vintage bordeaux
Nov. 16, 2007
Wahoo! All the wines were sound and showing marvelously! From the 2003 Haut-Medoc to the 1966
Pichon-Longueville Baron. Well, I didn't really expect any problems with those two--a very young Bordeaux
and one of the great cru classe that was built for age. But everything in between was great too: from the
1995 and 1996--both superb wines (no surprise coming from two stellar vintages, especially the 1995), to the
1988 Ch. Damase--a simple Bordeaux Superieur (this held up amazingly well for a $12 wine), to the 1978 Ch.
Poujeaux which was fantastic and at it's peak, to the two 1970's wines, one a simple, earthy St. Emilion, and
the other the infamous Ch. Pape Clement. Not a bad wine in the bunch, and as one guest put it, "I can't
believe they just kept getting better, the older the wines got!" The complex aromas and mysterious tertiary
flavors were out in full force. Thanks to all for coming and sharing these special wines with me. Yeah for
older wines! Here are my notes and other info on the wines:
Pichon-Longueville Baron. Well, I didn't really expect any problems with those two--a very young Bordeaux
and one of the great cru classe that was built for age. But everything in between was great too: from the
1995 and 1996--both superb wines (no surprise coming from two stellar vintages, especially the 1995), to the
1988 Ch. Damase--a simple Bordeaux Superieur (this held up amazingly well for a $12 wine), to the 1978 Ch.
Poujeaux which was fantastic and at it's peak, to the two 1970's wines, one a simple, earthy St. Emilion, and
the other the infamous Ch. Pape Clement. Not a bad wine in the bunch, and as one guest put it, "I can't
believe they just kept getting better, the older the wines got!" The complex aromas and mysterious tertiary
flavors were out in full force. Thanks to all for coming and sharing these special wines with me. Yeah for
older wines! Here are my notes and other info on the wines:
1. Roger Pouillon, Champagne, Brut Reserve
This was a replacement for the Ariston Champagne that was on the list. What a nice surprise to start off the
evening with this! I've never had this small production Champagne, but loved the candied fruit notes and
toast, and light nuttiness. Very complex nose, and a beautiful sparkler. The Wine Spectator wrote..."Rich
and sumptuous. A grand Champagne that fills the mouth with vanilla, toast, chocolate and honey flavors.
Fine-textured, finishing with a hint of ginger. 92 points" I'd have to agree. My score: 91. $30.
2. Ch. Beaumont, Haut-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois Superieur 2003
This wine was scarlet red- purple and had lots of nice cassis, dark berry-cherry fruit, and typical cabernet
notes of tobacco and leather. It was relatively soft, round, and opulent, which correlates with the hot 2003
vintage. This was a good reference point to start off with--showing the fruit and fuller bodied style of a young
bordeaux. Drinking well, but could probably age nicely for 7-8 more years. A fine wine, especially for this
price. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot (as are most of the left bank wines). Located in good vineyards
between St. Julien and Margaux. My score: 89+. Wine Spectator: 85(laughable) $23.
3. Ch. Potensac, Medoc, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel 1996
OK, now we're getting down to business. Right off the bat I got animale, gamey notes, and leather with a little
spicy-herbal smell mixed in there. Typical teritiary aromas. But the wine wasn't finished. It still had a nice mix
of receding fruit flavors, mostly like macerated cherries. The wine was still transforming from fruit to the box
marked "other". I love wines at this stage. The tannins were soft and a bit sweet. A very nice wine with a
medium finish. My score: 90. WS: 88. Robert Parker: 89 (who states "best ever by this Chateau, good
through 2014"). $50.
4. Ch. de Fieuzal, Pessac-Leognan, Cru Classe 1995
I'm a big fan of wines from the Graves and Pessac Leognan region south of Bordeaux. They tend to have a
character all their own, and this was no exception. The color was ruby-red and showing signs of fading and
rim color change. The nose blew me away with amazing sweet fruit--blackberry and cherry notes--and spice
box, as well as pine sap and some kind of forest smell that I often associate with Pessac-Leognan. The
mouth was elegant, with a soft entry, but more importantly it had great structure, meaning good acidity and
concentration in the mouth, and a solid finish. What a great wine, with things in common with the Potensac,
but here we have more refined, and more concentrated flavors. My score: 92. RP: 90 ("one of the best in
Graves"). WS: 91. $65.
