2003 Lafon Rochet

[JimHow]

The bouquet at the outset seems a bit exotic, volatile.
I last had this at the BWE Dallas convention a few years ago, one of those in the business wine guys who were there brought it and I really loved it, it was one of my wines of the night.

[JimHow]

Trying to determine if this is flabby and stewed or if it just needs to settle down a little bit.
This reminds me a little of the 2003 Pontet Canet when it was in that awkward stage a few years ago

[JimHow]

Kind of a ruby red, teetering on rusty color, almost like one of those low acidity high alcohol Aussie wines.
Seems to be coming around a bit though with a little air.

[JimHow]

Now it is settling down a bit and we're getting some nice St. Estephe cedar and pencil shavings, although this is by no means a "typical" northern Medoc. This reminds me of that wild and crazy 1990 Cos that was so flamboyant at about the same age.

[JimHow]

This seems quite different from that one in Dallas a couple years ago.
That one was sturdy, structured, surprisingly classic for a 2003.
This seems more like a 2003.
It's definitely coming around with a little air, though… just like those 2003 Pontet Canets.

[JimHow]

14%, about what I would have guessed.
Still awkward and unbalanced.
Trying to lasso it into shape.
It might be more interesting with food.

[Blanquito]

I had this 2-3 times on release, and it was wild and ripe. I liked it, bought a few bottles for the cellar, as it struck me as one that could really develop into some unusual and fun.

[JimHow]

It's coming into line on the nose but I'm not sure yet whether the palate is following.

I think you're on to something there Patrick.

[JimHow]

This wine is just not grabbing me.
I have another 11 bottles to go but I'm really struggling to imagine this getting better.
It toned down a bit, but, at least from this bottle, there just wasn't much that was compelling.
It had cedar and cassis and some typical northern Medoc notes, but it was flabby, pruned, unexciting, flat, lacking crispness and acidity.
Not unpleasant, just not compelling.
Maybe other bottles will be better. A significant disappointment.
Rating: 87 points.

[JimHow]

There's a lot of pain in the ass fine sediment in this wine that started appearing with about a third of the bottle left.
It improved in the end so I'll upgrade the score to an 89, but this wine still has some issues to deal with.