Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

KevinH

I’m not sure there is a representative vintage in Beaujolais. It depends what it is, what style you like and when you want to drink it. Hot sunny years tend to produce bold ripe wines best for early consumption if they are lush and easy going (2018, 2022) or for long term if they have more structure...

KevinH

1976 Ch Margaux.

KevinH

It is a chain. It has a decent private room separate from the main, busy restaurant. They do a decent steak but you don’t really go for the food. It used to be quite cheap but prices have gone up a bit recently. Other London restaurants that have decent corkage rates and do very good food are La Tro...

KevinH

Ten of us gathered at Piccolino’s in London to look at a range of 1986 Bordeaux at 40. Food was simple, charcuterie, steak and fries and cheese. We had a good mix of wines on show and I think the overall sense of the vintage is that it is still pretty hard going. it is a singular vintage. Still tann...

KevinH

Latest auction purchases 1996 Ch Montrose 1966 Volnay - Chauvot Labaume 1983 Chateauneuf du Pape - Le Cellier de Princes a Courthezon x2 2010 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros - Cote Bouguerots William Fevre 1999 Corton Charlemagne - P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Plus I also picked up retail a bottle of 2014 Ch Leov...

KevinH

We went out of season in January 2019 and stayed in the Gritti Palace Hotel. We enjoyed the food in the main restaurant and also ate one night in the lounge bar.

KevinH

3x 2022 Ch Ormes de Pez

KevinH

A magnum of 2001 Peter Lehmann Stonewall Shiraz.

KevinH

Interesting notes. Not had some of these vintages but will seek a few out. The 2002, drunk several times, is indeed classically styled. I had it behind 00, 04 and 05 but it is still a worthwhile bottle. I have about half a case left. Anyone trying for the first time, do give it plenty of decanter ti...

KevinH

I recently picked up this bottle at auction. Before bidding I did a bit of research on it as the word Vivens didn’t appear on the label. I found a picture of another bottle with the same label so was confident enough to bid on it and win it at a modest price for a 1959. IMG_8759.jpeg I’ve had Durfor...

KevinH

Durfort has had its ups and downs over the years. I’ll post something on the estate later in the week. Its reputation has soared since they went biodynamic in 2013. Recent vintages, especially from 2018 onwards, are now getting lots of praise. I’ve not tried any of those yet but would probably seek ...

KevinH

Latest auction haul 1959 Ch Durfort (more on that later when I get it) 2x 1975 Ch Montrose 2x 1988 Mondot 2x 2000 Ch Grand Corbin Despagne 1988 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1979 Moillard Beaune Grèves Fortnum and Mason Champagne Reserve Extra Dry NV (1980s possibly) 1990 Domaine de l...

KevinH

My condolences too.

KevinH

The aspirational role model has to be the connoisseur and wine writer André Simon. He drank well from a well stocked cellar all his life but as he got older he slowly began to wind it down. The story goes that when he died in his mid 90s all that was left of his cellar was 2 magnums of ‘45 Mouton Ro...

KevinH

Mine would be a bottle of 86 Mouton when it could be had for £50 (about $80). I was still a student at the time so didn’t have much money. I should have just bought it and lived on bread and water for a week.

KevinH

A recent trading-up swap with a friend: I supplied a mixed case of 12 including a couple each of GPL 95 and 00 Haut Bailly 01 Lafon + some Rhone and a couple of village Gevrey

Got in return a bottle each of
1964 Ch Latour
1981 Ch Latour
1988 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde -Guigal

KevinH

Ch Gruaud Larose 1978
Ch Gruaud Larose 1980

KevinH

I’ve been drinking through cases of both the 95 and 96 GPL. Both are very good, the 95 is not yet ready but the 96 is. I prefer the latter because I prefer the 96 vintage at this stage in their evolution.

KevinH

A cheap auction lot that included a bottle of 1978 Ch Chasse Spleen and 3x Ch Caronne St Gemme 1983.

First bottle of Bordeaux I ever bought was a 1980 Caronne St Gemme back in 1985.