5. Ch. Damase, Bordeaux Superieur 1988
Now we move over to the right bank, above St. Emilion and Fronsac to sort of generic vineyard territory
where Merlot and Cabernet Franc are the grapes of choice. This is a "lowly" Bordeaux Superieur, and I
really didn't expect much, aside from the "educational value" of comparing an aged, lower-end wine, with the
others in the line-up. But I was really surprised! For almost 20 years old, the wine was a true brick red color,
and had nice cherry smells mixed with something akin to ferns, forest or earthy notes. It had a very pleasant
nose and was not at all over the hill or bad. On the other hand, the mouth is where it fell short. It had simple
flavors, a bit of sour cherry and earthiness in the mouth, it was a bit thin, and the finish dropped off
immediately. Not a fault, just a simpler wine. But what do you expect at this really unbelievable price? My
score: 88 nose, 85 mouth. $12.
6. Ch. Poujeaux, Moulis-en-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel 1978
Back on the left bank, this wine is considered the star of Moulis. 1978 was not considered a great year,
unless you count Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gee's 5 chart-topping singles. We're almost at 30 years
old now, and the color is very faded brick red, with faint hues of orange/amber in around the rim. The
aromas make me delirious! Sweet leather, pot-pouri and dried rose pedals, along with cooked cherry notes,
fresh ground beef, and other descriptors guests were coming up with that I don't remember! Wow, what a
beautiful, complex, and perfectly aged wine. This surely is at it's apex, having lost its harsh tannins and
turning it soft and elegant in the mouth, and having reached it's height of complexity. Nice concentration of
flavors in the mouth, and good acidity too. I believe this was aged at the Chateau and released not long ago,
giving it the best provenance one could hope for. My score: 91. $80.
7. Ch. Croix de Bertinat, St. Emilion, Grand Cru 1970
Don't let the "Grand Cru" fool you. In Saint-Emilion pretty much any wine is eligible for this classification on
their label, which understandably leads to much confusion, as this would be considered the pinnacle of wine
in Burgundy, and one of the greatest wines on the left bank! At any rate, wines should be drank according to
how they taste, not according to crusty old classifications and other people's scores. At the time, 1970 was
hyped-up to be one of the best vintages in many years. However, it has since been downgraded by one
publication to a "mere" 91 point vintage, which is still pretty darn good. And it certainly helped this relatively
small, lower level Saint-Emilion age gracefully for 37 years! Possibly the weakest wine of the night, it still was
alive and kicking with true "sous-bois" or underbrush-forest floor notes, earth, coffee grounds, leaves, and a
hint of cherry and faint spice. The finish was short, the tannins dry, and the acidity was rearing it's head
perhaps a bit more than it should have, a result of the tannins and pigments dropping out, but the acidity
remaining constant over the years. This wine was a bit awkward, like a senile old man, but was hanging on
by a thread. My score: 87. $30.
8. Ch. Pape Clement, Graves, Cru Classe 1970
This estate probably has one of the most interesting histories of any chateau in France. It was once owned
by Pope Clement who acquired it in 1299. He became Pope in 1305, and then moved the papacy to
Avignon. Once there he built his "new" summer palace in Chateauneuf du Pape (of course it wasn't called
that at the time!). Needless to say, this wine is now widely recognized as one of the top producers in
Bordeaux. 1970 saw one of the first modern-day vintages in France's history, producing high quality and
high quantity simultaneously. The property is just west of Haut-Brion. The wine showed very intriguing notes
of orange with cloves stuck into it, soft floral scents, and a musky, almost sweaty character. This is the first
one that gave off the real musky, funky aromas of that age can bring to a wine, which can be off-putting to
many people. I personally enjoy this character if it is not too strong, which thankfully it wasn't. But clearly,
the wine has seen better days. The mouth was very soft, and had very low tannins, and the acidity was
lacking, making it a bit flabby and tired. For a great wine of this pedigree and vintage, I attribute this
character to a lower than normal shoulder level in the bottle. This made me worry a bit about the next wine,
the 1966, but all doubt was soon put to rest. My score: 88. $110.
9. Ch. Pichon-Longueville, Baron, Pauillac, 2nd Cru Classe 1966
Finally we reach the 1966, 41 years old for this wine and absolutely stunning and perfectly aged! In fact, all
agreed this wine was peaking, but could probably ride the peak for several more years. The property is
located next door to Ch. Latour, and is condsidered one of the great, classic wines of Bordeaux. The wine
was brick red with good color in the center. Right away I picked up cigar leaf smells, crushed leaves, and
some pleasant sour cherry (ok, sometimes when you get a descriptor in your head, it stays there and
becomes the theme for an entire flight of wines!). Others also pointed out mineral notes, iodine, and cheese
nuances. The complexity, concentration, and balance was stunning, not to mention the long finish. An
amazing wine and the epitome of a perfectly aged and aristocratic old Bordeaux. My score: 92 $150.
