Good, cheap Bordeaux still exists!

The sky-rocketing price of Bordeaux in recent years has left many wine-lovers with the impression that it simply isn't possible to get good, well-made Bordeaux for a reaonable price. But this simply isn't true. The perception arrises, in my mind, from a mistaken impression of what Bordeaux truly is. I'm acquainted (via the internet) with an American ex-Patriot who lives in Bordeaux, who made an very astute observation about the situation: the problem is that the American Bordeaux market equates Bordeaux with the Classified Growths, i.e., the Grand Crus. But stop and think: there are, if we include the Medoc, Pessac-Leognan, and St.-Emilion classifications, about 100 Grand Crus in Bordeaux. But there are about 5000 producers overall - it is the largest premier wine region on the planet. But the Amerian market thinks Bordeaux is supposed to some kind of block-buster, and the Grand Crus do deliver that in their youth, so that is what the market demands, and what sells. But a fine claret, as the English would say, is a beverage, not a cocktail - a sophisticated drink to accompany a fine meal. And if you still believe in traditional Bordeaux, there are still good deals to be found, no where more so than in Graves. Here's a fine, well-made, attractive, meat-friendly $11 Bordeaux I enjoyed with dinner last night. Chateau Des Proms, Cuvee Bellevue, Graves 2008 Dark ruby red. Wonderful, classic Graves nose of earthy gravel, dark fruit, and hints of flowers. On the palate, blackberry and dark cherry, attractive by not overstated, with abundant gravel and stoney earth, hints of violets, and hint of herbs/tobacco leaf on the finish, with just the right touch of oak. Medium bodied with nice aromatic accentuation, good tone, and respectable density. Very classy. Needs a little while in the glass to show its best. Approachable now with air, but should age nicely over the 5 - 10 years. Excellent value at $11. * * (2 stars) = 88 points

Tasting 4 Vintages of Pontet-Canet

I started collecting wine just as the tremendous 2000 vintage was being released, and so before I even had much experience with Bordeaux, by almost pure chance, my first serious Bordeaux cellar purchase was a couple bottles of the 2000 Pontet-Canet. How exciting its been to watch the ascendance of this 5th Growth since then, and how lucky I've felt to have those bottles in the cellar, with all the talk of Pontet-Canet having become a "super-second" with the 2005 vintage, and even the lesser vintages becoming more expensive than the 2000 was on release. The story of this chateau is well-known now: its location right next to Mouton-Rothschild, and how it was considered one of the top estates in the early 19th century; its slow decline to rock-bottom during the Cruse scandal of the 1970s; and finally how the Tesseron family painstakingly revived it over two decades, preparing it for its meteoric rise that started in the mid-1990s. Given my experience with the 1970 (below), it is clear that even at its lowest ebb, there was greatness lurking here. I've had the pleasure to taste more wines from Pontet-Canet than from any other Bordeaux estate, and the style has become familiar: dense, dark, tarry, firm. Some say Pontet-Canet now resembles St.-Julien more than Pauillac, and they may be right, but what it is for certain is a great example of a modern claret that has not sold its soul like many others.

A couple weeks ago, I organized a wine dinner featuring the 1970 and the 2002 vintages of the Grand Vin, and the 2000 of Let Hauts (which in a vintage like 2000 is practically a grand vin itself):

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 1970
Base neck fill. Medium-dark garnet; good color! Very nice old Bordeaux nose, savory, and with glycerin showing. A succulent palate, with cherry/raspberry, cassis, and a bit of tar. Medium-full bodied. Opens and grows very nicely in the glass. Still has good fruit, with nice tone and structure; one can sense the intense 1970 structure this would once have had. Near the end of its very mature prime, but can probably hold at this level for a few more years; this wine is in great shape for its age. Quite a treat, and a consummate match to Julia Child's Boeuf Bourgignon! Excellent (87 - 90). [7/9/10]

Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2000
Medium dark ruby. Nose a bit funky and not much on the palate at first, but with time in the glass, it opens beautifully. Cherry/raspberry, cassis, tar/dark fruit, lots of mineral, hints of herbs, and hints of pencil lead. Succulent. Compared to the 1970 Pontet-Canet grand vin tasted just before, this drinks like a much younger version of the same wine, and seems to confirm the similarity between the two vintages (how nice to get to compare the two). In addition, nearly equal in quality to the 2002 Pontet-Canet grand vin tasted just after. Approachable now with air, but better in 3 - 5 years, and should drink nicely until 2020 or so. 2000 shows its depth here! Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91). [7/9/10]

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2002
Decanted 2 1/2 hours, and needed further time in the glass to open (nose a bit funky at first). Opaque ruby. Excellent, dense, rich nose. Cherry, blackberry, cassis, tarry/leathery notes, a hint of roasted herb/tobacco, and a hint of pencil lead/mineral. Full bodied, ripe, and dense, with good tone. Needs time, perhaps another 5 years, and shouldlast last until 2020 - 2025. Quite an impressive performance from this maligned vintage, and for under $40, a very impressive value as well. Exceptional (90 - 93). [7/9/10]

And as chance would have it, I had also had the opportunity to taste the 2003 in May:

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2003
Decanted for over an hour. Dark, warm ruby; impressive color. Great nose!!! Black cherry, blackberry, juicy red currant, cassis, some floral notes, and a touch of citrus, with tobacco, a hint of pencil lead, mineral, roasted herbs, roasted meat, and espresso. Ripe, but not overly so, and there is a LOT of tannin hiding underneath. Has 2003 warmth, but with the tannin, density, and acidity to balance it. This is a wine you need to swirl in your mouth to perceive how well constituted it is under the ripe fruit. Approachable now and very pleasurable to drink, but will only get better, and I dare say it will achieve a more classical Bordeaux balance in its maturity. Has up to 20 years ahead of it; when will it hit its peak? Not sure - perhaps in 10 years. A lot of potential here. Extraordinary (93 - 95). [5/13/10]

Chateau Talbot, St. Julien 2001

This wine helped in resolving a long standing family dispute over wine. For years, my wife claimed that Bordeaux can't meet the standards of our favorite wine region: Piedmont. Knowing her taste, the main point was around how Masculine are the wines (or the more feminine/elegant nature of a lot of Bordeaux wines that we had). Comes Talbot 2001 to show that the combination of masculine and elegant wines is not unique to Piedmont or Italy in general.

Chateau Talbot, St. Julien 2001
Started with excellent fruit: blueberries, black current later reveled earth and minerals with just a good hint of green notes. Masculine wine with an excellent elegant finish. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)

A mostly Cabernet tasting

I have a favorite wine shop in Wichita (KS), Anton's Vintage Wine & Spirits (highly recommended), and the owner has become a friend over the past few years. But we had never had the chance to taste wines together. So, we got together the day after Christmas. He was interested in tasting an Israeli Cab, so I brought one, and he provided some other Cabernet based wines. He enjoyed the Israeli, and the wines he provided were quite a treat!

Galil Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Galilee 2003
Medium ruby toward garnet. Love the nose - sweet, and very aromatic, with raspberry, marmalade, and roses - not quite heady, but rich. On the palate, sweet cherry upfront with overtones of cassis, followed by a midpalate of sweet raspberry, orange rind, and roses. Finish drops off, however. Medium bodied, with nice aromatics. Fills the senses (even with the short finish). Seems to be holding nicely - for drinking soon, but without fear. Lovely wine. Kosher. Excellent (87 - 90). [12/26/08].