KevinH

The year of the mid-harvest deluge. The rains came on 8th October and continued for two weeks. According to Michael Broadbent Leoville Las Cases harvested from 24th Sept to 9th Oct so must have got most of their grapes it before the rains came.

KevinH

Two wines for Easter 1964 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien (05/04/2026) Healthy aromas on opening, slow oxygenated for 5 hours then decanted and drank over the next two. Beautifully resolved mature Bordeaux, lovely mix of red fruits, cedar and light oak on the nose,...

KevinH

No rush with any of those.

KevinH

I think the reason I still had some of these as young tasting is that a few had a slight beef stock note on the nose and were quite black fruited - both of which I generally see as markers of a young Bordeaux. In several cases (Cantemerle, GPL, Leoville Barton) that disappeared in the evolution in t...

KevinH

Eight of us gathered at Piccolino’s in London to taste some 1996 Medoc wines in their 30th year. Food was simple, charcuterie, steak and French fries, followed by cheese. It was all about the wines. And it was a great opportunity to try some 30 year old Medoc wines from Margaux, Pauillac and St Juli...

KevinH

Anyone tried any recent vintages of Les Pensées de Lafleur? In particular, I’m looking at the 2012, 2015 and 2017.

KevinH

I’ve not had the 88 before (nor the 89). From the 80s I’ve had 83, 85 and 86.

My best ever Lynch (indeed my best ever wine) was an English Bottled (Wine Society) 1962 drunk back in 1994. It was far better than the chateau bottled version because, I think, they used very dark green bottles.

KevinH

Messy labels never worry me and are often a good sign as you say. Level I’d say is base of neck so very happy with that. Interestingly the auction house I got it from hold a monthly wine auction and I was scrolling through their recent January catalogue and there were two bottles of 88 Lynch in that...

KevinH

Sounds good. A Chateau I’ve always enjoyed. I’m still drinking the 95s and 01s and have yet to take a case of 04 out of store! I also have solitary bottles of 59, 75, 78 and 82, auction purchases, in the cellar. A 1970 was very nice a couple of years back. I need to look at back filling on some rece...

KevinH

Very late to the party on these, though I’ve had a few of the first growth second wines over the years. What are your favourites across all classes? What gives a real sense of the château style? I’ve been drinking and enjoying the 09 Croix de Beaucaillou for a while. I’m looking to get a few second ...

KevinH

There we go. Thanks David.

KevinH

KevinH

No idea how to load pictures

KevinH

The bottle has arrived

IMG_8741.jpeg

Tatty label so I had to cut the capsule

IMG_8745.jpeg

You can just make out it says 1988. Success!

KevinH

There are other programmes on YouTube in the Vintners Tales series, all worth watching. These were made in the early 1990s. My favourites are the ones on Edmund Penning Rowsell (very Bordeaux focused) Michael Broadbent, Harry Waugh and John Avery.

KevinH

Without doubt my favourite programme ever about wine buying. Jancis Robinson interviews The Marchioness of Bute, one time owner of Bute wines.

“So how many cases of the 89 Bordeaux did you buy? In cases, thousands”

https://youtu.be/vkr2c42F62E?si=XiapwPg70PnEkmuJ

KevinH

One each of

2017 Ch Labegorce
2009 Ch Duhart Milon
3x 2016 Ch Grand Mayne

KevinH

Apparently Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a Bordeaux wine lover. He came from a wine making family as his father had vineyards in Germany. Constantly broke, most of his wine was supplied by his wealthy friend Friedrich Engels. And, apparently, his favourite wine was Cos d’Estournel

KevinH

And also at auction yesterday 1971 Ch Haut Brion Ch Lynch Bages - damaged label, date missing (after 1970) 1973 Ch Filhot -Sauternes a half 1988 Ch Broustet - Barsac 4 x Halves 1998 Ch La Louviere Blanc 2 x Halves 1995 Julienas Clos du Fiefs Cuvée Prestige (Michel Tete) NV Stanton and Killeen Ruther...

KevinH

Does the chateau put the date on the side or top of the cork? I can’t remember.

KevinH

Well, I won the bottle, amongst a few other things, so I should know the vintage by the weekend.

Search found 167 matches