Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Uncorked one of these puppies last night. Man, I think I am just going to focus on getting these great northern Medocs into my cellar from here on out. This wine is just such a step up in class. Great balance, beautiful, youthful opaque purple, St. Julien/Pauillac nose, some oak, of course, but not at all intrusive. Just so beautifully balanced on the palate. Mmmm. Should be really nice in the 10-20 year range. Thanks, Gerry, for tipping me off on the sale at NH Liquor store. This wine is a beauty! 95 points.

What prior vintages would you compare it to?

Hmmm. I guess I would NOT compare it to 2000, 2004, 1996, 1990, etc.
The tannins are round, not rugged.
But I wouldn't call it elegant either. Of course, I don't think you can call ANY vintage of LB elegant.
I'd say somewhere in the mold of 1989, 2001, 2006, etc.
I REALLY liked it, so much so that I'm going to look for another half dozen.

Damn Jim, now I might have to go back for more based on your description.

It's a beauty, Gerry!

Thank you for your judgement Jim. Glad i bought a case. Seemed to be a good value en primeur. Any thoughts pn 2015 LB?
Best

Better than the 2014 Calon Segur? Or should I say, did you like it better than that excellent bottle of the 2014 Calon in SanFran?

Loved that Calon Segur we had in SF as well, although I recall that as a bigger wine than this Leoville Barton.

JimHow wrote:It's a beauty, Gerry!

I hope you're right, I just bought another 6 bottles lol.

Very well done indeed Gerry! It's been a while since I've bought Bordeaux in NH.
I haven't tried the 2015 LB, Ognik, I wonder what other BWEers here think of it.

Didn't we try this at the Chateau in 2015?..you do like them young Jim...you could get arrested! Sounds like a beautiful wine and bit like the 2004.

Is 2014 a better vintage than 2012?

Neal Martin:

The 2014 Leoville Barton is one of the must-buys of the vintage. Now in bottle, it has a very pure bouquet that gains intensity in the glass, laden with blackberry and raspberry coulis scents, cold wet stone, a wonderful mineralité that becomes more conspicuous with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile tannin, a fine line of acidity that lends this precision and nervosité. There is class and sophistication in situ, not a powerful Léoville Barton, but beautifully poised. This is just a brilliant forerunner to the 2015 and it should represent great value. Drink 2020-2050
Score: 94 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (Interim En), April 2017

Mmmm, yes I would agree with him.
I was wondering the same thing, Ian, did we drink it in France?

Other than Leoville Barton, any recommendations to stock up a few QPR '14 Bordeaux wines from Pauillac, St. Julien and St. Emilion?

In Pauillac I would consider either GPL or Clerc Milon, in St Julien I would say Leoville Poyferre or Gruaud Larose or Talbot, and in Saint Emilion I would look at Canon being wine makers John Kolasa's last vintage first followed by Larcis Ducasse or Clos Fourtet.

Frederico wrote:Other than Leoville Barton, any recommendations to stock up a few QPR '14 Bordeaux wines from Pauillac, St. Julien and St. Emilion?

So far the 2014s I've bought are:
Talbot
Lilian Ladouys
La Dame de Montrose
Marsac Seguineau
La Tour de Bessan
du Retout
Senejac
Pierre de Montignac
d'Hanteillan

I just missed out on a great deal on Beychevelle at Total Wine. They were at $63, but recently jumped up to $99.99
Nothing bought from Pauillac, Pessac, or the RB yet.

Chris - agreed at under $70 it is worthy of consideration but at $100 I would be instead be looking at the 2010 which is a much better wine or something from the 1980’s ...

I don't have resources for many bottles above $40 so the QPR aspect definitely weighs heavily on my decision to buy.
Total Wine seems to have the low price on at least a few premium wines when you take their Mix 6 discount into account.
Talbot at $45 is a no-brainer for me. I have 3 and may buy more.
Cos d'Estournel is the highest priced wine on my wish list - for one at $117. (Maybe I'd better act soon before they do the same thing as the Beychevelle.)
Everything else on my current Total Wine wish list is from '09, '10, and '12.

Sorry for hijacking the post and thanks for the replies. May start a new thread for 2014 choices, if appropriate.

Next question: what about GPL/Lynch Bages from Pauillac and Pavie Macquin from St. Emilion or other suggestions in that price range?

Northern Medoc wines in 2014 seemed to be no brainers to me. Don' t know how to value St.Emilion stuff.
Bought so far:
Leoville Barton, Sociando Mallet, Branaire Ducru, Pichon Comtesse, Gpl, DdC, Meyney, Trotanoy, Clos de Clocher and Canon.
Wish i bought Calon Segur and Montrose, but no regrets, went strong on 15 vintage.

Calon Segur is a beauty, I've got about a dozen of them.

Along with many others here I've come to believe that 2014 is going to be a very good year that may hopefully mature on a little faster track than either 2015 or 2016. Based on that I've put together a little over 4 mixed cases of these:

Château Calon-Ségur
Château Cantemerle
Château Clerc Milon
Château du Tertre
Château Giscours
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Château Haut-Bailly
Château Langoa Barton
Château Léoville Barton
Château Léoville Poyferré
Château Malescot St. Exupéry
Château Meyney
Domaine de Chevalier
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Château Rauzan-Ségla
Château Tour Saint-Christophe

I'd like to find a few more Calon Segur before I call it quits. The Meyney under $30 is a great wine for the money. After trying I went back and bought another 6 bottles.

That is good to hear. It feels like its been decades since there's been an awesome Meyney, although NM has sort of upgraded the 2003 recently. I'm interested in getting that in 2015 and 2016.