Chateau La Louviere, Pessac-Leognan 2005
Nice color - deep ruby with a touch of purple. Awesome nose of earth, black fruit, and tobacco - but subtle and reserved at this stage, and not as good as it will be in time! Similar notes on the palate, but very tight at this stage. Full bodied. Very impressive - a great wine. I'd give it 10 more years, and I'll guess it will last for 10 - 20 years after that. Should be something really special in time. Love it! Exceptional (90 - 93), and potentially Extraordinary (93 - 95) with time. [12/26/08]

Paul Hobbs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2005
Last glass from a bottle opened the day before, but kept under inert gas. Nice color - deep ruby with a touch of purple. Big, rich, heady, Napa nose of cassis, earth, and tobacco. On the palate, cherry, cassis, tobacco, and earth. Big but not huge. Great fruit! Not a wine to evaluate, but one to sit back and enjoy. Should last another 10 - 15 years. Can't decided whether this or the Beringer Private Reserve 1997 tasted after it is the best California Cabernet I've had, although they are in very different styles. Extraordinary (93 - 95). [12/26/08]

Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Private Reserve, Napa Valley 1997
Impressive color - deep, youthful ruby, going to pink with a touch of brown at the edge (but notably, no garnet). Funky, candied nose at first, but after that blows off, red and black currants, with Graves-like earthiness, a hint of tobacco, and a touch of espresso - a great nose! On the palate, cherry, red currant, cassis, raspberry, orange rind, and espresso. Touch of earthiness on the finish. Full bodied, with good balance. Somewhat Bordelais in style. A very high quality wine. In its prime, and should hold there for another 5 years, but probably won't improve any further. This would be the best California Cabernet I've had if not for the Paul Hobbs Napa 2005 tasted just before it - can't really decided between the two, although I'd say the this one has the edge, although in a very different style. Extraordinary (93 - 95). [12/26/08]

The greatest wine experience of my life

I am only recently come down from the clouds - Friday night (5/23/08) I held the most perfect tasting of my life (thus far). A lineup of eight wines - some more ordinary than others, but each in its way a delight - each enjoyed by everyone in a delightful company of friends, and with a nice assortment of very good cheeses. A situation where the whole was infinitely more than the sum of its parts - I can hardly imagine a more perfect evening of wine tasting. This may very well be the standard by which I judge all other tastings for the rest of my life - not simply the wines, but the experience. And the featured wine of the evening - from my grandmother's birthyear, a wine I know, beyond a doubt, will stand among the very most memorable of my life.

The evening consisted of three 'mini-tastings,' which, although apparently only loosely connected, providing a perfect progression.

Sauvignon Blanc: one wine from each of my three favorite regions for the grape, providing an excellent illustration of the differences between them.

Delaille, Domaine du Salvard, Cheverny 2007
Grapefruit, ripe peach, kiwi, and gooseberry, with touches of mineral and vegetal notes. Exactly what I look for in Loire Sauvignon: focused, elegant, and light-on-its-feet, yet with depth. Under $15, and a good value. Excellent (87 - 90).

Nobilo, Sauvignon Blanc, Regional Collection, Marlborough 2007 (New Zealand)
Nice nose of high-quality fruit cocktail. Grapefruit, fresh peach, tropical fruits, and gooseberry, with bell pepper. Generous acidity. Archtypical Marlborough, with oodles of fresh, ripe, exuberant fruit. Completely consistent with previous tasting. Around $10, and a great value. Excellent (87 - 90).

Cono Sur, Sauvignon Blanc, 20 Barrels Limited Edition, Casablanca Valley 2006 (Chile)
Sea air, pear, green melon, citrus, and black pepper. Subtle and complex. Somewhat atypical for Chilean Sauvignon, but in a most interesting way. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)

White Bordeaux: first a nice dry example, with 50% Sauvignon providing a nice transition from the previous flight, while at the same time setting up for the the remarkable pair of Sauternes to follow.

Chateau Bonnet, Entre-Deux-Mers 2006
Citrus, apple, honey, and fig. Nice acidity, and with enough depth to avoid being 'just another white.' Bonnet's whites seem to be quite reliable. Around $10, and a very good value. 50% Sauvignon, 40% Semillon, 10% Muscadelle. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88).

