Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

In the last year I think one of the bottles that most surprised me with its awesomeness was the 2000 Chasse Spleen. It was dense, fruit, complex, intoxicating...

Chasse Spleen certainly makes long lived wines -- I remember the 1970 and others 80's efforts -- but they were more good than great. But the 2000 was just terrific, and I wasn't expecting that when I opened it. Maybe I shared a glass with the wife, but mostly I polished the bottle off by myself on a lazy Saturday afternoon / evening.

What was your favorite upside surprise in the last year?

A gift bottle of 2002 Bollinger RD. Plan to take it to Chicago to open with friends this fall.

As far as a bottle of Bordeaux that was a pleasant surprise, I'll go with the 2012 Ch du Tertre that I Howed at the urging of Danny and our BD this spring.

For me, a wine i opened not so long ago, the 2000 Chateau Langlais. A Puisseguin Saint-Émilion running at all cylinders and excellent after 16 years.

Who said only great growths can be good?

Nic

1980 Pichon Lalande. Seriously good.

Three wines two of which I enjoyed on Saturday, and two out of three were 1966 clarets.

1966 Brane Cantenac and 1992 La Mission on Saturday.

And last winter 1966 Lafite.

2008 La Fleur de Gay, incredibly complex and delicate. One of the best Pomerol wines I ever had.

Thanks for the enablement Rudi, case just ordered. Patrick take note. Works out at $75 a bottle here in the UK.

2000 La Lagune. The first few times I drank this wine it was not performing and I thought I would never become a good L-L. However, it bloomed within the last year.

I could add the 1995 Chateau La Lagune. A totally great claret.

Nic

Rudi Finkler wrote:2008 La Fleur de Gay, incredibly complex and delicate. One of the best Pomerol wines I ever had.

I haven't had that one but 89,90,95, 98 (and maybe more) never did much for me. I think I genuinely like the 90 Croix de Gay more than its luxe brother. Its beyond my understanding and purse now.

Not had any recent ones though.

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Last night we had a very middling Lagrein from the Italian Alps area. Our dinner companions complained about my pick, which was purely a whim, since I don't think I'd had a lagrein in a dozen years or so. I didn't like that one last time around either, so I guess I'm set for another decade.

Another wine that was amazing and a surprise for me was the 2003 PJA 'Raymond Roure' [Crozes Hermitage]

It's a tiny 500 case lot from one of the ripest, most Hermitage like CH hillside sites.

Used to be a Kermit Lynch import a long time ago then the estate got chopped up (perhaps due to French inheritance laws?) and the Jaboulet's got half and Rousset got the other half.

I found a Rousset example from another year and will try that soon. They have renamed their half "Les Picardaules" or something like that. That too is hard to find.

Normally I don't care for Crozes, but this is great stuff, and 2003 is an extraordinary year in the Northern Rhone. Freakish really.