I'm with Richard on the 2004s

[Houndsong]

Last two nights we had a 2004 Ch. Picque Caillou. This no-name Graves reminded me of some burgs I've enjoyed. Seemed like the focus was on fruit. Pleasant and easy-drinking, but not in that Kenny-G style. Not that I'm competent to judge on Kenny-G, more power to him (and that non BWE Botta guy for that matter). While I did not buy much 04 at all, the Leo B. and the d'Aiguilhe both are tasty wines. Anyway, the point is to compare this to the house special Argentinian cabernet I had with my lamb shank last night. Focus on alcohol and wood. No fruit here to at least redeem the excesses. Oh well. Now I'm sipping a 1996 Semeillan Mazeau. This particular bottle of this Listrac is showing well, whereas the last made me think it had exceeded its time. This has got some sweetness for all the austerity that would turn off a new-world drinker. Ideally this would pair with some nice, mild, dry beef but I was very forgetful and then lazy and now its fate is pepperoni pizza.

Are there any good CdP deals out there currently? I need to find something pronto and I won't find any in physical retail locally.

I've got a couple more 05s coming in. The de Sales and the Lusseau.

Skiing's been good. More powder to ya.

[Chasse-Spleen]

I like Picque Caillou - the 2000 was very very nice and I drank about five bottles (not in one sitting, mind you). I tried the '04 next to '04 du Tertre and you can guess which one I bought that time. But it wasn't bad at all. I almost caved in on a mag. later on. BTW, what is that house special Argentinian Cab, Hound? I'm always tempted by wines like that. And if you like it that much, it's worth a try.
-Chasse

[Houndsong]

Sorry, Chris, but the "house special" was not mine but the Laughing Ladies' and it was lousy wood and alcohol. It's the kind of wine routinely called "porty" but that's an insult to port. They have highly seasoned fare and sometimes they have a very rich and powerful wine that pairs pretty well with it, but this time it was not appetizing. I should have noted the name for the record but I didn't ask again.

[JimHow]

HS: I think you should try that 2007 Domaine La Garrigue Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Romaine, twelve dollars at PJs, an RMP90, excellent QPR... a Houndsong-kind-of-wine if I ever saw one. I think that would satisfy the BWE CdP Harry Chateauneuf du Pape Month assignment, wouldn't it?

[Roberto]

I bought a 1/2 case of the '04 Picque Caillou from Zachy's and enjoyed it. It was a situation where the guy on the phone sold me and he was right.

Roberto

[JimHow]

I bought a mag from Zachy's but gave it away as a gift.

[PappaDoc]

Jim and all, if you like the 04 Picque Caillou, for me a classic example of "old school" Graves, Zachys is haveing a Mag sale by the case only, for half price.

Picque Caillou 2004 (1.5L) 137352 - $49.99 $299.94 $149.97 $25.00

Thats six Mags for $25.00 per btl plus I believe free ground shipping $150.00 for a case of six mags is a good deal for me. I'm going to buy a case and sell 4 btls to whom ever is interested. I can't store Mags in my wine unit. I have only one at present, 2003 CDP Christia, two more I can handle.

[JimHow]

I'm gonna be in NYC this weekend, PD, I might swing by Zachy's. Six mags for $150 is a good price!
Have you tried the 2006 Cantemerle yet?

[PappaDoc]

Yes Jim, and I like it. Zachys sponsored the UGV Bordeaux Tasting two weeks ago in NYC. While I was focusing on 05s I was delighted by many 06s. Bran Cantenac , Lagrange, Lynch Bages, Pontet Canet, were favorites. La Lagune, Malescot, also impressive, as were Right Banks, Beauregard, Beau Sejour Becot, Troplong Mondot, La Dominique, Gazin etc

[Houndsong]

I would go for those mags if I didn't have a few more bottles of this. One other anectdotal point about this wine. My wife sometimes gets the red wine headache which I guess is attributable to histamines generally and maybe the sulfites added to the wine, but she declared "all clear" after drinking this so maybe they go light on the sulfites. Frankly I'd also been getting some heavy sinus conditions of late from some red wines that I'm not sure wasn't just a wintertime sinusitis.

I've still got quite a few of the 2005 Dme. de Garrigues Cuvee Romaine. I'm shocked at all the wine I have and really don't want any more, which is not to say I won't buy more. But as I said to Harry I would just buy the Clos du Caillou if I wanted any CdR. Usually they clock in at about $16 and they never fail to deliver an uber-rich CdR.

[JimHow]

PD, the Zachy's site says $245.50 for the sale price for case of mags of '04 Picque Caillou, is the $150 price some sort of separate deal?

[DavidG]

It's great to find a wine the spouse likes and can drink with you when they have sensitivities. I hate to see sulfites get an undeserved bad rap, though. They aren't the culprit for wine-related headaches, at least not for the vastmajority of people. Sulfite sensitivity is more of a true allergy/airway issue. Histamines, alcohol, dehydration, and other congeners are the typical causes of wine-related headaches.

[SteveH]

Nice to see our snappy new BWE home and familiar faces over here.

I would like to say that another delicious 2004 is the Brane Cantenac; nicely perfumed, very classically attractive and subdued, with good ripeness. A solid example.

Steve

[JimHow]

...Well look what the cat dragged in!
Good to see you, Mr. H!

[SteveH]

Thanks Jim. Nice to be here.

I've been traveling overseas for a month, and it's a real delight to see our new BWE home.

Kudos to you and all those who made this great effort.

Steve

[Houndsong]

I guess the financial crisis is finally over. But first I'd like Jacques to weigh in on his feelings.

[rjsussex]

Thanks Hound!

And Richard was very much with Richard on the 2004s last evening when I celebrated securing a third case of Langoa at more or less opening price (c£18 all in) by cracking open my second bottle. I think I extolled it mightily on this Board after the first bottle - but - wow -

This is extraordinary for Langoa: lovely lustrous colour; rich and quite farm-yard nose (the funkiness, quite old-style Cordier in damp-undergowth, came and went); very full fruit, huge tannins but so buffered by the blast of rich-cedary fruit on the very long finish that they're digestible already. I must compare this with Lagrange and Poyferre: from memory they may be more pure and polished but the Langoa I'm sure is the more explosive mouthful of great St Julien fruit and length.

I've just learned from Liv-Ex (name?) that Neal M has recently given it 93 - above Lafite! (and 93 is same mark as Barton) - in a big 04 retrospective and Jancis loved it when first bottled (18).

I've yet to start my case of Barton.

Do ransack your suppliers for this amazing Langoa!

Richard