Time to start thinking about the 2021 BWE Wine of the Year...

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 2:48 pm

What is your leading candidate for the 22nd annual selection of BWE Wine of the Year?

The past honorees:

2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet
2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages
2002: 1995 d'Yquem
2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc
2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre
2005: 2000 Margaux
2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet
2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre
2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote)
2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild
2010: 2005 Cantemerle
2011: 2008 Leoville Poyferre
2012: 2009 Giscours
2013: 2004 Smith Haut Lafitte
2014: 2010 Chasse Spleen
2015: 2012 Leoville Las Cases
2016: 2012 Barde-Haut
2017: 2014 Calon Segur
2018: 2015 Brane Cantenac
2019: 2016 Tour Saint Christophe
2020: 2016 Leoville Barton and 2008 Dom Perignon

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 3:53 pm

1995 Figeac, en magnum!

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:12 pm

Seems to me in reviewing the list of past BWE WOTY winners, while we have had some Right Bank Saint Emilion winners, we have not had a Pomerol grace the top spot, so will this year prove to be the end to that streak?

Dionysus · Post by **Dionysus** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:23 pm

jckba wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:12 pm Seems to me in reviewing the list of past BWE WOTY winners, while we have had some Right Bank Saint Emilion winners, we have not had a Pomerol grace the top spot, so will this year prove to be the end to that streak?

2014 VCC?

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:26 pm

2014 VCC! Yes!

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:26 pm

Dionysus wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:23 pm
jckba wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:12 pm Seems to me in reviewing the list of past BWE WOTY winners, while we have had some Right Bank Saint Emilion winners, we have not had a Pomerol grace the top spot, so will this year prove to be the end to that streak?
2014 VCC?

Definitely has been one of my favorite purchases this past year.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:40 pm

It is obviously not going to be 2016 Lynch-Bages…

I agree, 2014 VCC is a great shout, thanks to M-151.A few of us own it now. Jim would adore it, if we can get a bottle to him. And it is a right bank.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 4:51 pm

Hmm, I may just have to try to source a bottle or two, I see Saratoga has it.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:10 pm

Even if i did not had the wine, i think 2014 VCC is a great candidate. That is true that we need a "serious" Right Bank wine as WOTY...

The other 2014 I would suggest is Domaine de Chevalier. A superb Pessac Léognan.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:29 pm

Ok.... I just ordered two bottles of 2014 VCC....

The sacrifices I make for you guys....

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:38 pm

How about the 2014 Conseillante? Like half the price of VCC, and in my experience of Conseillante vs VCC it’s probably just as good (sorry Musigny, but remember the Thursday night Pomerol shootout at BWE DC 2021…Conseillante bows to no one). At roughly $90 on release and about $110 today the 2014 Conseillante is one of the best deals in high level Pomerol I can remember.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:41 pm

The 2014 Conseillante is a good wine but is not in the same league as the 2014 VCC.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:42 pm

When did Rolland become consultant at Conseillante?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:43 pm

I loved the 2014 La Conseillante the one time I had it.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:44 pm

2014 VCC at the estate with Alexandre Thienpont

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:45 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:42 pm When did Rolland become consultant at Conseillante?

2013

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:50 pm

I'm very excited to have a couple bottles of VCC coming, I haven't had that wine in my cellar since I had the 1986 vintage like 20 years ago, around the time we started BWE.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:00 pm

Jim, should we buy the 2014 VCC now before the coming run?

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:05 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:45 pm
Blanquito wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:42 pm When did Rolland become consultant at Conseillante?
2013

The 2014 Conseillante was the last wine made by Jean Michel Laporte before they switched winemakers to Marielle Cazaux. It is definitely not “Rolland-ized”. Also, there is too much Rolland paranoia around here, just because someone throws a consulting fee his way doesn’t mean he’s trashing the wine, or that non-Rolland chateau aren’t. The 2015 VCC was more over the top than any Conseillante I’ve ever had, including the 2015.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:16 pm

Jim, should we buy the 2014 VCC now before the coming run?

lol... Man that photo Ian posted has my mouth watering!

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:18 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:41 pm The 2014 Conseillante is a good wine but is not in the same league as the 2014 VCC.

