1994 Bordeaux

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:24 am

Does anybody have any of these?

I have a bottle or two each of LLC and some darn Pomorol, can never remember that estate. Methinks they went for $150 per in the 2000 vintage. Doesn't matter, anyway, any one else have something from this vintage? Seriously.

I know I'm off the grid as far as connoisseurs go, picking up average vintage wines and such, but just wondering. Since reposting I'm starting to remember things I have in the cellar. Half a case of 1996 Leoville-Barton for example.

tim · Post by **tim** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:30 am

Personally I love 1994 Bordeaux. They aren't as big as the 96's, but I find them mature and classic in style, but not lacking in fruit like some of the truly lesser years. Had a 94 Montrose this evening that was really nice, not overwhelming but had the finesse that I would come to expect from a solid Bordeaux. Haven't had the LLC tho...

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:37 am

i've got an imperial of Pontet-Canet, one of the best Pontet-Canets.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:46 am

Tim,

Glad there's another fan of "off" vintages out there.

The 1994 d'Issan turned me on to the Margaux wines. I still remember just sniffing it on the back deck on a mild Summer evening for hours.

The good news is I've had these wines since 2000 or so in my cellar, which is passive, the bad news. Fluctuates between maybe 60ºF give or take and near 68ºF (top I've seen ever).

I mention that because wines I've bought fairly young and kept ALWAYS seems far better than wines I've bought older. I popped a 1995 Meyney recently that was as dark and rich and fresh looking as some recent 2005's. Even if I could buy via auction I highly doubt I'd do so. Older wines anyway. Personnal prejudice. Too much pig-in-a-poke to me. That whole paranoia thing.

Glad to hear a recent 1994 Montrose was nice. I won't be in a dither to pop my 94's now. I'll await the Spring...or Summer.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:49 am

Jim,

Imperial? That a double Magnum?

Gonna throw a BBQ and serve it? Maybe the week I get back to Cape Ann this year?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:54 am

1994? All I have is seven bottles and two magnums. I thought '94 was pretty good for Pomerol.

stefan

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:55 am

Sounds like a plan, Alch, come on up and we'll empty the imperial of '94 Pontet Canet... that would be a double-double magnum, though, if I'm not mistaken... the equivalence of eight bottles.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:17 am

Jim,

Hope you have a guest room.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:41 am

I do Alch, but I'm about three hours north of Motif #1.
I think I told you this before but I did a feature story about Gloucester once for my local newspaper. I think Captains Courageous was filmed there.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:51 am

Jim,

That Storm of the Century movie was partly filmed in Glouchester also, except it was bunk. The actual bar is across the street and a little up from the docks of Gorton's piers, the movie version showed a restuarant on the pier (eaten at it).

Still want to visit Salem. Love to see how folk lived in the 1600's. Been through there on the train. Walking distance station in Rockport from 'downtown'.

BTW, I'll take you up on any offer with the BBQ and Pontet-Canet. Or just the Pontet-Canet.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:52 am

I have a few 1994 Bordeaux as it is my daughter's birth year.
We have tasted the LLC in March 2007 and it was still very tannic and closed. At the time, I thought it needed at least 5-10 more years.
The 1994 Haut Brion and the La Mission are both stupendous (I had a bottle of the Haut Brion a year ago).
The Leoville Barton is imo a dud; I doubt the fruit will ever outlast the tannins. Others like this better than me

, I always thought this wine was bleh.
The Lynch Bages and the Cos d'Estournel were both drying out two years ago when I last had them.
I have a case of Pichon Lalande and Angelus that I haven't touched yet. I'll keep them both for when my daughter is old enough to enjoy them.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:59 am

Jal,

Just a question, do you have a passive or controlled cellar?

dstgolf · Post by **dstgolf** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:04 am

the 1994 Leoville Barton has been exceptional. Way above its class in this vintage. Certainly better than the 98 and very close to the 86. Surprisingly finished third in a vertical recently behind the 90,82 and ahead of the 88,89 and 83.

Danny

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:05 am

alchemeus wrote:Jal,

Just a question, do you have a passive or controlled cellar?

I have a controlled cellar in my basement.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:08 am

dstgolf wrote:the 1994 Leoville Barton has been exceptional. Way above its class in this vintage. Certainly better than the 98 and very close to the 86. Surprisingly finished third in a vertical recently behind the 90,82 and ahead of the 88,89 and 83.

