2008 Chateau Malartic Lagravière

[Nicklasss]

Previous bottles of that wine were good to excellent, but i could expect improvement with age.

Tonight, that bottle is not showing any improvements. A bit dryer, more acidity. A dark medium red wine, with a nice nose of red berries, darkberries, light cocoa and tobacco. Nose is ok. In mouth, seems a bit unbalanced, a bit dry and thin. There is still acidic merlot berries flavors, green tobacco leaves, dry oak. The alcohol is also showing, wiyth the decent powder oak and balsamic notes on the final. Missing fruit flesh, or just a bit more richness. If this is a representative bottle, i don't know how the mouth can improve. Rough night. Tn : 86-87.

The 2009 if yearlights better. Do we need to be patient with most 2008? Or drink them in their first 20 years?

Nic

[Nicklasss]

Texting with Jim a part of the evening, the 2016 Ormes de Pez seems excellent. And yes, we are bored of the isolation.

Nic

[JoelD]

I feel your pain. I have not had good experiences with 08's lately. I am told that maybe they need more time. But I also think they may just not be my vintage. This goes for a Pontet Canet, Pichon Lalande, St Pierre. I will try some more but I dont have high hopes. It is also possible that they are just in a very weird/shut down type of phase

[Nicklasss]

The 2008 Chateau Léoville Barton i opened just before Christmas was excellent.

I checked anothe tn i wrote about that 2008 Malartic and unfortunately, with that third bottle, i have little hope.

2008 is the birthyear of Simone, my first daughter. I want some 2008 keep improving until 2026-2027 when she'll hit 18 and be ok to taste one.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

There will be leftover, i'll revisit tomorrow.

Nic

[JoelD]

I will have to try the LB.. I have some other 08's that I am looking forward to. Pichon Baron, Smith Haut Lafitte, Pape Clement.. hopefully one of them is good and changes my opinion on the vintage. The 05 Malartic is a great wine though, that is wine i think it might be the vintage.

My 1995 Canon tonight was not that great either. Very boring and lightweight. Even though it was a perfect bottle. TN 89, at best

[Musigny 151]

I think you had a bad bottle of Pichon Lalande; it showed very well last year. Ducru also very fine, and the VCC was as I would have expected, lovely. Pontet Canet showed well too. I have not tasted enough to be sure, but I am a lot more bullish than others on this vintage, and Gilman actually preferred it to 2009 and 2010.

There are of course disappointments; Margaux, definitely, and Palmer was a little as the Brit critics say, four square (linear and two dimensional).

[Claudius2]

Guys
2008 from my experience was better on the right bank though they that does not imply that it was a failure. Rather, it was variable and somewhat unpredictable. I went to a big 08 tasting when they first turned up here and I thought that Pomerol was the star followed by St Emilion. But some right bank wines were good but were sometimes a little lacking in fruit and had dry tannins.
I bought right bankers only at the time.

[Nicklasss]

Thanks Claudius. I'll re-motivate myself as i have a few 2008 Fleur-Pétrus.

And i agree with JoelD, the 2005 Malartic Lagravière is very strong. But i believe 2005 is up to now the best vintage after 1999.

Nic

[Nicklasss]

Leftover tonight.... way better! Keep the faith. Took a bit of weight, more blackcurrant fruit, more density. Ok a very fair 2008. Not excellent but fait. Tn: 88.

Nic

[dstgolf]

Nic,

Too bad about your ML 08 experience but in general that 10-15 yr window after bottling can be tricky. Either drink em young like Jim or wait past year 15 for safety. I suspect you are experiencing an awkward closed phase especially after your day 2 experience. I've enjoyed ML 2000,01,03,04,05 & 06 with both the 03 & 05 being my favourites so far. I like the estate for both reds and white and fingers crossed I just bought a case of the 2014 white and awaiting delivery...fingers crossed that it will be worth it on sale from $126 to $76 CDN at 96 points I'm hopeful. I'd sit on the rest of the 08s for another3-5 yrs before revisiting. Don't give up I'm sure that they'll come around.

[Nicklasss]

Hi Danny.

I thought that at age 12 would have been ok. But previous bottles have been kinda light too, not as great as 2009 or super great as 2005.

Nic

[AKR]

This estate never seems to get much internet loving. I wonder if the owners/distributors should invest a little in a publicist. It seems like it is not wildly different from other popular peers.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

The 2002 was very good. Maybe they try too hard in some vintages.

[JoelD]

Finished off a bottle of the 05 last night, and it was great again. I hope the 09 is ready soon because I really want to open it. Maybe the 12 will be ready sooner?