Chateau Coutet, Barsac 1928
Labeled 'Haut-Barsac.' Mid-shoulder fill. Distinguished, warm, dark bronze / mahogany color. Top 1/3 of the cork blackened with age. On first try, only 2/3 of the cork came out. Then using a metal skewer and piercing through the bottom of the cork, a slight hiss of air rushing into a vacuum - after 80 years, the seal was still perfect! Served moderately chilled. In the glass, perhaps the most remarkable nose I have ever encountered: intense, rich, warm nose of fruitcake, apricot, and red raspberry. On the palate, more layers of complexity than one can fully describe in words. Pruney apricot, hints of still fresh pear and even tropical fruits, with red raspberry, and orange. Warm, richly honeyed and still luscious, with loads of intense (but not unpleasant) botrytis nutmeg/mace/brown spice on the finish. Open and wonderful from the first sip, but got even better as it warmed and opened further. Some qualities similar to a fine sherry, but much more fresh - after 80 years, still proudly and unmistakably a Sauternes. Still showing everything I love in Sauternes, but with previously unimagined layers of depth and complexity added (the only other wine I've had with this level of complexity is the Krug NV). Far exceeding expectations, not just a privilege but a once-in-a-lifetime pleasure to drink, with no allowances for age necessary, and making every other wine I've had seem ordinary. With still intense structure but remarkable balance, this is a wine that should make its centennial with pleasures to spare. I wouldn't push it beyond that, but even now it's longevity is far, far beyond complaint. It saddens me greatly that I am not likely ever to encounter this wine again. It will forever command an exalted place in my memory. Exceptional / Extraordinary (92 - 94) for the wine itself, with no allowance for age necessary; for the experience, Perfection (99 - 100)

Chateau Coutet, Barsac 1997
Perfect fill. Lightly-bronzed gold in color. Surprisingly similar to the 1928 (tasted just before) in character. Apricots, pear/tropicals, orange, and even a touch of red raspberry, with minerals notes as well. Honeyed and with nice botrytis spice (but neither nearly as much as in the 1928). But make no mistakes, this is an exceptionally good wine, in some respects even exceeding the 1928, but in others nowhere near it. Still a bit too young, needing at least 5 more years, and I expect it to last another 10 - 20 years total. Exceptional (90 - 93), almost Extraordinary (93 - 95) and will improve.

Port: a hugely surprising white Port providing a perfect transition from the Sauternes before it, before finish the night with an outstanding single-quinta.

Ramos Pinto, Lagrima, Porto NV
Lemon, honey, apricots, and even a touch of pear, with a distinct note of brandy. Fresh and very sweet. Remarkably similar in profile to the 1997 Coutet tasted before it. The biggest surprise of evening, and laughing heartily in the face of the mostly disparaging opinion of white Port that seems to prevail. And given that it can be found for under $15, and absolutely no more than $20, the most amazing value I have ever encountered. Best while young and fresh, I suspect. Extraordinary (93 - 95)

Ramos Pinto, Quita de Ervamoira, Porto 2004
Openned for breathing 14 hours before serving, and decanted 5 hours before serving. Consistent with my previous tasting, with dark, rich chocolate, loads of dark berries and prunes, and on this tasting, even showing some touches of red fruit. Powerful yet perfectly balanced. Surprisingly, especially given the amount of time it had to breath, not as open or opulent as previously. All the same, will benefit tremendously from 10 more years, and should last 10 - 20 years after that. Still outstanding, and may yet merit my original, highly enthusiastic rating with time. Outstanding (95 - 97), but may very well be Incredible (97 - 99) with time.

Chateau Hallet Sauternes 2005

I've had a number of absolutely delightful dry whites from the 2005 Bordeaux vintage, and have very much enjoyed the remarkable combination of freshness and depth they have. In February I got my first chance to try a 2005 Sauternes, and in this wine at least, I dare say you see at least some of that same delightful character - I'll definitely be looking foward to tasting other Sauternes of the vintage. And at $15 per half bottle, this one is a great value.

Chateau Hallet Sauternes 2005
My first taste of a Sauternes from this heralded vintage. Apricot, tropical fruits, then loads of candied fruit and honey. Medium bodied, with nice balance. Definitely reminds one of the delightful freshness and depth that the dry whites of the vintage have. Should drink very nicely for the next 5 years or so. (2/16/08) Excellent/Exceptional (89 - 91).

Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois 2005 - Disappointment

Having read all the rave reviews on the quality of Bordeaux 2005 vintage (most recently rated as 99 by the wine spectator) I had high expectations for this tasting. Cru Bourgeois wines in such vintages should be a good source of some excellent wines. The tasting was held at wine route Tel Aviv store with 16 wines tasted non blind, of which 12 were from the 2005 vintage. The tasting guest was Eric Holsteins, Chateau Cissac owner.
From the 12 wines, only three were wines I would consider buying. I expected these wines to be tannic and somewhat closed. However, most of them didn't show anything interesting in flavor while showing a very nice and ripe nose.
Only one of the tasted wines is rated above 89. With prices ranging between 129 NIS(24 Euro) to 399 NIS(75 Euros) purchasing simply doesn't make sense. At these prices one can get an excellent Barolo, CdP (look at these notes for example) or Super Tuscan wine, not to mention numerous examples of new world wines or Israeli wines. Even when one looks at the prices for Bordeaux 2005 in Europe (about 30-40% cheaper than in Israel) or the US it doesn't make sense to buy these wines. My recommendation - pass.

Chateau Arnauld - Haut Medoc 2005
Light to medium color, raspberries, some spices. Pretty round and not too tannic, even a bit sweet. The finish is not very pronounced. 85
Chateau Citran - Haut medoc 2005
Pretty dark color, blackberries, plums, cherries and smoky aromas, lacking significant mid palate, but pretty good finish. 86
Chateau Charmail - Haut Medoc 2005
Medium dark color, blueberries, very tannic and closed, lacking mid palate and an almost bitter finish. 78
Chateau d'Escurac - Medoc 2005
Blackberries, red fruit with some slight olive in the background. Pretty nice in the mouth. Full bodied and very tannic with a long and nice finish. 88
Chateau Maucaillou - Moulis en Medoc 2005
Raspberries, chocolate, nice mouth feel with a medium finish. Not very interesting. 81
Chateau Cissac - Haut Medoc 2005
Medium to dark color. Blackberries, ripe fruit with a nice smokey background. Round and nicely balanced for its "age", still enough tannins to carry it in the cellar. Medium bodied. Very nice wine. 89
Chateau Potensac - Medoc 2005
very nice and deep color. Blueberries, blackberries coffee and cocoa with a good body that ends long with some nice sweetness. The best wine of this tasting. 91
Chateau d'Agassac - Haut Medoc 2005
very closed, with some truffels (?) very mineralic and some greenness. Strange for this vintage. Medium bodied and nice finish. 79
Chateau Senejac - Haut Medoc 2005
Almost no aromas - very closed. Red berries flavors, with a good finish. Nice body, pretty balanced. 83
Chateau Chasse Spleen - Moulis en Medoc 2005
Very closed, only a bit black fruit and extremely tannic. Nice dark color. 79
Chateau Siran - Margaux 2005
Nice dark color, full bodied. Earth, minerals, blackberries. Lacks mid palate. mediocre finish. 80
Chateau Labegorce Zede - Margaux 2005
Nice aromas of raspberries, spices. Again, almost no mid palate and mediocre finish. 79

In addition, a couple of pretty nice 2004 & 2003 were served.

Chateau Sociando Mallet - Haut Medoc 2004
Dark color, full bodied, very tannic now, but has the right fruit and structure to develop nicely: plums, blackberries, earth and a nice green component. Long and tasty finish. 89
Chateau Phelan Segur - St. Estephe 2004
Wild and fruity, a bit green but with excellent finish. A wine to store for a while. 86
Chateau Poujeaux - Moulies en Medoc 2004
Medium color, Spicey and green with light to medium body, a very nice finish. 81
Chateau de Pez St. Estephe 2003
Medium color. Earth, minerals, spices and red fruit. Medium bodied. The tannins allow to enjoy the wine. Good finish. 88

Bordeaux 2004 Tasting

Sampling nine Bordeaux 2004 red wines and one Sauternes 2003 does not provide a complete picture of 2004 vintage quality. Trying to generalize from what I've tasted, there are some excellent wines from this vintage, the wines are very closed and (probably due to low ripeness) will need time in the cellar to come around. The wines were all tasted blind.

Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac Leognan
Deep color, earth, blueberries and green pepper. Very tannic wine with slight bitterness on the finish. Medium to light bodied, not very well integrated, this is not an extremely good wine. 87

Lascombes, Margaux
Ripe fruit - blackberries and red cherries, cinnamon and muscat and slight must that went away with some air time. Very well structured and tannic. Interesting finish which revealed extra layers. This will get better with time. 90

Lafleur Gazin, Pomerol
Mute on the nose, which some strange (almost rotten) fruit and a bit chocolate. Full bodied but nothing more than a simple wine. 83

Latour A Pomerol
Medium red/brownish color, raspberries, smoke and pretty harmonic wine. However it feels a bit diluted and there is a musty finish. At the end, its another simple wine. 85

Troplong Mondot, St. Emillion
Very deep color, cherries, blackberries, green herbs. Has a feeling of unripe fruit, some smoky element. Very tannic with a long good finish. Well structured. Good aging potential. 89

Leoville Poyferre, St. Julien
Deep color, almost non penetratable. Blueberries, chocolate, blackberries and a bit muscat and green herbs. Very well structured and harmonic. This wine sings! 93

Calon Segur, St. Estephe
Very closed, a bit rotten fruit (probably an off/corked bottle).After some time in the glass it gets better with raspberries and green herbs. Disappointment after revealing the wine. 87

Lynch Bages, Pauillac
Deep dark red color. Blackberries, kirsch liqueur, coffee and chocolate. Harmonic, very elegant and well structured. Medium to full bodied, but a slight disappointing finish. 90

Pichon-Longueville Baron, Pauillac
Very dark red color, Black fruit, green herbs, already some leather and a very complex and elegant wine. very good finish. 92

Rieussec 2003
Honey, melon, oranges and some honeysuckle. harmonic and wonderful overall feeling in the moth. Very Enjoyable now, but will definitely hold for many years. 95

In Haim's blog you will find reviews of some of the wines tasted here plus additional wines.

A small glance at Bordeaux 2003

The second of three vintages that the Bordelais promptly declared the "Vintage of the Century," nobody questions that 2003 was an exceptional year, if perhaps one destined to generate controversy (as shown by Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson's dispute over Pavie). But how does this hot vintage stack up? In September I arranged a wine tasting for some friends, and it just so happened that 2003 Bordeaux worked well for the event. All three major styles of Bordeaux were represented, as well as a good spectrum of composition in the reds. So what do I think? Based on this small sample, the character of the vintage is remarkably evident. But, first the notes, then my reflections.

Chateau Graville-Lacoste, Graves Blanc 2003
Pale but clean straw in color. Nice nose. The wine has a pretty typical but quite nice Bordeaux Blanc personality of lime, honey, hints of melon, and perhaps a bit of pear, with herbal notes. Not much acidity, but very fresh, and quite pleasent. Very Good (85 - 87)
70% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle.

Chateau Etoiles de Mondorion, St.-Emilion 2003
Cherry and cassis. Not a great deal of fruit in this one, but has nice tannins and structure, while still managing to be somewhat mellow and easy drinking. Somewhat light. Enjoyable, but could be more concentrated. Very Good (85 - 87)
Second wine of Chateau Mondorion, St.-Emilion Grand Cru. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc.

Chateau Callac, Cuvee Prestige, Graves Rouge 2003
Cherry, cassis, some black raspberry, perhaps a touch of plum, and nice tannins. Good balance, with very nice fruit and structure. Very Good (85 - 87)
60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc.

