Hum hum, the 2005 Château Clarke

[Nicklasss]

Well, i opened a bottle of that tonight, and... And... And... I'm a bit shy to say that, but that bottle, tonight, is far away behind the 2000 Château Clarke, that I had a few time.

In fact, lately, I preferred the 2010 Costes de Férêt-Lambert, a second wine from a Bordeaux Supérieur. That 2005 is a bit disjointed, with a clear "California Cab" character, with cinnamon grainy oak, burned wood, blackblackcurrant (it is not an error, I mean super dark blackcurrant, as i prefer dark violet blackcurrants), a bit rough tannins, missing fat or fruit, and short to medium finish.

A big miss tonight, a sad 2005, maybe opened at the wrong age, but from that bottle, I don't have much expectation... My heart is hurt. I try to Forget numbers, but let say this is low low 80's...

On a positive note, the 2000 was excellent to impressive for thé price...

I don't know If I'll open a Bordeaux tomorrow night.

Nic

[Tom In DC]

Regardless of the wine you tasted tonight, Nic, I find the fact that a Bordeaux Supérieur has a second wine just astonishing...

[stefan]

I was similarly taken aback, Tom. What is the the untold story here?

[Nicklasss]

Yes, me too I'm a bit impressed, about that Bordeaux Supérieur second wine. When I ordered it, I thought it was the 2010 Château Férêt-Lambert, but when I received it, I was it was the 2010 Costes de Château Férêt-Lambert... Typical name of a second in Bordeaux.

Anyway that 2010 Costes is a genuine very good little Bordeaux.

For the 2005 Château Clarke, there is a lot leftover, so I'll revisit tonight.

Nic

[robert goulet]

Ferret lambert a solid producer but yet to see them duplicate the brilliant '03 as for the second label...I've never seen it

[DavidG]

Was the '05 perhaps just shut down? It wasn't exactly a drink young year...

[Houndsong]

2nd wines of Bordeaux Superior = direct and proximate Parker legacy. I'll put that in his plus column.

[Tom In DC]

OK, who kidnapped Aloha Art and who hacked the Hound's old account?

Looks like I'll stalk the "direct and proximate Parker legacy" comments -- gotta be a "minus 1" on this being a good thing.

The second wine movement is totally out of hand -- I visited MacArthur today and there was only one 2009 Bordeaux on their shelves that wasn't a second wine -- Potensac (which is probably a third wine! {albeit vehemently denied by the house.}) And some of these were seconds -- based on the name (the Blah Blah de Chateau Whatever) -- from estates of which I've never heard. BUT the prices of even these at-least-to-me-unknown's were solidly in the range we often discuss as Bordeaux's value point (~$20), making me wonder if the "first wine" of even these chateaux has been priced into the stratosphere...

I guess someone is buying this stuff, but I walked out without stopping at the register.