Two 2005's: Haut-Bergey & Puygueraud

[Blanquito]

Haut-Bergey 2005 (Pessac Leognan)
I opened this wine with some trepidation for two reasons: (1) it's a Parker new-wave darling & Rolland-made wine, which I often have mixed feelings about or worse, and (2) I bought a fair amount of this as futures (for $27), despite reason #1. So I guess I worried this wine would be too oaky, too sweet, too generic. Well, my fears were unwarranted, but I was a tad disappointed with this wine for totally different reasons... A dark garnet color (not purple ooze), very traditional for a young Bordeaux. The aromas are expressive and very classy, with sweet cherry, gentle herbs, and primary minerality. On the palate, the wine verged on light-bodied, tasting much like a good Burgundy with red cherry and sour acids; the tannins were very much in hiding. I know it sounds impossible, but this is wide-open right now and it's hard to imagine it closing down (I'll find out, see reason #2). Yes, it's primary, but drink or hold. No where near as good as Barde Haut 2005, which is also part of the Garcin stable. Surprisingly light and soft for a 2005. 90 points.

Puygueraud 2005 (Cotes de Francs)
My 3rd bottle, with the first two being tannic, mute and dry-dry-dry. This was bottle was merlot of a different color (a murky, black-purple). From the get-go, there are sexy, complex, ripe aromas of camphor, mint, black currant, wood, and minerals. A very expressive, borderline lifted bouquet; lovely and highly sniffable. On the palate, big yummy round fruit with great tang, great grip and length, and burly, gritty tannins. A broad, chocolatey big boy that isn't subtle, but very satisfying. I am buying more, great QPR. 92 points. For the record, this is one that Suckling (92 pts) got right and Parker under-rated (89 points).

OK, 2005 is behaving like this: after arriving as undrinkably tannic brutes in late 2007, many petit estates of the Right Bank (think Pipeau, Marsau, Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes, Bienfaisance, Faizeau Vieilles Vignes, Les Grands Marechaux, Fonbel, Vieille Cure, etc.) are now drinking well (though very primary). In comparison, a number of Left Bank 2005s I've tried of late (d'Armailhac, du Tertre, Senejac, Branaire, etc.) have been surprisingly light and open, and so presumably in a weird phase.

[Michael Malinoski]

That's real helpful on a lot of levels, thanks!

-Michael

[ChrisW]

Interesting notes!

Just like you, I bought quite a lot of these wines myself as I considered their prices to be quite reasonable for the vintage.

I've not tried the haut-bergey yet as I thought, just as you apparently did, that it would be still too oaky.

I've tasted the puygueraud a few times and although I think it is a good wine and a great QPR, I've not been able to give it such a high score as you have attached to it. It must have been almost a year since I last tasted it and your note provides a good reason to open another bottle and taste it again.

ChrisW

[stefan]

Indeed; very interesting, Patrick. Last year all the '05s I tried were too hard for me. I did not expect to have to try again so soon.

stefan

[JimHow]

The 2006 Haut Bergey (RMP92) was on sale at Zachy's recently for $21. Sadly, it is now sold out. I'm hoping to get some in that price range this summer. I have a case of the '05, I really liked the '01, based on a BWE (Frank or Ramon?) recommendation.

[Houndsong]

I also was not blown away by the Haut-Bergey, at least as compared to other wines in this vintage, and especially in light of the Parker accolades. I thought it was closed maybe. http://bordeauxwine.org/bwe/new/5/151335/

[Blanquito]

Thanks for the input. Honestly, the 2005 Left Bankers I've tried have left me scratching my head. Oddly light and open.

The Puygueraud was an eye opener, given how little the first bottles showed. Not your grandpa's claret, but still Bordeaux from a ripe, big vintage.

[JimHow]

Did you ever get ahold of any of those 2001 Haut Bergeys that were on sale at PJs, Patrick?
I thought they were to Haut Brion what Duhart Milon is to Lafite.

[DavidG]

Patrick, are you saying that there is a significant difference between reviewers, with one being right and one being wrong, based on a ratings difference of 3 points? I think we need to ask these guys to give us a couple of more significant digits...

I don't have access to the WS review, but this is Parker's:

Stephane Derenoncourt is the consultant, which helps explain this beautifully textured, dense purple-colored effort. The bouquet offers up aromas of tobacco leaf, black currants, cherries, charcoal, and a hint of background wood. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.

