Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

JimHow

What a fun read. We have some of the best writers in the world right here at BWE, now in its 27th year.....

JimHow

Best Gloria I've ever had, it is a true-to-St.-Julien medium bodied beauty!

JimHow

I had a Bellegrave once, I can't remember if it was the 2016 or 2019, but I remember really liking it.
Pauillac is undoubtedly the best appellation, no?

JimHow

What a lovely wine this is. Just very true to St. Julien. It is like a baby LLC. Branaire-like. Beautiful deep ruby color, lovely cassis, cedar, lead pencil. Beautifully balanced. A lovely medium bodied St. Julien beauty. Another great 2019 success. Rating: 94 points.

JimHow

Other than the 1986 Beychevelle, which is indeed profound, I'm hard pressed to think of another vintage that has wowed me. I still have a bottle of 1996 Beychevelle in a decorative little wooden single bottle crate that I bought when we visited the very welcoming estate on my ill-begotten honeymoon ...

JimHow

Really looking forward to the report, BP, I'd love to hear a report of your least favorite to most favorite, 18th to 1st.
Giscours often thrills me, but sometimes the vintages from this century seem closed in ways that they should not be.

JimHow

I'm telling you, E, you would like this! Like you I have always "liked" rather than "loved" this wine, but this 2020 I have loved three times in a row now. And the price is right.

JimHow

Starting an awful strangulation murder trial on Tuesday in Bangor, it is going to be a heavy lift for the defense. One of the worst cases of my career. Court TV wanted to cover it live but the judge applied Maine law, which disallows video of live testimony, so I doubt they'll come up. So I'll be fa...

JimHow

I scratch my head over the pricing of Beychevelle.

JimHow

I had this again. Love it!

JimHow

I don't think it has been 15-20 years since you last drank it, Stefan, Stuart has brought it to BWE events multiple times.
I agree, 1986 Mouton is one of my top 5 greatest wines of all time.
I have consistently rated it "the best finish ever" on multiple occasions.

Great reports, Kevin/Ian.

JimHow

Mmm nice stuff Stefan.
I had a 2015 Giscours that was beautiful, really coming into its own. Still young but really smoothing out.
Some of the young Giscours I've had in the past couple years have been closed but this 2015 was lovely, I'm glad to have 13 more bottles.

JimHow

Had a 1979 Pichon Lalande the other night. Yum. Just a beautifully appropriate 1979. A Comte Flaneur kind of wine....

JimHow

My anecdotal observation on the UK, it seems on edge. The very pleasant young taxi driver from the hotel to the train station had the BBC on the radio, the announcers bemoaning some awful racial statements by members of parliament, like that Nigerian immigrants should be melted to fill all of the po...

JimHow

Ha indeed, my murder practice is statewide. I have the one Lewiston case from 2026 so far, a 25 year old girl who shot a 22 year old girl to death in a drunken brawl. Next week we start an awful strangulation case in Bangor. Eight murder cases is actually better than the 200 felony cases I was manag...

JimHow

I wish, Eric, but my eight murder cases and trips to Bangkok would make that difficult. I'm starting a strangulation murder trial next week. Yuck.

JimHow

Back in Paris after a quick stop in London. We went to L'Europeen, a fun brasserie near Gare de Lyon that I have dined at several times when I am staying in the area. A fun family styled atmosphere, friendly food and service, a local Parisien crowd. I always enjoy it. I once had a great conversation...

JimHow

A lawyer friend of mine is going to Venice for three days, does any one have any restaurant recommendations?

JimHow

Yeah, I haven't had the 2022 Montrose but I've had the 2019 and other recent vintages, I'm pretty hard pressed to take this seriously. To me Montrose is at about the top of my list of Bordeaux estates since 2000, consistently great year after year.

JimHow

We enjoyed our visit there.
Go on YouTube a research the history of the Bic pen sometime, absolutely fascinating.