10. Ch. Raymond-Lafond, Sauternes 1989
There was no better way to cap-off this Bordeaux tasting than with a great Sauternes from one of the best
vintages in Sauternes. This Chateau was not classified as a great Sauternes in 1855 because it was
established only about 5 years before in 1850. It is located next door to Ch.d'Yquem, and is considered one
of the top Sauternes. It's 80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, is aged 3 years in oak barrels made from
hand split staves, and the grapes were harvested on 10 different occassions for this vintage. An entire
grape vine produces enough shriveled up grapes to make only one glass of this nectar. Which is what it
tasted like. With a dark and brilliant gold color, it gave up beautiful notes of roasted nuts, caramel, lovely
balanced petrol-botrytis smells, pure brown sugar, old apricots, and drops of honey. The mouth was very
soft, with excellent acidity keeping it very fresh and alive, and ending with a super long finish that lingered in
the mouth for what seemed forever. Very fine stuff, showing no signs of age, but many of the signs of
complexity and maturity. This will go for another 20 years easily. Almost everyone took seconds! M score:
93-94. WS: 87(!) $90.
This was a replacement for the Ariston Champagne that was on the list. What a nice surprise to start off the
evening with this! I've never had this small production Champagne, but loved the candied fruit notes and
toast, and light nuttiness. Very complex nose, and a beautiful sparkler. The Wine Spectator wrote..."Rich
and sumptuous. A grand Champagne that fills the mouth with vanilla, toast, chocolate and honey flavors.
Fine-textured, finishing with a hint of ginger. 92 points" I'd have to agree. My score: 91. $30.
2. Ch. Beaumont, Haut-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois Superieur 2003
This wine was scarlet red- purple and had lots of nice cassis, dark berry-cherry fruit, and typical cabernet
notes of tobacco and leather. It was relatively soft, round, and opulent, which correlates with the hot 2003
vintage. This was a good reference point to start off with--showing the fruit and fuller bodied style of a young
bordeaux. Drinking well, but could probably age nicely for 7-8 more years. A fine wine, especially for this
price. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot (as are most of the left bank wines). Located in good vineyards
between St. Julien and Margaux. My score: 89+. Wine Spectator: 85(laughable) $23.
3. Ch. Potensac, Medoc, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel 1996
OK, now we're getting down to business. Right off the bat I got animale, gamey notes, and leather with a little
spicy-herbal smell mixed in there. Typical teritiary aromas. But the wine wasn't finished. It still had a nice mix
of receding fruit flavors, mostly like macerated cherries. The wine was still transforming from fruit to the box
marked "other". I love wines at this stage. The tannins were soft and a bit sweet. A very nice wine with a
medium finish. My score: 90. WS: 88. Robert Parker: 89 (who states "best ever by this Chateau, good
through 2014"). $50.
4. Ch. de Fieuzal, Pessac-Leognan, Cru Classe 1995
I'm a big fan of wines from the Graves and Pessac Leognan region south of Bordeaux. They tend to have a
character all their own, and this was no exception. The color was ruby-red and showing signs of fading and
rim color change. The nose blew me away with amazing sweet fruit--blackberry and cherry notes--and spice
box, as well as pine sap and some kind of forest smell that I often associate with Pessac-Leognan. The
mouth was elegant, with a soft entry, but more importantly it had great structure, meaning good acidity and
concentration in the mouth, and a solid finish. What a great wine, with things in common with the Potensac,
but here we have more refined, and more concentrated flavors. My score: 92. RP: 90 ("one of the best in
Graves"). WS: 91. $65.
5. Ch. Damase, Bordeaux Superieur 1988
Now we move over to the right bank, above St. Emilion and Fronsac to sort of generic vineyard territory
where Merlot and Cabernet Franc are the grapes of choice. This is a "lowly" Bordeaux Superieur, and I
really didn't expect much, aside from the "educational value" of comparing an aged, lower-end wine, with the
others in the line-up. But I was really surprised! For almost 20 years old, the wine was a true brick red color,
and had nice cherry smells mixed with something akin to ferns, forest or earthy notes. It had a very pleasant
nose and was not at all over the hill or bad. On the other hand, the mouth is where it fell short. It had simple
flavors, a bit of sour cherry and earthiness in the mouth, it was a bit thin, and the finish dropped off
immediately. Not a fault, just a simpler wine. But what do you expect at this really unbelievable price? My
score: 88 nose, 85 mouth. $12.
6. Ch. Poujeaux, Moulis-en-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel 1978
Back on the left bank, this wine is considered the star of Moulis. 1978 was not considered a great year,
unless you count Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gee's 5 chart-topping singles. We're almost at 30 years
old now, and the color is very faded brick red, with faint hues of orange/amber in around the rim. The
aromas make me delirious! Sweet leather, pot-pouri and dried rose pedals, along with cooked cherry notes,
fresh ground beef, and other descriptors guests were coming up with that I don't remember! Wow, what a
beautiful, complex, and perfectly aged wine. This surely is at it's apex, having lost its harsh tannins and
turning it soft and elegant in the mouth, and having reached it's height of complexity. Nice concentration of
flavors in the mouth, and good acidity too. I believe this was aged at the Chateau and released not long ago,
giving it the best provenance one could hope for. My score: 91. $80.