Sounds to me like a pretty positive review, and quite similar to your TN.

[Houndsong]

Just a minute David. Are you saying that peeps paying $10, $20, or $80 (or more) more for those three Parker points might be wrong? Did you post before breakfast?

[Blanquito]

You raise a tough issue, David, I think (and I've had my Wheaties). What is the different between an 89 and a 92? Couldn't my personal preferences add or subtract 3 points from a score, not to mention my mood, the setting, the food, the stems, etc? I agree it isn't much... and yet it seems like so much. Others have pointed this out before, but the whole 100 pt scoring system is really about a 6-8 pt spread 90% of the time. Virtually everything in my cellar rates from an 88 to the mid-to-high 90's, and yet I know how much better some of these wines are than others. So, in my scoring world, a 92 really is much better than an 89, just like an A- really is different than a B+. An 89 is still good, but a 92 meant the wine got my attention.

[DavidG]

Hound - you got a laugh out of me! Could it be lack of sleep? Actually, I think there are lots of worthy wines and many good values that get "only" 80-some points from RP. Paying a lot more makes sense to me only if the wine gives enough pleasure. How much more to pay for a diminishing increment of pleasure is something that each individual must decide. The problem with a lot of the really pricey wines is that it's not always easy to sample them before plunking down the money.

Patrick, I can accept that a 3-pt difference is significant to you. But how do you know a 3-pt difference is just as significant to Parker when he assigns the score? Not picking on you, Patrick, but this is a general question that goes to the whole concept of points. It may not be a linear scale to you (i.e. 89 vs 92 is a bigger spread than 79 to 82), but it may be to others, and is it to the reviewer? Parker says that wines scoring in the 80s are good wines, and those scoring over 85 are particularly good - that he has many of these in his own cellar. So according to RP's own protocol, this is a very good wine, not one to avoid. You are right, though, this could devolve into a long debate over the meaning (or lack thereof) of scores...

[Blanquito]

Here's a classic example of the "non-linearity" of wine rating points...

Parker on the 2000 and 2001 d'Armailhac:
2001: "...this 2001 is blown away by the 2000... 88-90 pts"
2000: "One of the most seductive and luscious d'Armailhacs I have ever tasted... it has more volume, depth, and power than... the 2001... 91 pts".

I'm not saying its "right", just saying that's the way it is. And over the years, I've probably calibrated my own scoring to such non-linear nonsense.

[PappaDoc]

Jim and All, be careful of buying any wine from PJs, or any other store, that has been released more than three years ago. Of course that does not mean re-releases or "Library Wines" that were stored at the Winery. The temps are too warm in my opinion in PJs and some other NYC stores I've gone "Cherry Picking "in. I've bought wines from them that were "Tired" and a couple of times cooked.

I wouldn't hesitate one second on buying any wine they are selling that has not been longer than 6 months to 1 year. I've seen wines that have sat on their racks for years. Although probably 95% of the wines they have are sold in less than three months, because of their excellent pricing. My trick in buying wine is to place the btl on my cheek. It should feel cool, hands don't work as well because sensitivity is less. I like to feel cold when I walk into a Wine Shop, it's good to see the sales staff wearing a sweater, vest, sweatshirt, or jacket.

I used to get the best deals from a very nice Korean couple in New Jersey. I used to tell the Husband that the temps in the store were too hot and were damaging the wine. He was more concerned with not hearing his Wife telling him to turn up the heat. Over a period of 7, 8 years I'd sadly watch as great wines became tired and then cooked. That included DRC Burgundies as well as top notch Cali Cabs, Barolos, German ( I bought most of them before they suffered from heat.), and other great wines.

When we visited our Daughters that lived near this store, I'd buy between $100 and $500 every couple of months. He'd even give me a further discount if I paid cash, I told him to raise his prices as I actually felt like I was doing something dis-honest, because he wouldn't raise his prices even when a wine was selling two to three times higher in any other store. Grdually I spent less and less as the wines started to slip downward. He retired two years ago and wanted to sell me DRC wines from 1993 in the original wooden cases for $250.00 a btl, 1988 Ornellaia for $37.50 the original sticker still on the btl, 89 and 90 Giacosa Barolos,I passed just not worth the chance.

