A 1997 which punches like a heavyweight

[Comte Flaneur]

Thinking of the gathering in Manhattan I could not attend, we opened a few wines here in London over the weekend:

De Montille Puligny Montrachet Cailleret 2004 - classy wine drinking well, but would not want to risk ageing this

Petite L'Eglise, 1999 - a scrumptious fully mature wine, with all the telltale plummy Pomerol characteristics; one for quaffing shamelessly

Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino, 1997 - a structured but delicious Brunello full of cherry stone fruit; cannot recommend this highly enough

Les Obriers de la Piera, Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc 2006: a real sweaty boxer, with cabernet, syrah and all sorts of other stuff in the melee; southern rhonish, good potential

...and now for the star of the show...

Chateau Poujeaux 1997 - dark fruit on the nose, congealed blood, roast meats, herbs tobacco and cedar. Bloodiness, plums and cassis; medium bodied to stern, no flab on this. Excellent long finish, drinking well now but a classic bordeaux that punches like a heavyweight and will last 20-3- years.

Caillou Blanc de Chateau Talbot 2007, a really zingy, fresh, seamless white bordeaux, with nice structure

[stefan]

The Poujeaux does not sound like any 1997 Bdx that I have drunk. Are you sure it was not a 1999?

stefan

[jal]

We spoke about the 1997 Poujeaux a lot a few years ago. I remember Harry and Emil liked it a lot, while Arv was ambivalent. Glad to hear you liked it Ian.

[DavidG]

Sounds like an over-achiever. Always nice to find a surprise like that. Another 20-30 years? Wow!

[PappaDoc]

Sociando 97 had a good showing at the "Good Wines From Bad Vintages Dinner" , otherwise known as "The Under The Table Dinner". The dinner was held in a Middle Eastern Resturaunt, unfortunately for us, it was the first night of Ramadon, so we were asked to keep the btls "Under The Table".Truely the funniest Wine Diner I ever attended, we still enjoyed ourselves.It was bested by Alexs' 99 Palmer, which stole the show. None the less, the 97 Sociando is a beauty.

[Houndsong]

Preaching to the choir. I bought a few after reading the buzz it generated here a few years ago and all I can say is: word.

[AlexR]

Hi Ian,

I've served 97 Poujeaux blind at 3 dinners with wine afficianados on three occasions.
Each time, it completely floored the tasters used to to more presigious labels and politically correct vintages.

It is, in effect, a hell of a good wine, and warms the cockles of my little old heart when a wine like this beats the odds and quiets the nay-sayers .

I'm really glad you evaluate such wines fairly.

All the best,
Alex

[Winesense]

I bought a case Poujeaux 97. It is a great classic and I consider it still early drinking.
The 97 Sociando has expressive peculiar aromatics - herbs like thyme - is also early trinking and goes well with the right kind of food.
One other heavyweight 97 is Pavie Decesse, so tannic that I wonder if it will get pleasent some day.

Regards

Lothar

[Otto Nieminen]

From our tastings here, everyone else has been a huge fan of the '97 Poujeaux except me. I only liked it very much. But I also found more oak than necessary at this stage when all the other elements seemed to indicate something quite drinkable.

[PhilR]

Sounds good. I've enjoyed other Poujeauxs I've had.

Just ordered a case of this