Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

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Comte Flaneur
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Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by Comte Flaneur »

This is the line up for our annual Bordeaux offline in London:

2013 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc de Lynch-Bages
2000 Château Léoville Poyferré
2000 Château Belair (Dubois-Challon)
1996 Château Pontet-Canet
1989 Château La Lagune
1990 Château La Lagune
1996 Château Kirwan
1989 Château Cantemerle
1988 Château Cos d'Estournel
1988 Château Climens 375ml

Really looking forward to trying the 1996 Kirwan too...an estate with which I am remarkably unfamiliar
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Nicklasss
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by Nicklasss »

Nice line up Comte.

I had the 1996 Chateau Kirwan 3 years ago and like it very much. I was not expecting that, not knowing the Chateau very much. I remember it was full of blackberries and licorice character then.

Nic
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stefan
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by stefan »

With those two excellent La Lagunes, Ian, why bother with all those second rate wines? :)

More seriously, 1989 Cantemerle is one of the best Cantemerles I have drunk. I drank up mine quite some time ago, but recent reports indicate that it is still going strong. 1988 Cos is another wine I have enjoyed a lot even if some find it unexciting. Climens 88 is excellent and 96 Pontet Canet quite good if not up to the level of more recent Pontet Canets. I am interested in your take on 2000 Poyferre. I never had the white 13 Lynch but expect it to be lousy or the 2000 Belair. I have drunk 1996 Kirwan but have no memory of it.

I look forward to your report on this interesting assortment.
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AKR
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by AKR »

Wow some Belair

That's an estate I hardly ever see

I wish I'd picked up a bottle or two when they were around, and one vendor had some.
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by Comte Flaneur »

2013 Lynch-Bages Blanc - this is a wine that is difficult to justify buying but is always a pleasure to drink. This one was bright and fresh, but on the shy side with grapefruit notes and as it opened up a bit some fresh herbs emerged, with a touch of fennel, and dandelion. 89


2000 Leoville-Poyferre. This is one of my least favourite chateau and I was expecting a fairly awkward extracted beast. What we got instead was a beautifully resolved, dark fruited wine with lead pencil and tobacco notes. It is dense and powerful but definitely in the zone. A contender for wotl 94

2000 Belair. A very good nicely resolved old school St-Emilion. It was clearly outgunned by its flight mate, but if you analyse it this has mineral and herby notes and is edgy and complex. All played out in low key. 92


1996 Pontet Canet - I went cycling in The English countryside yesterday and my nostrils were often filled with pungent farmyard aromas. This is what you get when you sniff this one. Soil and earth too. After a couple of hours it has morphed into a beautifully resolved wine, quite dense, but absolutely ready to go. These days it is outclassed by younger vintages from this estate but it is a wine which gives great pleasure. 92

1996 Kirwan - I was really looking forward to trying this, but came away disappointed. It is overoaked for the substance of the wine underneath. But it probably could use 3-5 more years. Not easy to pick as a Margaux. 88

1988 Cos D'Estournel - perfectly a point and not a hair out of place. Old style claret and not over-burdened with fruit but an utter delight, and a wine at its zenith. If you are lucky enough to own both drink this while waiting for your 1989s. This is one of the best 1988s I have tried. 94



1989 La Lagune - fully resolved, perfectly balanced, with ripe fruit, and a superb finish. There is nothing forced here, it is so laid back, but a delight to drink now. 93

1990 La Lagune - sexier than the 1989 with a kinky entry, the fruit is riper too. Also beautifully resolved and laid back. Ostensibly this provides more pleasure than the 1989 but opinions on the table were divided. While more reticent than the 1990 the 1989 had more length on the palate. Both of these wines are winners and not far behind the legendary 1982. 93

1989 Cantemerle - another brilliant showing for this wine, which is much more exuberant than its flight mates, and denser on the mid-palate with a wider smorgasbord of facets. I get truffle on the dense and luxurious mid-palate. This one finished nicely too. For me it just shaded the 'gunes. 94


1988 Climens - the consensus on the table was that there was something not quite right about this. I must say while I have enjoyed this wine over the years I have never accorded it reverential status

2003 Yquem - still on the young side, but a rather overlooked full-bore no BS Yquem in my opinion. Much better than the Climens.
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JimHow
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by JimHow »

Is La Lagune a serious wine?
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stefan
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by stefan »

So the 89 Cantemerle really is still going strong. I'll keep watch for it at auctions.

Glad you liked the Poyferre. I knew your (relative) distaste for this estate and was always puzzled as our tastes are usually aligned pretty closely.

Don't waste your money on La Lagune, Jim. Leave it for people who will drink non serious Bdx. How good can wine with no commune appellation be? And use your influence as BD to persuade others not to buy La Lagune, especially when older vintages come up in auctions.
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by Blanquito »

Great notes, Ian. I too have really, really enjoyed the 89 Cantemerle the 3-4 times I've had it since 2014. I've managed to score nearly a case of it at auction in the last year for around $80-$85/bottle all-in. I also just won 6 bottles of the 96 Pontet Canet in auction as well, that is still quite "cheap" ($65) for the quality and maturity, so I am pleased with your note.

I've never had the 00 L. Poyferre, but I keep hearing good things. It's gotten really pricey though, so I'm not buying.

I'll keep an eye out for the 88 Cos, which I also don't think I've ever had. My favorite 88 might be the Lynch Bages.
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by Nicklasss »

Nice report Comte.

I'm with you on the 1996 Kirwan: a good wine but blind I would also have never guessed Margaux.

The 1989 Cantemerle is in the same "league" as the 1990 Sociando Mallet, wine that don't break your bank account, and that are performing as well as some wines with better reputations (and way higher $).

The La Lagune (by the way, Guigal should buy that estate to add another La La to their portfolio!) duo looks just great. It is a very different wine from the Crus Classés from other AOC, but it individuality and quality are great.

I too liked the 2000 Léoville Poyferré a year ago. A very solid and complex Saint-Julien.

My favorite 1988 up to now (I did not taste all the 1988) is Haut-Brion.

Nic
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JimHow
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by JimHow »

My favorite 1988s are Lynch Bages and Lafite.
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DavidG
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by DavidG »

My favorite 1988 is Yquem.

For the reds, hard to argue with Haut Brion, Lynch and Lafite. I'd pick Haut Brion by a slim margin.
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Re: Lunch today will feature two vintages of La Lagune

Post by Comte Flaneur »

For reds 1988 is definitely a left bank vintage - though Angelus might get a look in

My top ten in reverse order would be - excluding wine of the vintage Chateau d'Yquem and others near there like Climens

Top ten clarets of the 1988 vintage

10. Cos D'Estournel
9. Lynch-Bages
8. Gruaud-Larose
7. Haut-Brion
6. Pichon Lalande
5. Palmer
4. Mouton
3. Latour
2. Leoville-Lascases
1. Lafite

Just missing the cut would be Angelus, Leoville-Barton and Pichon Baron

Compared to my blog post four years ago new entrants into the top ten would be three brilliant 'super seconds' - Cos, Palmer and Leoville-Lascases. They are worth seeking because all three of them are right at their zenith.
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