I haven’t had the 2014 VCC yet so I’m reserving judgement on that one. Conseillante in general is as good as VCC in my opinion. We had multiple vintages of each on Thursday at BWE DC this year and I think Conseillante took the overall crown. That’s not a knock on VCC as I love Conseillante, but I do think the VCC hero worship around here can get a bit much sometimes. They have traditionally been made in very different styles, VCC is more masculine generally, while Conseillante has tended to have more lightness, so preferences come in

Also, as I said, Conseillante in 2014 was far less expensive than VCC, so that comes in. For a long time, including 2014, Conseillante was a standout for semi-affordable pricing of top quality Pomerol which is a BWE value. Unfortunately in recent years their prices have elevated so that argument is sadly not as strong as I wish it was

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:18 pm

Ok, i'll go out of track a little bit. What about the 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou? Some had it here in 2021 and i can't find any negative about it.

I had a bottle with JeanFred this years, and thougth it was great, besting the 2005 Haut Bailly, that was also something...

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:26 pm

marcs wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:05 pm [quote="Comte Flaneur" post_id=99429 time=<a href="tel:1638121522">1638121522</a> user_id=61]
[quote=Blanquito post_id=99425 time=<a href="tel:1638121353">1638121353</a> user_id=77]
When did Rolland become consultant at Conseillante?

2013
[/quote]

The 2014 Conseillante was the last wine made by Jean Michel Laporte before they switched winemakers to Marielle Cazaux. It is definitely not “Rolland-ized”. Also, there is too much Rolland paranoia around here, just because someone throws a consulting fee his way doesn’t mean he’s trashing the wine, or that non-Rolland chateau aren’t. The 2015 VCC was more over the top than any Conseillante I’ve ever had, including the 2015.
[/quote]

While I agree with you that JML’s last vintage was the 2014 as the Nicolas brothers fired him, I believe that the 2016 was MC’s first so please correct me if I am wrong in believing that in 2015 MR more than likely played a much greater role. I haven’t tasted any of them so I can’t comment but do own all 3.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:30 pm

marcs wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:05 pm
Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:45 pm
Blanquito wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:42 pm When did Rolland become consultant at Conseillante?
2013
The 2014 Conseillante was the last wine made by Jean Michel Laporte before they switched winemakers to Marielle Cazaux. It is definitely not “Rolland-ized”. Also, there is too much Rolland paranoia around here, just because someone throws a consulting fee his way doesn’t mean he’s trashing the wine, or that non-Rolland chateau aren’t. The 2015 VCC was more over the top than any Conseillante I’ve ever had, including the 2015.

The 2014 was Jean-Michel Laporte’s last vintage. The reason why he left was it in no small measure because the Nicolas family brought in Michel Rolland as a consultant, I think because they were annoyed that La C did not fetch as high prices as its illustrious neighbours which of course include VCC, L’Evangile, Cheval Blanc and Petrus. Don’t get me wrong 2014 La C is a nice wine - we had it at the chateau out of barrel in 2015, and I bought a case because as you say Marc it is good vfm - and I personally would be thrilled if it won this prestigious accolade - but among La Conseillante’s recent efforts there are notably much better wines, including the 2010, but even the 2012 and of course the 2016, when Mdme Cazeau wrested control from Rolland. Rolland had free rein in 2015 and the result is a pretty bland, anonymous Rollandised wine.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:31 pm

I was in heaven the night I uncorked the 2014 La Conseillante in March, it just kept blossoming throughout dinner:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9526

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:31 pm

jckba wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:26 pm
marcs wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:05 pm [quote="Comte Flaneur" post_id=99429 time=<a href="tel:1638121522">1638121522</a> user_id=61]
[quote=Blanquito post_id=99425 time=<a href="tel:1638121353">1638121353</a> user_id=77]
When did Rolland become consultant at Conseillante?
2013

The 2014 Conseillante was the last wine made by Jean Michel Laporte before they switched winemakers to Marielle Cazaux. It is definitely not “Rolland-ized”. Also, there is too much Rolland paranoia around here, just because someone throws a consulting fee his way doesn’t mean he’s trashing the wine, or that non-Rolland chateau aren’t. The 2015 VCC was more over the top than any Conseillante I’ve ever had, including the 2015.
[/quote]

While I agree with you that JML’s last vintage was the 2014 as the Nicolas brothers fired him, I believe that the 2016 was MC’s first so please correct me if I am wrong in believing that in 2015 MR more than likely played a much greater role. I haven’t tasted any of them so I can’t comment but do own all 3.
[/quote]

I was at a Conseillante dinner with Marielle Cazaux where we tasted the 2015 and I believe she played a significant role in making it.

