TN: 00 RBs - Barde Haute, Marsau, St Colombe, Haut Chaigneu
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:36 pm
00 Barde Haute (St Emilion) - Modern Styled St Emilion. Served at maybe 68F. Been in a cold cellar since release, so perhaps more primary than other bottles out there. Very good length of finish, sweet and dense. My type of wine; I grant others do not love them as much. Ought to keep aging very well. Didn't crack up at all over 3 days. A-
00 Marsau (Cote de Francs) - Over a different couple of nights, also at 68F or so, and also stored from release in very cold cellar. Found sort of by accident, as I didn't think there were any of these (and the items below) still in my seldom visited storage unit. This was surprisingly awesome, almost as good as the Barde Haute above, and although mature, it too didn't crack up over 3 days. Wonderfully long finish, notes of hazelnuts and spice, great fruit. These were inexpensive on release, and drink like complex wines 15 years later, and despite the conventional wisdom that these should be cracking up, my bottle didn't have any evidence of that. I've still got a few left, and although I'm drinking them sooner rather than later, I'm not making it a priority. A-
00 St Colombe (Cotes de Castillon) - On a different week. Never had during its youth. Also served cool and has been in a cold cellar since release. But is falling downhill. Rims are bricking, and to me, the finish is short, and ever so slightly, falling out of balance. Should not expect this to have lasted, and it was only around because of some cellar oversight/neglect. The concentration and complexity are much lower in this than compared to the above. B
00 Haut Chaigneu (Lalande de Pomerol) - Opened with no decanting, Also held from release and served cool, again on a different night than the others. This was fruity and fun upon release. Now its past its prime, and offers up simple red fruit, a smooth finish, and perhaps - more alcohol than their label suggests. Both my wife and I thought it rendered a buzz faster than the others, so maybe it had a little bit more alcohol than the others? I don't know, we could also have been drinking it faster! It was probably a B+ upon release, but now would have slid back to a B.
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From a few months ago....
00 Marsau (Cote de Francs) - Over a different couple of nights, also at 68F or so, and also stored from release in very cold cellar. Found sort of by accident, as I didn't think there were any of these (and the items below) still in my seldom visited storage unit. This was surprisingly awesome, almost as good as the Barde Haute above, and although mature, it too didn't crack up over 3 days. Wonderfully long finish, notes of hazelnuts and spice, great fruit. These were inexpensive on release, and drink like complex wines 15 years later, and despite the conventional wisdom that these should be cracking up, my bottle didn't have any evidence of that. I've still got a few left, and although I'm drinking them sooner rather than later, I'm not making it a priority. A-
00 St Colombe (Cotes de Castillon) - On a different week. Never had during its youth. Also served cool and has been in a cold cellar since release. But is falling downhill. Rims are bricking, and to me, the finish is short, and ever so slightly, falling out of balance. Should not expect this to have lasted, and it was only around because of some cellar oversight/neglect. The concentration and complexity are much lower in this than compared to the above. B
00 Haut Chaigneu (Lalande de Pomerol) - Opened with no decanting, Also held from release and served cool, again on a different night than the others. This was fruity and fun upon release. Now its past its prime, and offers up simple red fruit, a smooth finish, and perhaps - more alcohol than their label suggests. Both my wife and I thought it rendered a buzz faster than the others, so maybe it had a little bit more alcohol than the others? I don't know, we could also have been drinking it faster! It was probably a B+ upon release, but now would have slid back to a B.
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From a few months ago....