TNs: 2 more for the team

[Houndsong]

2009 La Tour du Pin. Not unlike the 2008 Gazin, in that it was a bit hot and hard. Not as much wood seemingly. And it also seemed a touch lighter-bodied. Hard to tell at this point because it does have a fast and hard attack in the mouth which can tend to mask whatever happens afterward. On the plus side, while ripe, it showed good acidity and thus overall balance and structure. I'll wait a while before opening another.

2004 Magdelaine. Well, this is a different kettle of fish. Yes it is different from the parade of hot and hard 92 point RBs I've been sampling lately, but it was not exactly what I expected either. I had braced myself for some sort of "old-school" wine that would be tight, light and perhaps a bit sour. After all Gilman says this wine needs 20 years to show off its raison d'etre. Well, perhaps it will reveal its "inmost self" at that time, but right now it's drinking beautifully. "Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream" is what this is all about. You arrive at a blue-black lagoon of unfathomable depth. "Lay down all thoughts surrender to the void." This wine was lying down a bit on opening, with nil bouquet. It was raisin-black in color. Also rather placid in the mouth and finishing with very fine tannins, not a hard oak tannin anywhere in sight. Despite this, and without need of a miner's headlamp, the wine has obvious, substantial material. It's very dense, has a lot of glycerin, it seemed even heavy lifting the glass. Good sweetness and very cool and composed - it's remarkable the difference of half a degree of alcohol (this is 13.5 versus the new normal 14). Minerally? Maybe. This came alive over the course of a couple hours with the tannins remaining fine but becoming more persistent, though they are "round" and not dry. Cool cherry aromas. This is just excellent stuff and it will be very hard to make it last until 2024. You can put me in the outlier camp on this. This is far better wine than the modern school of critics allow.

[Ramon_NYC]

Glad the 2004 Madelaine is not the "here, there and everywhere" kind of wine.
It's one of my prefered RB producer that doesn't hit my uncomfortable pricing range, especially given that it is almost always well made while keeping its traditonal styling. I notice that Gilman, an enjoyable and amiable company at wine-tastings and whose wine opinions I take positive notice of, always seem to advocate these 30-to-40+ drinking windows on wines. Does he cryogenically store them? I'll be on the lookout for the 2004 and looks like it's good enough now, such that tomorrow will never know.

[AlexR]

Ramon,

There were, for many years, two classified growths with the same name: La Tour du Pin Figeac. Needless to say, this caused a great deal of confusion.
One is still owned by Antoine Moueix, and the other was sold by the Giraud-Bélivier family to Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère (joint owners of Cheval Blanc) who changed its name to La Tour du Pin
The simpler name and attractive, modern label (featuring the eponymous pine tree) as well as new management have given the estate a new lease on life.
In fact, in terms of investment, I predict that this wine will rise sharply in value over the next few years.

I have never tasted it, although I have a bottle of the 2006 in the cellar, but may go there later this year and will report if I do.

As for Magdelaine, this is a much misunderstood wine. I quite like it, and am glad you did too. I see it as a "dark horse", connoisseur's sort of wine. Production is small and it never seems to grab the place in the sun it deserves.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[Houndsong]

"Connoisseur." Well, I can retire now. Thanks, Alex!

It's certain I'm no "modern critic" rushing to declare a vintage and a wine forever and for all time after four months in barrel. It was bad enough when this was the provence of "professional" wine critics, but this seems to be the new parlor game now among well-heeled hobbyists - with or without a Wordpress blog.

Ramon, I just recently started jonesing for the Magdelaine and basically found the cheapest supply of any vintage I could. At $54 it's already redlining for my little engine. (Wish I could have found some for $35 like the 04 Montrose last year). Luckily I've had some experience with RB 04s and felt confident it would be at least a "good" wine. If the style is as true and consistent as some claim, I would keep a weather eye out for some other less heralded vintages and pick up some more if the price is right.

[tim]

This thread makes me reminisce about Alex's Friday quizzes

[AlexR]

Tim,

What I'd really like to do is continue the quiz, but in a different form: a photo of an unnamed different wine château (or possibly owner/winemaker) every Friday.

But, heck, I'd need to be a lot better organized to do that...

Maybe when I retire!


All the best,
Alex

[JonB]

I've never tried a Magdelaine, but see the 2009 on special at PC for $50 (pre-arrival).

IWC put out reviews on a Magdelaine verticle about a month ago, calling the wine "misunderstood" and "penalized over the years by wine critics looking for size rather than finesse."

Still, they reviewed the 2004 as one lacking concentration and complexity with an 89, but curiously called the nose worth a 94 rating.

[Houndsong]

If you define complexity as noticeable alcoholic heat and hard, obvious oak, I agree, the 04 Magdelaine is deficient in that regard. I could not in any sense agree the wine was lacking in concentration. I thought it was dense, albeit in a tender, supple way.

PC of course often has the lowest prices, and always the longest wait. That price seems well below those retailers that will get the wine within a reasonable time. If the wait didn't make one nervous about the actual fulfillment, there wouldn't be an issue with the wait. The price would more than make up for the time value.

[DavidG]

NO 2004 Bdx has complexity yet. They are all too young.

There, I said it. I feel much better now.

[Houndsong]

Amen. But for the modern school of critics "complexity" in the context of a 2-oz pour and 30-second evaluation window of a wine that's been 4 months in barrel boils down to checking 3 boxes: 1) sweetness 2) oak 3) alcohol. Whichever wine shows the most of these wins the Miss Complexity competition.

[DavidG]

Point taken. Feh. What do they know?

[Blanquito]

Excellent notes, Connoisseur. I especially enjoyed the 04 Magdelaine note, even if I agree with David about its immaturity. I can't recall ever having a Madgelaine, but the notes I've read for it have always intrigued.

So, thanks to you, Conniosseur, and PC's pricing, I am the proud owner-to-be of 3 more bottles of 2009 Bordeaux (delivery dates TBD).

I have a hunch, based on nothing factual, that PC will deliver its 2009 futures much more expeditiously than it did the last vintage of the millennium (2005 Bordeaux, in case the last 1000 years went by unnoticed for any viewers at home).

[Houndsong]

Glad I could help. As for the connoisseur rap, I'll trying anything the "modern school" critics have panned.

You all realize I did not inject the issue of complexity into this thread. Complexity is too nuanced for me, I'm a thumbs up/thumbs down kinda guy.

Someplace called Westchester Wine Warehouse is advertising the 05 @ $50/btl for case purchases. Supposedly they need 2 days to confirm availability. I'd have to check but I think these are the guys that failed twice before to fulfill wines for me that they offered online. Nothing tricky, just lame inventory awareness.