Danny

Like I said, Danny, others like it more than me. I admit though that I am not a fan of the estate. I never buy or order the Leoville Barton, and can't remember liking it in any vintage.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:13 am

Jaques,

Damn! Then I have no idea how mine are behaving. Yeah, drink them this year. Probably with grilled aged steaks. Spring or Summer.

No regrets.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:17 am

alchemeus wrote: No regrets.

NEVER!!!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:22 am

How you doing, my man Jacques?
Rugged times these days.
I'll be down in your town tomorrow, for Eugene Onegin at the Met.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:31 am

It's brutal Jim, so many people I know are getting laid off.

Eugene Onegin should be a lot of fun, have a great time and always feel free to stop by on your way, we're a mile off exit 33 on the Saw Mill Parkway.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:38 am

One of the best things personally that has come out of BWE (the "old" version of which, by the way, shuts down tomorrow), is that it has brought me a lot of friends in New York City. I've met a lot, a lot of good people in that town, you hate to see such economic destruction because it affects a lot of real, honest people. I'm sure things are going to stabilize, right now to a layman like me I'm just amazed at the pace of events... all these weekend deals, the off-the-cuff government interventions, etc.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:41 am

...I'll probably be coming back up the Saw Mill Parkway on Sunday but we're supposed to have another freaking foot of snow up here on Sunday so I'm planning on rushing back up.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:48 am

Saw Mill Parkway, heck I see that every time we drive up to CT. Off I286. I just remember the signs. We always take the Tappan Zee.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:50 am

It's a pretty drive, you take it and you are in the neighborhood of Jacques and Jill, the Readers Digest, oh, and yes, Bill and Hillary....

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 3:05 am

Jim,

We always bounce off to the Merrit Parkway up through CT to New Haven. Kathryn's father live less than a mile from the sprawling Yale Campus.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 3:10 am

Yeah, going up the Saw Mill generally adds about 15 minutes to the trip, except at certain times of day, when it makes more sense. The Cross Bronx Expressway and I-95 are tougher to battle during rush hours.

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 3:22 am

Kinda weird, you drive into New Haven and see signs for Yale Polo grounds and such. Being a rube from North Carolina, and now Maryland, it's just weird. Less weird from Md.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:47 pm

I drank a 94 Haut Brion a couple of weeks ago that was excellent and still on the upswing. There are some good wines from that tannic vintage, IMO

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:21 pm

I tasted this vintage right after release and liked it back then, as I could see though the tannins that there was some good fruit to go along with the structure. The Pomerols are excellent with L'Evangile a favorite. The store presenting the tasting touted the vintage as the as the last bargain vintage, with the prices expected to rise sharply in 1995 and 1996... And they did!

La Dominique from magnum this past New Years Eve was another example of a good right banker. The Medocs are somewhat variable, especially with regards to tannin management. This vintage is no fruitbomb but rather a more structured old school style. Personally I am opening the St. Emilions now, and deferring opening the Medocs for a couple of more years.

Pichon Lalande is a good one JAL. We shared a bottle that night downtown, when you brought the mag of Lafite.

I have not opened my LLC yet, but it is supposed to be a very good one. I am sure that Jim remembers opening that double mag that I delivered to him at the NYC connvention.

My stress level has clearly dropped since moving and not having to battle the Cross Bronx heading to the GWB coming back from periodic Long Island meetings on a Friday afternoon. Those meetings started at 9am sharp and the wine tasting with the owners or winemakers would start shortly there after. Eating a quality NY bagel before the meeeting started along with spitting and lots of water were essential. Still it was hard to spit ocassional Grand Crus and other goodies. Usually at the lunch break there were some bottles that were left over to retaste, but one had to watch their consumption, lest the 75 mile drive become personally more hazardous. That being said I had a wine sales manager that was a large 350+ pounder, and his mantra at the meetings was, "After nine wine is fine". Heavens forbid that there was not one or more accidents on the crawl home that has taken upwards of 3.5 hours of mostly horiffic congestion.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:47 pm

I bought '94s - not a heralded vintage but not junk either. I figured it was probably the last time I could afford any of the first growths. I bought a few of them, plus a few Pavie, a half-case of Smith Haut Lafitte, and a case of Angelus based on recommendations from others. RickJ snagged a great deal on the Lafite for me - thank you Rick! The only one I've tried so far is the Angelus - I think it is going to turn out just fine...

