2015 Pessac Leognan and 2016 left bank

[rthomaspaull]

I bought 2009 and 2010 left bank red Bordeaux wines mainly for a good quality -price relationship (these wines are very enjoyable) but found this ratio less good when I tried some more expensive wines. As a result around 2018 I realized that my wife and I had no wines that I considered of even very low first growth quality from a fine year [minimum Wine Advocate Vintage Rating (W.A.V.R.) of 96]. I bought some 2015 Pessac Leognan wines with good ratings to try. Several were very good but not of even very low first growth quality , I thought (the W.A.V.R. for the area was 96). A little while later at a dining center (no corkage) I tasted the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, and said to my wife "This wine is of first growth quality". I ended up giving it a 96. It was not as good as I imagine the overly expensive top growths are (I never buy them anymore) but I was very pleased and ordered (eventually) a lot more as the price seemed reasonable. I gave the 2015 Malartic Lagraviere Rouge an initial score of 94.5 but thought it was likely to improve. THe next time I tried it I gave it a 95. It was some time before I tried it again, but I gave it (at least) a 95.5, the minimum for a "first growth" in such a year, so I ordered quite a lot more. All the 2016 major sub-areas had a W.A.V.R. of 97, and I tried 2 wines considered fine value (by Farr Vintners, etc.) The 2016 GPL got a 96 from me, and the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge received a 96.5 from me, so as the prices seemed reasonable then I ordered a fair bit more of each. At my age (almost 87) I hope to do far more drinking than buying of red Bordeaux , but at least we have lots of "low to very low first growth quality" wines from fine years, all at prices I (in my somewhat cheapskate way) consider reasonable. I think these wines can be drunk with pleasure a bit sooner than in the past, and I am keeping my wines a little warmer now. From our point of view these fine vintages came along at a very welcome time. I am not sure if we will get any wine from the subsequent good vintages. Best wishes to all, rthomaspaull

[rthomaspaull]

Re the last post: I think the result was much more due to the good luck of having 2 fine vintages in a row in Pessac Leognan and of 2016 being great in all major left bank sub-areas than due to anything I did. rthomaspaull

[Antoine]

87 and still buying! Good man... and still with your tasting buds!... Had a Chevalier 2004 last night. Commendable but would not rate it ad 1st growth... but it is a 2004...

[Claudius2]

Richard
At age (almost) 87 I think you are entitled to buy and drink anything you like.
You have a bit over two decades on me and I am already winding down new Bordeaux purchases and slowing everything else.

Do you have any notes or comments on the 09 and 10 vintages?

Cheers
Mark

[rthomaspaull]

To Claudius 2: I went more for a high QPR than for the higher scoring and more expensive wines for those great years, getting rather more of 2010 than 2009. When I tried the more expensive wines i was slightly disappointed, as to me they were not much better than the ones I bought at considerably lower prices, and generally cost more than I thought they were worth. I seem to have had better fortune with the 2015 Pessac Leognan and the 2016 wines from various sub-areas. The wines which I bought in quantity were not inexpensive, but all were well within my "guidelines" for sensible pricing. I hope that helps, for what my opinion is worth, but most palates seem to differ a fair bit. I think everyone should go with their own, and they probably have little other choice unless they are lucky enough to find someone with the same general taste but better taste buds. rthomaspaull