2nd Zoom tasting notes

[jckba]

To get the ball rolling this time around

2014 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse - Decanted 5 hours and the nose was wide open with soaring aromatics of blackberry, black cherry, tobacco and oak that lead way to a silky, round, sweet dark plum and tobacco flavored profile that turns to mineral on the finish. Still quite youthful but this is really good (94 points)

[Blanquito]

Second half of the 02 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs is even better today.

[DavidG]

2014 Lanessan was red-fruited with a hint of moist fresh earth, light-medium body, shortish finish. A good honest wine and good QPR, no drama or complexity.

[jal]

The 2012 du Tertre was tart, harsh and tannic. Really unforgiving. I used a Repour and will revisit it in a few days.

I finished a glass of the 1998 Tempier Bandol Tourtine that was earthy, deep, very complex and completely resolved. I love old Bandols.

Great to see everyone.

[SF Ed]

2016 Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py - Cranberries and red fruit, good balance, great with food. Nothing transcendent, but hits the spot.

Great seeing everyone! Let's talk less about COVID-19 and more about wine and ourselves next time!

SF Ed

[JimHow]

Fun time again, 2016 Latour Martillac started out really rough but opened up nicely during the evening.
Man, 2016 is the real deal.

[dstgolf]

2016 Belle-Vue Haut Medoc just south of Margaux is the real deal and great value wine. Austere at opening 5 hrs prior and tannins chewable but smoothed out tremendously with decant. Brambly blackberry, cassis with soft spicy earthy tones. Good fruit but not over done. We've certainly had many wines at significantly higher prices that don't perform as well and based on the 09s still going strong this has another 10-15 yrs ahead but I was very surprised at how well this showed in its youth and I'm not used to opening a bottle before 5-6 years as a trial balloon when I have a full case and 10 yrs with 6 pack usually. This in 2009 ,10,12 15 and now 16 are all winners and easy on the wallet. If you see it try it and you won't be disappointed.

Another success on zoom and great to see everyone. Til next time.

[JimHow]

...

[Chateau Vin]

It was nice to see the BWErs and thanks to all for making this happen...

Opened 09 Comtesse Lalande and let it sit for nearly 1.5 to 2 hours. Nose showed typical black fruit, anise and dry earth. On the palate, currants, a bit of oak and slowly revealed the pencil lead as it progressed over time. Nice round tannins and the wine is in good place...

[Comte Flaneur]

Good to see you all looking and sounding so chipper in the circumstances. It was good fun but not quite as well structured as the first call when we went round each individual and couple.

The 1969 LLC which we had standing up for four days we popped at 8pm. By midnight at the end of the call it was singing. A great bottle despite the reputation of the vintage. Residual dark fruits, earthy, gravelly notes with an excellent mouth feel and a good finish.

We had that and a bunch of 1970s standing up to choose from. Maureen got this in an auction lot and it would have been no more than £50.

We were very happy with the 2006 Louis Michel Chablis GC Vaudesir. Yes it was approaching the end of its drinking life but that is still a few years away and like the LLC it good better and better. It was golden, rich and complex.

The 2000 Belair Marquis de I’Aligre was quarter empty from the previous night but showed much better on day two. On day one it came across as a bit simple.

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[JimHow]

Yes I agree, Ian, it went more smoothly the first time with each person speaking one at a time.
We'll do it again in another 2-3 weeks.

[Racer Chris]

I previously announced that I would drink a 2014 Ch. St Pierre during the event, but I brought home 1/3 bottle of the 1975 Giscours left over from an offline tasting at my shop in the afternoon. The bottle was provided by my Bordeaux mentor Karl since I'm letting him use my facilities to work on various bits of his 914-4 (Porsche). I went to the trouble of bringing a couple of Grassl tasting glasses and a decanter to work yesterday to do the wine justice, and I'm glad I did as it showed incredibly well right away, and improved as time passed. This was my first bottle from this chateau. I'm somewhat surprised that Giscours isn't represented in Clive Coates' Grand Vins.
Here's the tasting note I left on Cellartracker:
Base of neck fill, with a bit of mold under the capsule from minor leakage. Cork came out nearly in one piece, with only the last 3/8" breaking off. Decanted and returned to the bottle.
Color of garnet with some browning. Wonderful complex nose. Similar on the palate, with cedar, sight barnyard and a little sous bois, and substantial tannins. Modest fruit component of red cherries and raspberries. Well balanced. Picks up some viscosity and weight over time. Gently acidity helps extend the finish. A great bottle of traditional Bordeaux.
93 pts.

