GPL is [no longer] my largest BDX holding!

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 4:40 pm

[see May 2023 cellar update at end of thread]…

I just tallied my wine quantities yesterday, thinking Magdelaine would be my highest holding of Bordeaux, but when counting half and full bottles the same, to my shock (shame?) I have one more bottle of GPL than Magdelaine!

GPL in my cellar:
2016 x 4
2010 x 5
2009 x 10 (6 are half bottles)
2005 x 16 (13 are half bottles)
2000 x 2
1996 x 7
1995 x 12
1989 x 3

What am I supposed to do with all this underperforming swill? At least my beloved Magdelaine is right up there too. Sociando was long my biggest Bordeaux holding, but it’s now in 3rd place, Pichon Lalande in 4th, and Canon rounds out the top 5 Bordeaux (my top two producers overall are Ridge and Produttori del Barbaresco).

1. GPL
2. Magdelaine
3. Sociando Mallet
4. Pichon Lalande
5. Canon

What are yours?

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:22 pm

My largest holding by producer is Felsina, but that is counting regular, riserva and rancia riserva together. I think next would be Pontet Canet.

Chateau Vin · Post by **Chateau Vin** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:31 pm

Lynch Bages holds my top spot, followed by Sociando...

Chateau Vin · Post by **Chateau Vin** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:35 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 4:40 pm I just tallied my wine quantities yesterday, thinking Magdelaine would be my highest holding of Bordeaux, but when counting half and full bottles the same, to my shock (shame?) I have one more bottle of GPL than Magdelaine!

GPL in my cellar:
2016 x 4
2010 x 5
2009 x 10 (6 are half bottles)
2005 x 16 (13 are half bottles)
2000 x 2
1996 x 7
1995 x 12
1989 x 3

What am I supposed to do with all this underperforming swill? At least my beloved Magdelaine is right up there too. Sociando was long my biggest Bordeaux holding, but it’s now in 3rd place, Pichon Lalande in 4th, and Canon rounds out the top 5 Bordeaux (my top two producers overall are Ridge and Produttori del Barbaresco).

What are yours?

Just drink couple of splits of GPL, and voila, you will have Magdeleine at top spot...

Or otherwise, you can always grab some Magdeleine at auction before the 2022 buying freeze starts in 10 days...

Then no shame or shock...

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:49 pm

“The Château Grand Puy Lacoste 2005 has a brilliant, classic pencil-lead nose that is Pauillac through and through. There is no messin’ about here. The palate is very well defined with wonderful acidity, great depth of black fruit with an astonishingly precise finish that just takes your breath away. Is it the best 2005 of the vintage? Not quite, but it belongs in the top tier. And factor in value for money, I would be happy sitting on a big pile of this in my cellar to drink over the rest of my lifetime and the afterlife if that exists too”. 97 points (Neal Martin, 2/2015)

Is Neal right? Am I a happy camper?

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:53 pm

Or our own Comte?

2005 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (9/9/2021, Comte Flaneur)
Like Brazil in the World Cup a pre-tournament favourite in this 2005 Bordeaux dinner, this was surprising accessible, open and a bit soft and cuddly next to its sterner flight mate (Batailley). It is nicely red-fruited but ultimately falls short because it lacks focus and precision, a bugbear of this estate which seems to be fixed with the 2014 vintage. 90 points

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:56 pm

I have a smaller cellar than anyone here, but bizarely my top holding would be Chateau Calon Segur, Auguste Clape Cornas and Marc Morey Chassagne-Montrachet.

Harry C. · Post by **Harry C.** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 6:45 pm

I just ran these numbers and my largest Bordeaux holding is...Pontet-Canet!!! I big surprise to me. The next two are not: 2-Angelus, 3-Pichon Baron.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 7:30 pm

I'd happily take a few bottles of the 95 off your hands, just to help you out of course...

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 7:35 pm

Thanks Joel, but I believe the 95 GPL is the one vintage which has a BD exemption/stamp of approval.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 7:38 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 7:35 pm Thanks Joel, but I believe the 95 GPL is the one vintage which has a BD exemption/stamp of approval.

For good reason. I've had it 3 times this year and it has been great to amazing each time. At least you can take fact that that vintage is your largest holding!

