TN 2005 Ch. Haut Bergey, Pessac-Leognan

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Snowing heavily, 1-2 feet forecast, cut-off low to bring snow showers through Monday movers coming on Monday to pack, Tuesday to load and move. That's life in the Rockies. If you can't cut it, lump it.

The 05 Haut Bergey came readily to hand in the chaos that is the situation here, and since the chateau is au currant on the board I took the path of least. Sound, but showing those 05 tannins on opening, let's see how it does with the roast chicken. As an aside I prefer a young Saint Julien or an aged Burg with roast chicken: the former because of a scene in the Third Man where Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) orders this in a railway hotel or restaurant; the latter based on experience.

[JimHow]

I am going to either crack open or not crack open my case of 2005 Haut Bergey based on what I read in this thread….

[Blanquito]

I've got a lot of this, so I'm all ears.

What's your next destination again, Art? My yard is loving all this moisture we are getting in CO.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Sorry I got distracted. The next phase was slightly wooden with a touch of a woody aftertaste but it sweetened up a bit with the chicken. Decent body, still surprisingly tannic. I don't know if "dry extract" is actually palpable but this had that sort of dusty mouth feel that makes me imagine there's fine solids in solution. Anyway decent but probably between youthful fruitiness (although as mentioned elsewhere this never had the same fat and goo of other 05s early on) and the sophistication of age. Currently not quite as "nice" as either of the "nice" 2010 and 2009 Medocs I had earlier this week. Jim, I would crack the case and see where a bottle is in the evolution.

Patrick, we are moving to Hilo in a little over three weeks. The movers of course come in advance for a trans-oceanic move. So after Tuesday it will be as hollow in here as the original Xanadu in Citizen Kane.

[dstgolf]

Art,

Trading forms of precipitation moving to Hilo. When we were there last boy was it ever humid,hot, rainy etc. Nice tropical flowers etc but rain? Preferred the Kona coast for a little dryer clime but just might have been the time of year for us. Safe move and good luck.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Yeah, 120 inches of rain a year in Hilo. Ironically the several times I've been there the weather has been nice, even if it was pouring on landing early in the morning. It will be interesting to see how the experience differs from windward Oahu. Very short differences in distance can yield surprising differences in precip. Kailua, Oahu for instance and Kaneohe are only a couple of miles apart, are both on the coast but Kaneohe is much rainier. Our house is two miles north of town and on the ocean side and it seems much airier than downtown Hilo at midday for sure. I like the Kona side too but if anything it's hotter there because it's quite a bit sunnier. But I've got the surfing which is what I was after, and my rule is for vacationing, go to the Kona side of the islands, for residing, stay on the windward side.

[DavidG]

Wishing you a safe/uneventful move Art, and feeling just a bit jealous...

I always attribute that dusty mouthfeel that conjures a sense of fine solids to tannins. Which fits pretty well with that wine in that vintage.

[Blanquito]

I've got some friends in Hilo at the Uni. When Kim and I were in Kona, it was pretty cloudy. The locals said the clouds wrap around the mountains to hide from the trade winds. When we got tired of the rain in Hilo, it's an hour drive or less up to Waimea where it's usually sunny but still green. Pahoa was a hoot, filled with white bearded social refugees from the 1960's who have chosen to live out of tents for 40 years. Have fun Hound, and enjoy the surf for us.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

When you go mauka on Kona along say the Mamalahoa highway at 1200 feet, the weather is very clement but you do get some of the overhanging clouds. But if you were at the beach on that side it is typically very sunny and hot. Great for vacation. On the Hilo side oceanside is going to be your driest bet I imagine; as you gain elevation it's got to be rainier. Hook me up with your friends at the university. I need to get plugged in to various groups over there.

[AKR]

How are you getting your wine to HI? How will you acquire more there?

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

We're just taking eight cases to start. If I mix those judiciously with some locally sourced wines, including probably some cheap, young Bordeaux, we should be OK for the time being.