JimHow

Dinner at Ian’s house in London last night, lamb chops, Grand Siecle, 1999 Le Pin, 1999 Lafleur, and some 1986 Gruaud Larose with cheese. The wines were spectacular, in a very good place at age 27, stunning bouquets on the Pomerols, the colors and palate clear and defined. Epic Pomerols, elegance, p...

JimHow

Now in London. Jolly good!

JimHow

Le Tout-Paris atop Hotel Cheval Blanc was the highlight of the first leg of the trip in Paris. We had "Table 300," just a spectacular view stretching from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. The vibe was just so much fun, the young staff so friendly, not snobby at all, we drank multiple glasse...

JimHow

We had a 2009 La Lagune at La Tour d'Argent with le canard. What else is there to say? This is a once in a lifetime dinner (well, okay, I've been there twice now), a magnificent view as the sun set over the chimney tops. The friendly service was nothing short of amazing, I did not count but there ha...

JimHow

JimHow

Last night it was another Timmy McCracken recommendation in the Latin Quarter, Oktobre, he and I dined there last year and we really enjoyed it. It did not disappoint again, this restaurant rivals some of the top restaurants I've been to in Paris, impeccable, friendly, engaging service, French haut ...

JimHow

The weather cleared yesterday, inviting an afternoon stroll through Le Marais, stumbling into Galerie Alaia, home of the Foundation Azzedine Alaia, and shopping, shopping at Sezane for a petite ladies trench coat, just like the Parisian women wear. Lunch at Le Ju, everyone so friendly everywhere.......

JimHow

I’m pretty sure you were there, it was organized by Rick Julien in Chicago, a Pichon Lalande vertical.

JimHow

The lobby restaurant/bar at Hilton Paris Opera was particularly vibrant as we arrived for early check-in in rainy Paris, my go-to hotel centrally located for one of my favorite things to do in Paris: walking. Jet-lagged but immediately in the mood! We had a delightful dinner a short walk away in the...

JimHow

Jon, did we have this wine at that epic Pichon Lalande dinner in Chicago years ago?
I don't think I have had it in quite a while but I recall loving it in its youth.
I think I am going to buy more 1981 Pichon Lalande.

JimHow

Indeed, Ian, I found this second bottle very interesting and would be happy to drink it again (I have two more bottles), but the main reason why I uncorked this second bottle was to see whether I wanted to order more. I will not.

JimHow

Very interesting indeed Noah! This seems like a much more accurate read.

JimHow

Graham Platner of Maine....

I'm still skeptical... But dare I hope?

I still think Collins is going to win. But....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5d8G2RHPyQ

JimHow

I know you're not a big fan of the royal family, Ian, Charles seemed to get pretty high marks here in the U.S., presenting quite a contrast to our own would-be Richard II.
Where do things stand with the monarchy these days? I'm looking forward to setting foot on the sceptred isle week after next!

JimHow

JimHow

You know what's interesting, I googled 2016 Grand Puy Lacoste and 1989 Lynch Bages, and the replies come back with BWE messages at the top of the list. Not Berserkers, or links from those properties...
Like chatGPT, I think we have more here on BWE than meets the eye....

JimHow

This is a lovely, elegant Pichon Lalande, feminine, quite different from the stoic, trojan, martial LLC from last night. Cab Fan once referred to this as the "Gwyneth Paltro of Bordeaux wines." Still holding up strong, the color is very similar to last night's LLC, a healthy deep ruby fadi...

JimHow

I received three durands as gifts last summer at our BWE weekend in Maine, this is the first time I've ever utilized one, worked like a charm! A nice spiciness on the nose upon uncorking, the color looks healthy, still rotating capsule, the high shoulder bottle looks like it's in excellent shape upo...

JimHow

I have called the 1998 Bordeaux Right Bank vintage, along with the 2005 Burgundy vintage, perhaps the two greatest vintages ever from any wine region in the world. I wonder if that holds true now as we approach the 30 year mark.

JimHow

Yeah I noticed that. I remember when I was there last time I felt a bit overwhelmed before settling on the 2010 d'Armailhac.

Search found 21731 matches