Chateau La Tour de Mons, Margaux (Cru Bourgeois Superieur) 2003
Good color. Lovely but structured black cherry and black raspberry. Sweet, aromatic, and a bit spicy. The first Margaux I've tasted, but with the textbook perfumey quality. A very nice wine, with a long, persistent finish. Should probably drink very nicely for another 3 - 5 years. Excellent (87 - 89)
48% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc.

Chateau Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2003
Good color. Intense black cherry and raspberry, with the classic pencil lead notes toward the finish. Big, structured; quintessential Pauillac. At this stage more impressive than pleasent, but give it another 3 - 5 years or so and it should show elegance. Exceptional (90 - 93)
Second wine of Chateau Pontet-Canet, Medoc Grand Cru Classe. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot.


Chateau de Myrat, Sauternes (Grand Cru Classe) 2003
Bright golden color. Gorgeous, gorgeous nose of apricot, tropical fruits, honey, and flowers. On the palate, apricots, tropical fruits, nice orange notes, pear, honey, flowers, and a huge, wondeful finish of honey and nutmeg. So much honey and boytritus! So complex, so full, so gorgeously rich! Although I had doubted it could be true, it is in fact better than the sensual 2001. My God, what a wine! Has perhaps another 20 - 25 years ahead of it. Outstanding (95 - 97)
90% Semillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc.

Now, my reflections.
The warmth of the vintage is quite obvious even in this small sample: the Graville-Lacoste is rich in fruit, but would benefit from the greater acidity that would have developed with cooler nights; the reds all had an attractive warmth to their fruit, especially the La Tour de Mons, although the Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet isn't expressing it as much at this stage - and they are not with good structure; finally, the Myrat is every bit as flamboyantly rich as the vintage has been praised for.
Suprises: the Etoiles de Mondorion isn't as rich as I would have expected from St.-Emilion in a hot vintage; the Myrat has loads of boytritus, contrary to the general description of the vintage as not having much boytritus.
Comparisons: the dry whites are nice but nowhere near the increadibly consistent, vibrant, and rich 2005's; the reds aren't as classical and structured as 2000, although they are more attractive upfront. Based on my limited experience, I would agree with the general critical evaluation that they won't age as long. The Sauternes are almost as good as, although in a completely different style than, the classy, elegant 2001's, and it seems, as more skilled folks than I have suggested, that they will be equally long-lived. Although it should be said that the Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2003 (which I tasted in December) has both the richness of the 2003's and the impressive class of the 2001's - it is ultimate the better, and certainly the more 'impressive' wine, but the Myrat does give it a run for its money in outright flamboyance. On a different note, the La Tour de Mons and Les-Haut de Pontet-Canet are the perfect pair for contrasting and exemplifying the feminine character of Margaux and the masculine character of Pauillac.

Overall, I think Sauternes is better in 2003 than the reds, and will certainly be longer-lived. I like the attractive warmth of the reds, but love the Sauternes much more. I highly recommend the La Tour de Mons and Pontet-Canet, which are both great values, and much more strongly recommend the Myrat and Lafaurie-Peyraguey, which are just damned good wines, and at reasonable prices.

Bordeaux 2003

This blind tasting was done as homework for the Bordeaux course by Wine Spectator School. The idea is to see the differences between generic Bordeaux, Cru Bourgeois and a classified growth from the same vintage. The differences between the levels were easily noticeable. Besides that, my take was to continue and avoid buying generic Bordeaux wines, as there are much better wines
to buy for 8 Euro.

Selection J. P. Moueix Bordeaux, 2003
Pale ruby red, very thin nose with some cherries and slight mocha. Way too simple. 70

Rollan de By Medoc 2003
Medium purple, blackberries, cassis, earth and chocolate along with a medium body and good amounts of tannins it is a balanced and good wine. Medium finish. 86

Malescot St. Exupery Margaux, 2003
Dark purple. A deep wine with layers of raspberries, current , blackberries and black cherry. This is complemented by bell peppers, tobacco, chocolate and some oak. Full bodied, balanced wine with a long finish and tannins that clearly announces: "5-6 years before the next bottle".
This is the wine we drank after unveiling the bottles. 93