tar and black fruit. This wine showed better than in my past encounters with it, I'm just not sure it is any sort of profound effort. I would rank it a notch higher than the 1996 GPL, but well below the 1995. In the end, though, two thumbs up if it can be procured at the right price. (92 pts.)

[AlexR]

Hi Jim,

I had this at the same meal with the 2003 about 2-3 months ago.
Your notes are consistent with my own experience.

GPL is a feminine wine for a Pauillac, and I've nothing against delicacy, but why do I find something "diluted" lately in the wine?

Best regards,
Alex R.

[JimHow]

I had the 2003 GPL a couple years ago, Alex, and I was shocked at how light and thin it was, to the point that I was convinced there was a flaw in the winemaking process. There definitely seems to be a change in the winemaking philosophy at GPL post-1996 vintage, and not for the better....

[Houndsong]

I'm reminded of Norma Desmond here. Perhaps the GPL is what it always was, but the supercharging of many Bdx of this generation have made it seem small.

[Blanquito]

Thanks for taking one for the team, Jim. Sounds like a good wine, if a bit underwhelming for a 2000.

Maybe GPL returned to form in 2005. Anyone had it? HWSRN gave it 95 points, up there with the 82, 90 and 95.

[JCNorthway]

Since I own a case of this wine, I have hopes that it is just still on the young side, and that additional complexity and richness will develop as it matures.

Jon

[Chasse-Spleen]

Thanks for the note, Jim. Even though a lot of 2000s were fascinating/delicious young, I see no reason why the classed growths should be drinking well at age 10. They are probably in a dumb phase and will start to wake up in 5 years.
-Chris

[rjsussex]

GPL 04 is a beauty.

Richard