The lesson

[Nicklasss]

Last night, two red with bavette à l'échalotte, both really good.

2014 Pruno Ribera del Duero from Villacreces: still, one of the best wine at 20$. Complex, chocolate, dark berries, smoke, mineral, flowers. A very impressive wine. Tn: 90.

The lesson: 2000 Chateau Langlais, Puisseguin St-Émilion. We spend a lot of money buying the more reputed wine. But the Puisseguin, after 16 years, is just amazing. Still dark red with just a light too of brown on the rim. Complex nose of spices, cinnamon, eucalyptus, dark berries, blueberries, light licorice, blackcurrants. Mouth is complex, still tannic, but with some roundness of black fruit jam, prunes, black currants, good acidity, medium length. Some noble wood and more blackberries on the final. Black Licorice. Superb, even if a touch of rusticity. Tn: 91.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

Bordeaux can always be a surprise.

[AKR]

So I was poking around my storage unit this weekend, and found a Pruno.

grrr.

[AlexR]

Hi Nic,

Your 2000 Ch. Langlais sounds fascinating.

I once attended a blinding tasting at La Tupina in Bordeaux organized by Denis Dubourdieu pitting medium-range (i.e. medium priced) Bordeaux against California wines in a similar category.
This was fascinating. There was no clear and simple outcome, although the honest consensus was that the Bordeaux was every bit as good, if not better.
However, medium-expensive in California is more dear than medium-expensive in Bordeaux...

To those who say, "yeah, but for every 2000 Langalis, there are a bunch of duds", I'd say "You are right. That's why A) it helps to do your homework first (web resources, asking knowledgeable wine merchants, etc.) and B) the price/quality ratio is such that finding out for yourself is worth the effort.

Best,
Alex R.