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 7:53 pm

Ok, so maybe you'd like to unload some of the 2010. I might be able to help you out there.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:28 pm

No surprises for me
Magdelaine
VCC
Then a long way behind
Pichon Lalande.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:39 pm

Indeed, GPL has produced one outstanding (1995) and one excellent (2014) vintage since the inconsistent 1982.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:33 pm

My favourite GPL vintages: 2016, 1996, 1995, 2014…then it drops off after that I think

CV obviously has his head well screwed on

My top holdings are

1. Leoville-Barton
2. Conseillante
3. Figeac
4. Ducru
5. Leoville- Lascases

P.S. Patrick, I am not as downbeat on GPL as Jimbo. But I think its bugbear has perhaps been a lack of precision. And maybe the 2014 was the vintage where the corner was turned? NM has been a big fan of GPL over the years. I generally trust him and align with his palate but I think over the years he may have missed a trick or two wrt GPL.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 11:01 pm

You have the skeleton to put together a great vertical tasting dinner somewhere in your region where the wines would not get jostled much.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:09 am

Blanquito wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:53 pm Or our own Comte?

2005 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (9/9/2021, Comte Flaneur)
Like Brazil in the World Cup a pre-tournament favourite in this 2005 Bordeaux dinner, this was surprising accessible, open and a bit soft and cuddly next to its sterner flight mate (Batailley). It is nicely red-fruited but ultimately falls short because it lacks focus and precision, a bugbear of this estate which seems to be fixed with the 2014 vintage. 90 points

When I had bottles of the 05 GPL earlier in its life (say the first ten years or so after vintage) it was closer to Neal Martins assessment of a deep, super-classic Bordeaux that might age like the 1995. So I stacked up a half a case of it. But then the bottle I had in 2020 was much closer to Ian’s take - it had good depth and richness, but his descriptors of soft, unfocused, and lacking precision ring a bell. Unfortunate but we’ll see where it goes with age.

I have a lot of Leoville Barton but have decided I just don’t like the producer that much, so I’m going to sell off a good amount of my holdings, well over half I think

My biggest Bordeaux holding by a lot is Pichon Baron. I have a vertical of multiple bottles of most vintages from 2000 to 2016, with the exception of 2006-2007 and 2011-2013. I’ve also amassed a perhaps excessive amount of Ducru Beaucaillou because of good prices on the 2008 and 2014 “off vintages”, which I’m not sure we’re really off for that property.

And I don’t have enough Conseillante…

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:53 am

For me the classic moment was when Nicola and I were at MacArthur's on a Saturday afternoon, we were talking to Phil Bernstein, I can't even remember the year it was, the vintage would have been somewhere between 2014-16, we were talking Bordeaux -- he's their Bordeaux guy -- and we asked him, what are your thoughts on GPL? And without ANY leading or prodding, without any hesitation, he said, with exasperation: "Now that the daughter has taken over, they are FINALLY realizing the potential of their terroir."

Honestly, I think I agree with that statement, but I found the 2016 to be a setback to the promising 2014. I have 5 bottles of the 2014 GPL in my cellar and 3 bottles of the 2016, I'm still assessing the situation.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:31 am

LOTS of great chateau being held by our BWE brethren.

I haven’t given up on GPL entirely — and still very happy to have my 89s, 95s, 96s and 00s — but with a handy time machine I would pass on buying the 05-10 vintages at least. Just like my wine doppelgänger Marcus, I loved the 05 GPL not long after release, but it has done little to excite more recently. I’m still sitting on it in the hopes that that early promise rises phoenix-like with enough time in the cellar.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:35 am

JimHow wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:53 am For me the classic moment was when Nicola and I were at MacArthur's on a Saturday afternoon, we were talking to Phil Bernstein, I can't even remember the year it was, the vintage would have been somewhere between 2014-16, we were talking Bordeaux -- he's their Bordeaux guy -- and we asked him, what are your thoughts on GPL? And without ANY leading or prodding, without any hesitation, he said, with exasperation: "Now that the daughter has taken over, they are FINALLY realizing the potential of their terroir."