That dinner was back in 2018 so it’s been a while, but I remember liking that 2015, unlike some other 2015 RB I’ve tried. It was rich but felt controlled

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:32 pm

And if we are quoting release prices, the 2014 VCC came out around $115 which is also what I paid so it was not really all that much more expensive than Conseillante but since that point in time there has been a major disparity between the two.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:34 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:30 pm
marcs wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:05 pm
Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:45 pm
2013
The 2014 Conseillante was the last wine made by Jean Michel Laporte before they switched winemakers to Marielle Cazaux. It is definitely not “Rolland-ized”. Also, there is too much Rolland paranoia around here, just because someone throws a consulting fee his way doesn’t mean he’s trashing the wine, or that non-Rolland chateau aren’t. The 2015 VCC was more over the top than any Conseillante I’ve ever had, including the 2015.
The 2014 was Jean-Michel Laporte’s last vintage. The reason why he left was it in no small measure because the Nicolas family brought in Michel Rolland as a consultant, I think because they were annoyed that La C did not fetch as high prices as its illustrious neighbours which of course include VCC, L’Evangile, Cheval Blanc and Petrus. Don’t get me wrong 2014 La C is a nice wine - we had it at the chateau out of barrel in 2015, and I bought a case because as you say Marc it is good vfm - and I personally would be thrilled if it won this prestigious accolade - but among La Conseillante’s recent efforts there are notably much better wines, including the 2010, but even the 2012 and of course the 2016, when Mdme Cazeau wrested control from Rolland. Rolland had free rein in 2015 and the result is a pretty bland, anonymous Rollandised wine.

It sounds like you have more inside info on the politics than me. I agree that the 2010 Conseillante was even better than the 2014, we had it that night at BWE DC and it was a thrilling wine. They handled the very tricky 2010 RB vintage brilliantly. I have a few bottles of the 2012 but haven’t tried them yet

Disappointing to hear the Nicolas views on pricing, which have since been reflected in the market.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:37 pm

I would love to try the 2014 La C again, after reading Jim’s note.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:40 pm

We should probably just decide this the usual way, by having Jim taste both wines and make an arbitrary judgement. Either way we will have a better right bank representative than Barde Haut or Tour St Christophe. If a less affordable one!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:50 pm

I am kind and benevolent.
I will try the 2014 VCC at some point in December.
I only bought two bottles of the 2014 La Conseillante, only one left, wish I had bought more at the crazy price we got it at.
What did we end up paying for that wine Gerry?

In the meantime, we continue to welcome nominees for 2021 BWE Wine of the Year.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:03 pm

I liked the 2010 La Conseillante a lot in DC, but of course it needs ages to reach its peak…

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:10 pm

marcs wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:05 pm Also, there is too much Rolland paranoia around here, just because someone throws a consulting fee his way doesn’t mean he’s trashing the wine, or that non-Rolland chateau aren’t.

Probably true, in my case at least. I knee-jerk assume all he touches turns to crap.

Maybe we should get this Rollandized mental condition (micro-bullage of the cerebral cortex?) added to the Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders?

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:27 pm

Rolland does different things at various estates. Personally I think some of the value of his (supposedly high) fees is that the wines are then considered in some kind of separate panel, where all his clientele's wines are presented to important professionals at one time. So it can create awareness of offerings like South American wines that might not have gotten attention from critics/customers without that.

I was drinking a Rhone last night that clocked in at 15.5% abv. Rolland didn't come anywhere near the estate; that's just Global Climate Improvement at work!

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:52 pm

I have a theory he wrote Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody - the most over-rated song of all time. Over-wrought, contrived, bombastic, faux muzak.

William P · Post by **William P** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:19 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:52 pm I have a theory he wrote Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody - the most over-rated song of all time. Over-wrought, contrived, bombastic, faux muzak.

Nothing really matters, Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:22 pm

Nicklasss wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:18 pm Ok, i'll go out of track a little bit. What about the 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou? Some had it here in 2021 and i can't find any negative about it.

I had a bottle with JeanFred this years, and thougth it was great, besting the 2005 Haut Bailly, that was also something...

The 96 Ducru is exceptional. I’d still do the VCC as it is a more current release. It is better than the 2014 Conseillante, which is actually damn good despite Rolland. I personally would not reward a Chateau that hires him.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:23 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:52 pm I have a theory he wrote Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody - the most over-rated song of all time. Over-wrought, contrived, bombastic, faux muzak.

Yes!!!!

jal · Post by **jal** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:53 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:52 pm I have a theory he wrote Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody - the most over-rated song of all time. Over-wrought, contrived, bombastic, faux muzak.

He probably wrote the movie too. Even worse than the song

https://youtu.be/1RajlWbY7uQ

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 8:56 pm

Agreed, that movie was hooorible.

Saw Queen live at the Lewiston Armory in February 1975, they recorded Bohemian Rhapsody later that summer.