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:01 am

I had the Angelus a few years ago-very nice indeed. I'm keeping an eye out for the 94 Haut Brion as well after my tasting a couple of weeks ago.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 12:59 pm

My favourite 04s are from the Medoc - Montrose, Pontet-Canet (exceptional), Ducru and Leoville-Barton (which was really curmudgeonly in its youth). Less keen on La Mish (bit hollow in the mid-palate), L'Eglise-Clinet and Angelus (a bit contrived). Pape Clement is nice. Latour is going through a very awkward phase and Mouton is controversial but a dark horse IMHO. I am guessing that LLC and Lafite will turn out to be the exceptional wines in this vintage (only tasted in their youth though).

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:34 pm

By contrived, do you mean the '94 Angelus is too up-front fruity or extracted, or maybe too oaky for you, Ian? It's way too early for me to pass judgment, but I've liked it in most years and I have high hopes for its ability to come together. Obviously I also have high hopes for the Medocs in my cellar. Glad to hear they show promise.

Have you tried the '94 Margaux?

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:14 pm

Yes that's right David - I tried it about a year and a half ago and to my tastes it was a bit confected and artificial - as if the winemaker(s) was trying to hard to extract rather than let the vintage do the talking; but it seemed to be in an awkward stage - I guess I am going off that modern Angelus style. Judgement reserved perhaps but I would sell my remaining 11 bottles if I could. To be honest I did not care much for the 1995 either but that is more backward. Not tried the Margaux unfortunately.

Brad Trent · Post by **Brad Trent** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:38 pm

I've had three '94's in the past couple of weeks...Pichon Lalande, Cos and Clinet...all three were exceptional! If I had to rank them....

1. Cos
2. Clinet
3. Pichon Lalande

...but separated by the narrowest of margins. The Cos is loaded with amazing black fruit, still showing a healthy amount of tannin, but of the sweet & ripe variety that went perfectly well with the massive Porterhouse I had grilled. The Clinet is a feminine wonder-wine...lush and showing lovely secondary elements and the Pichon...well...it's Pichon! It was simply lovely...so good that my wife, who regularly lectures me on why I needn't buy more wine, said it would be fine if I found a few more of these!

BT

alchemeus · Post by **alchemeus** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:29 pm

Clinet!

That's the 1994 Right Banker I can never remember. Got some.

Sorry, digressing.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:51 pm

Glenn: We uncorked that '94 LLC 3L at my parents' 50th anniversary party about five years ago, popped and poured, it was rocking.... My WOTN among some great wines that night.

Caveman · Post by **Caveman** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:46 am

I just finished a '94 Clerc-Milon this evening. It was youthful and bright, with good black fruit; a very enjoyable wine. I still have a good assortment of '94's, as this was a vintage early in my wine buying experience when prices were resonable, including Cos, Pontet-Canet, Pichon Lalande, Leoville-Barton, LLC, Haut-Brion, Lafite, lynch, Mouton & Pape-Clement.

Tom

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:17 pm

For me, I went threw a bunch of the 1994 Chateau Branaire and they were really good. Never bought that much 1994, but I liked the claret style of the 94 Branaire.

Nic

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:22 pm

I liked a lot of them, both left and right bank: Lynch Bages, Leoville Barton, Leoville Las Cases, Mouton, Haut Brion, Clinet, Gazin, Montrose, Cos d'Estournel, Ducru, off the top of my head. Wasn't too high on the Margaux, as I recall. Latour was okay, higher merlot content that year, as I recall-- just the opposite for Lafite, which I think had like over 90% cabernet in the blend in '94. (Got both the Margaux and Haut Brion on sale at Martignetti's in the North End of Boston for $50 each.)

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:52 pm

Oh brother, looks like I was thinking about '04, not '94, when I wrote my note above. Well, most of what I said still holds, not a great vintage but not a total write-off either. Angelus was pretty good that year, but not as good as the '04. Latour, Clinet, Evangile all also enjoyable though all are still a bit on the young side to my taste. One that never did it for me was Troplong Mondot - too austere/tannic.