7. Ch. Croix de Bertinat, St. Emilion, Grand Cru 1970
Don't let the "Grand Cru" fool you. In Saint-Emilion pretty much any wine is eligible for this classification on
their label, which understandably leads to much confusion, as this would be considered the pinnacle of wine
in Burgundy, and one of the greatest wines on the left bank! At any rate, wines should be drank according to
how they taste, not according to crusty old classifications and other people's scores. At the time, 1970 was
hyped-up to be one of the best vintages in many years. However, it has since been downgraded by one
publication to a "mere" 91 point vintage, which is still pretty darn good. And it certainly helped this relatively
small, lower level Saint-Emilion age gracefully for 37 years! Possibly the weakest wine of the night, it still was
alive and kicking with true "sous-bois" or underbrush-forest floor notes, earth, coffee grounds, leaves, and a
hint of cherry and faint spice. The finish was short, the tannins dry, and the acidity was rearing it's head
perhaps a bit more than it should have, a result of the tannins and pigments dropping out, but the acidity
remaining constant over the years. This wine was a bit awkward, like a senile old man, but was hanging on
by a thread. My score: 87. $30.
8. Ch. Pape Clement, Graves, Cru Classe 1970
This estate probably has one of the most interesting histories of any chateau in France. It was once owned
by Pope Clement who acquired it in 1299. He became Pope in 1305, and then moved the papacy to
Avignon. Once there he built his "new" summer palace in Chateauneuf du Pape (of course it wasn't called
that at the time!). Needless to say, this wine is now widely recognized as one of the top producers in
Bordeaux. 1970 saw one of the first modern-day vintages in France's history, producing high quality and
high quantity simultaneously. The property is just west of Haut-Brion. The wine showed very intriguing notes
of orange with cloves stuck into it, soft floral scents, and a musky, almost sweaty character. This is the first
one that gave off the real musky, funky aromas of that age can bring to a wine, which can be off-putting to
many people. I personally enjoy this character if it is not too strong, which thankfully it wasn't. But clearly,
the wine has seen better days. The mouth was very soft, and had very low tannins, and the acidity was
lacking, making it a bit flabby and tired. For a great wine of this pedigree and vintage, I attribute this
character to a lower than normal shoulder level in the bottle. This made me worry a bit about the next wine,
the 1966, but all doubt was soon put to rest. My score: 88. $110.
9. Ch. Pichon-Longueville, Baron, Pauillac, 2nd Cru Classe 1966
Finally we reach the 1966, 41 years old for this wine and absolutely stunning and perfectly aged! In fact, all
agreed this wine was peaking, but could probably ride the peak for several more years. The property is
located next door to Ch. Latour, and is condsidered one of the great, classic wines of Bordeaux. The wine
was brick red with good color in the center. Right away I picked up cigar leaf smells, crushed leaves, and
some pleasant sour cherry (ok, sometimes when you get a descriptor in your head, it stays there and
becomes the theme for an entire flight of wines!). Others also pointed out mineral notes, iodine, and cheese
nuances. The complexity, concentration, and balance was stunning, not to mention the long finish. An
amazing wine and the epitome of a perfectly aged and aristocratic old Bordeaux. My score: 92 $150.
10. Ch. Raymond-Lafond, Sauternes 1989
There was no better way to cap-off this Bordeaux tasting than with a great Sauternes from one of the best
vintages in Sauternes. This Chateau was not classified as a great Sauternes in 1855 because it was
established only about 5 years before in 1850. It is located next door to Ch.d'Yquem, and is considered one
of the top Sauternes. It's 80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, is aged 3 years in oak barrels made from
hand split staves, and the grapes were harvested on 10 different occassions for this vintage. An entire
grape vine produces enough shriveled up grapes to make only one glass of this nectar. Which is what it
tasted like. With a dark and brilliant gold color, it gave up beautiful notes of roasted nuts, caramel, lovely
balanced petrol-botrytis smells, pure brown sugar, old apricots, and drops of honey. The mouth was very
soft, with excellent acidity keeping it very fresh and alive, and ending with a super long finish that lingered in
the mouth for what seemed forever. Very fine stuff, showing no signs of age, but many of the signs of
complexity and maturity. This will go for another 20 years easily. Almost everyone took seconds! M score:
93-94. WS: 87(!) $90.