Honestly, I think I agree with that statement, but I found the 2016 to be a setback to the promising 2014. I have 5 bottles of the 2014 GPL in my cellar and 3 bottles of the 2016, I'm still assessing the situation.

It was in June 2019 we were there Jim, at MacArthur Beverage, when Mr. Bernstein explained to us that from 2014 to 2016, the Borie daughter took over winemaking more and more (100% i guess in 2016) and the wine was showing more the potential of it terroir.

I bought some 2019 if i remember well.

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:36 pm

D'issan is my no.1

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:06 pm

Top 3:

Sociando Mallet, 35 bottles
Giscours, 32 bottles
Calon Segur, 31 bottles.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 2:47 pm

Top 10, well, 9, no, ok, 12 with ties:

1. Lynch Bages (the fallen angel, but these are mostly 1988 and 1989)
2. Conseillante
3. Haut Bailly
4. Pichon Lalande (tie)
4. Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre (tie)
6. Pontet Canet
7. Montrose (tie)
7. Pichon Baron (tie)
9. Haut Brion (tie)
9. Canon (tie)
9. Talbot (tie)
9. Angelus (tie)

Only 2 bottles of "the fraud that is Grand Puy Lacoste" in the cellar, but they are 2016s so we shall see…

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:08 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 1:06 pm Top 3:

Sociando Mallet, 35 bottles
Giscours, 32 bottles
Calon Segur, 31 bottles.

Sociando no.1 ...good man !!

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 6:12 pm

Ch. Talbot is my largest holding of grand cru Bordeaux, with 42 bottles, and a full vertical from 2009-2020.
But I have more of Meyney, Lilian Ladouys, and Larose-Trintaudon.
Prieure-Lichine and Cantemerle are tied as the next largest classified growth with 16 bottles apiece.
Only 9 bottles of Grand Puy Lacoste.

barsacpinci · Post by **barsacpinci** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:37 pm

Top for Bordeaux
Giscours
Le Gay
Coutet (? surprise to me)
Pape Clement
Smith Haut Lafitte

Top overall is Aubert

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:41 pm

1) La Lagune
2) Giscours

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:17 pm

robert goulet wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:36 pm D'issan is my no.1

Do you have 2006. A real sleeper

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:28 pm

Ianjaig wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:41 pm 1) La Lagune
2) Giscours

Things just got real! Stefan is both approving and appalled, I assume. Approvingly appalled?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 5:35 pm

You took the words out of my pen, Patrick.

William P · Post by **William P** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 5:50 pm

1. La Lagune
2. Pontet Canet

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:37 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:28 pm
Ianjaig wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:41 pm 1) La Lagune
2) Giscours
Things just got real! Stefan is both approving and appalled, I assume. Approvingly appalled?

Yes, I was embarrassed to find that I had so much "supermarket swill" and have recently heeded Stefan's advice by ignoring this wine at auction as well as loudly advising others that its no better than vinegar...

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:44 pm

Well done, Ian. You are a great BWEer.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:25 pm

My top 5 is quite skewed as 3 of my top 5 holdings are multiple cases of "investment" wines that I am selling soon. Including the likes of Dominus, Clos Fourtet(mostly 03), and Pavie(Mostly 05).

Assuming getting rid of most of those, Jadot actually comes in as my top producer holding overall.

My real(wines I mostly intend to keep) top 5 bordeaux holdings are:
Capbern
Cos
Calon Segur
L'eglise Clinet
Haut Bailly

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:09 pm

JoelD wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:25 pm My top 5 is quite skewed as 3 of my top 5 holdings are multiple cases of "investment" wines that I am selling soon. Including the likes of Dominus, Clos Fourtet(mostly 03), and Pavie(Mostly 05).

Assuming getting rid of most of those, Jadot actually comes in as my top producer holding overall.

My real(wines I mostly intend to keep) top 5 bordeaux holdings are:
Capbern
Cos
Calon Segur
L'eglise Clinet
Haut Bailly

Can you make money from 2003 Clos Fourtet?

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:17 pm

Musigny 151 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:17 pm
robert goulet wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:36 pm D'issan is my no.1
Do you have 2006. A real sleeper

Indeed I do....2 bottles left

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 3:32 am

Musigny 151 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:09 pm
JoelD wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:25 pm My top 5 is quite skewed as 3 of my top 5 holdings are multiple cases of "investment" wines that I am selling soon. Including the likes of Dominus, Clos Fourtet(mostly 03), and Pavie(Mostly 05).