[PappaDoc]

P.S.

Also be carefull when buying Champagne from PJs. They keep some of the best btls up high ( you need a ladder to get them) , as anyone knows, heat rises and collects near the ceiling. At this time of the year the A.C. is on and you wouldn't notice, but it's a whole different story in the colder months when the heat is on.

Tom Creedo, a BWE Member, but not a poster ( just reads posts here), hosts a Champagne Party at his Apt every year. He has me sellect the Champagnes and we used to buy them from PJS every year because they had fantastic prices. Sorry to say some heat damaged Champagnes were sourced from PJS ( I brought back two btls and the sales staff (unknowedgeable to Champagnes) were resistant to refunding or giving a store credit until Peter Yee the Owner Smelled and agreed that both btls were cooked. Peter gave full credit back (we had the recipt). I would still buy Champagne from them, but not from the top shelves.

[Houndsong]

91 vs 90 points might not look like a blowout, but the 2000 really controlled the time-of-possession.

[Blanquito]

I agree, Pappa, the storage at PJs is not good. I was in PJs in July when it was 100+ outside; it had to be close to 90 inside! And that heatwave lasted almost 2 weeks. It's too bad, as it's a great store.

So where do you trust older wines from retailers? For me, it's Zachys, Sherry-Lehmann, WineX, and Premier Cru. That's about it, and the latter two are by reputation and secondary experience only (I've never been to their shops, but the bottles are almost always perfect).

What about auctions, John? I've branched into Winebid and so far it's been good-to-decent in terms of the wines' condition.

[PappaDoc]

I've been buying Wine bid about 5-6 years. Got some great deals and some real losers. I'd say 20% Great deals, 20% very good, 40% good, and 20% bad. Bad as in shot! One of the worst things they do is send you dirty btls, I mean btls that can be wiped down clean as fast as it takes to put them in a shipper. They also will auction clearly maderized wines, you can even tell by the photos they have. White Burgundies that look like maple syrup, have a look, some btls will make you laugh your head off, Mosel Spatlese that are clearly brown as well. I only buy older German wines from the Mosel, Saar Ruwer area because you can see through the green glass if they are maderized. Rhine wines in their brown glass are harder to tell, they have to be really bad to show dark brown.They are no longer great deals in my book as thier prices with commision are now usually at retail prices. I do about 10% of the business that I used to do with them and that is because of higher prices and more shoddy btls. All this statement is My Opinion, but they have taken back un-opened German wines that were Maderized and given me back my money. This all said, I still chance once or twice a month on btls I can't get elsewhere. Of course I never count corked btls as being controlable, although an 83 Gold Kap JJ Prum Whelener Sonnehur Auslese and an 83 Gold Kap Auslese Scharshofberger I got from Wine bid two months ago in the same Auction were both corked. I don't blame them on that but that loss was about $300.00

Hart Davis Hart has always sent me wines in excellent shape but prices can be high. Wine Warehouse in Queens had the best Burgundy prices in the Country for a long time, but they have gone higher priced in the last couple of years. Woodland Hills and Walleys have been good to me but not cheap.

[Blanquito]

Hart Davis Hart has always sent me wines in excellent shape but prices can be high.

This is good news, as I just scored a half-case of the 2001 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese for $35 for HDH. The bottles looked good.

[PappaDoc]

Patrick,

I bought so much German wine from Hart Davis Hart in the past that they used to email me to give them a call for "First Shot" on private collections they'd get, before they would list them on the website.

One time they called me from a private cellar of a collector in Germany. I bought $1,200.00 worth of older wines including 4 btls 1989 Gold Kap B.A.s from JJ Prum at the ridiculusly low price of $50 per 375.

Only one time did I purchase some maderized German wine from them. That was 6 btls of 1976 Dr Loosen Gold Kap Erdener Pralat Auslese. I could see that they were going brown and opened the lightest colored btl. It was shot, they sent me a pre paid FedX shipping slip and I sent back the five unopened btls and gave me back my money including shipping on all six btls. I never got another maderized btl from them again.

You got an excellent deal on the Prums. Try one and put the rest away for another five years or more, you'll be glad you waited.

[SteveH]

Insightful as usual, Pappadoc. Storage is the key.