TN: 13 de Sales [Pomerol]

[AKR]

13 de Sales [Pomerol] This was quaffed up while we debated what to do for dinner, and was served too cold, since it came straight from the 45F fridge. It's below average for this estate, and cannot be recommended. It's lean and underfruited. They use machine harvesting here, and are widely commercially distributed, so its a wine that tends to be cheaper than its quality in the best years like 90, 98, 00 and overpriced in bad years, when it should simply be avoided. This was $13 at my supermarket ($10 per, if I'd taken six, which thankfully, I didn't) and overpriced at either level. If I'm beating up on underwhelming right banks on my kitchen racks, I guess I'll say its not as tannic as the 07 d'Aiguilhe Querre. I'd give it a C and suggest passing, even if its cheap, like $40 on a winelist or something.

We walked over to our pretty good neighborhood boulangerie and I had a burger with a (much better) 98 Grand Corbin Despagne [St Emilion] afterward. This bottle was unusually good, compared to others from the same case -- fleshy, resolved, fruit filled, interesting. Easy B+ for that. Its a traditional St Em. long lived, and earthy. I almost never see them, but if you trip over older ones, given them a shot. I should have picked up a 1990 at that wine shop Timmc rec'd in Paris. Instead I selected an AFWE 1990 Pessac (since I'd never seen that stateside) and mildly second guess myself over that.

[Nicklasss]

Avoid 2013 if you can. I don't like vintage generalization, but when we were in Bordeaux in 2015, few producers would make you taste their 2013, and I guess it was to control the bad news spreading.

You better put your 2013 on the shelve, without anybody tasting it two years ago, and have a risk to sell it, instead of having many winelovers tasted it two years ago and spread the news that 2013 is a one every 50 years disaster.

Nic

[AlexR]

De Sales is on the thin side (for a Pomerol) in the best of times.

At least you gave it a try, Arv, so more power to you for reaching out to taste wine rather than labels.

Nicklass, I'm going to make an exception to my self-made rule about vintage generalizations and go along with you...

Alex R.

[stefan]

If you are forced to drink a 2013 Bordeaux, be glad that it is served cold. Then ask for ice.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

If you are forced to drink a 2013 Bordeaux, be glad that it is served cold. Then ask for ice.

And Equal.

[AKR]

We had a 2000 de Sales last night, which was still pretty good. Nice fruit and hanging in there. Way way better than the thin 2013. For an estate whose production is only 10,000 cases it still seems to get pretty wide supermarket style distribution. Normally I'd think you'd need 10x that kind of production to get shelf space at all the US surburban hypermarkets (pharmacy, bakery, alcohol, bank branches etc.)

[DavidG]

I think 82 de Sales was the first Pomerol I tried. Pretty good amd a cheapie back then. Haven't had any recent vintages that I can recall.