Assuming getting rid of most of those, Jadot actually comes in as my top producer holding overall.

My real(wines I mostly intend to keep) top 5 bordeaux holdings are:
Capbern
Cos
Calon Segur
L'eglise Clinet
Haut Bailly
Can you make money from 2003 Clos Fourtet?

Well, I got a great deal on them. Around 80 bucks each a few years ago. I don't mean that I was holding them because I thought they would appreciate, but I have been looking for a good time to sell, Now appears to be a decent one. We'll see how it goes.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Fri May 12, 2023 7:14 pm

UPDATE: "a return to sanity", GPL is no longer my largest BDX holding.

After an extensive cellar rationalization over the last couple of years (mostly achieved by selling off certain 'frauds' and fruit bombs), here are my current Bordeaux holdings (all chateau with at least 10 bottles):

Magdelaine - 73 bottles (up substantially from my prior tally, as I continue to backfill this defunct chateau whenever possible)
Sociando Mallet - 45 (including 10 bottles of Cuvée Jean Gautreau)
Grand Puy Lacoste - 43 (down from 59 in my prior tally)
d'Issan - 36 (increasing quickly, as I am big fan of recent vintages and the price is right)
Pichon Lalande - 35
Branaire-Ducru - 35 (increasing quickly, as I am big fan of recent vintages and the price is right)
Beychevelle - 29
Canon - 29 (stopped backfilling this, not liking post-89 vintages as nearly much, and older ones are getting long in the tooth)
Brane Cantenac - 26 (still buying, as I like recent vintages as well as old)
Cantemerle - 26 (sold off recent vintages, mostly 09/10, as I didn't enjoy nearly as much as older ones; the 05 is good though)
Leoville Barton - 25 (need more)
Calon Segur - 25
Lynch Bages - 20 (no 89s,

)
Montrose - 20
Gloria - 19
Duhart Milon - 16
La Lagune - 16 (seems low!)
Giscours - 15
Lanessan - 15
Haut Bailly - 15
Figeac - 14
Lagrange - 14
Domaine de Chevalier - 13 (actively backfilling pre-03 vintages, and buying their 19s and 20s)
d'Armailhac - 11
Gazin - 11 (the best QPR in Pomerol)
Pichon Baron - 11
St. Pierre - 11
Bel Air Marquis d'Aligre - 10
Carbonnieux (rouge) - 10 (all are from 2005)
du Tertre - 10 (still buying, as I like recent vintages as well as old)
Vieux Chateau Certan - 10 (trying to buy more, but stoopid money these days)

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Fri May 12, 2023 8:58 pm

That looks like only about 700 bottles of Bordeaux? Aren’t you running a bit short? If there’s some kind of catastrophic apocalyptic event and you are trapped in your wine cellar with only wine to drink you might run out of Bordeaux before you die…better rectify that!

I am pleased to announce I have addressed my shortage of Conseillante and am now up to about 60 bottles or so. Lifetime supply territory!

Trying to build up my Montrose holdings into third behind Pichon Baron and Conseillante - up to almost 40 bottles now I think.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Fri May 12, 2023 9:14 pm

marcs wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 8:58 pm That looks like only about 700 bottles of Bordeaux? Aren’t you running a bit short? If there’s some kind of catastrophic apocalyptic event and you are trapped in your wine cellar with only wine to drink you might run out of Bordeaux before you die…better rectify that!

I am pleased to announce I have addressed my shortage of Conseillante and am now up to about 60 bottles or so. Lifetime supply territory!

Trying to build up my Montrose holdings into third behind Pichon Baron and Conseillante - up to almost 40 bottles now I think.

Lol, we are evil on BWE! If it helps offer any reassurance, my red Bordeaux collection is just over 900 bottles, as there are quite a few low quantity holdings in there. But I do worry, zombie apocalypses and all.

There are 2 estates in particular I really wish I had more of (ie bought heavily before prices exploded): Conseillante and VCC. I'll have to get to work on that.