Toward the end of the online I poured a glass of the St Pierre but, while ok on its own, was a bit of a letdown after the 45yo Margaux, especially as it is not in balance right now with a bitter note from the oak being more prominent than the fruit.

[tim]

Good to see everyone again!

For my part, I opened a 2015 Talbot and a 2008 Suduiraut. The Talbot was completely closed, when I went back to it later in the evening, it had opened up a bit, but still was tight. Difficult to describe today. I still have quite a bit of the bottle left so we'll see how it performs today.

The Suduiraut was fantastic, typical honey, apricot, with considerable length and depth. I had a couple small pours to go with some of the cheese that I had leftover from dinner the night before, which paired beautifully.

Looking forward to the next one, but I might end up cracking open something other than Bordeaux next time just because I don't have much here.

[JoelD]

Great to see everyone I already know and "meet" a lot of new people. Although I am still guessing a bit on names vs BWE nicknames

2014 Pavie Macquin was tight at first with just a bit showing through. After an hour in decanter and with lots of snacks, the fruit, sugar, complexity really showed.

Coravined a glass of 2005 Malartic Lagraviere as 6-8 of us kept on into the 2-3 hour mark. This came out singing. Lots of dark fruit, but with Pessac elegance. Intoxicating aromas. Fantastic QPR

That 3 hours flew by, and had a lot of fun. Hope to catch the next one. I agree with Ed about talking more about wine and interests next time, hopefully the world events will organically help that as well!

[Jay Winton]

Will be there next time!

[Nicklasss]

Very good to see everyone yesterday and (seems to me) long time no see Paula Northway, Jal and MEK. Fun too to see blanquito with the two junior blanquitos.

The 2018 Morgon Louis Claude Desvignes Voûte Saint-Vincent was still very good on day 2, gained some intensity but also acidity. So more acidic kirsch rasberries and blackberries. I guess the perfect wine for charcuteries.

The 2012 Pianirossi is a Toscana wine made of 45% sangiovese, 45% montepulciano and 10% alicante, while this blend got my interest, the 13 % alcohol too. I don't know how much oak in that wine but at opening, medium elegant aromas of vanilla oak. Within the first 30-60 min, the fresh fruit came on the nose, with acidic red cherries, vine wood, red berries, red licorice and dry flowers. In mouth, light with good freshness, lovely to drink with good fruit and that light chocolate tone that the montepulciano can have. Also a touch meaty. We went trough all the bottle with some very easy to cook gnocchis recipe. Very nice together.

Thanks for your interesting report. I believe jckba that the 2014 Beauséjour-Duffau is that good. Personnaly, i think the 2012 is glorious too and was so good...i don't have any left. Reminded me the 2000 but with a bit more concentration.

For JoelD's 2014 Pavie-Macquin, i guess it is all good too. Same way as the 2012 Beauséjour-Duffau, i had a few bottles of the 2006 Pavie-Macquin that were opened in no time, because being so good, fresh, complex, even in it's youth. St-Émilion is not my cup of tea, but let say that Duffau and Macquin seem to have a terroir and a winemaking style i like.

Always fun to read good comments on one of my favorite estate LLC. To risky for me to try buying a 1969, i'm happy Comte and Mek can get chances to buy and report here.

And the recent focus on Beaujolais wines is interesting and always like to read note on Foillard, and if Ed is liking a young wine like that, it says everythings!

Next time, more discipline on my side, on theme and participation.

Nic