Thursday, February 3, 2011

Report from ... Discover Bordeaux - January 25, 2011

Bordeaux.  Bordeaux. It's off to taste we go (prolonged whistling)
Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux ...

I doubt the seven dwarves ever did a lot of wine tasting, but in a room with so much of the stuff it seemed like work instead of pleasure to taste them all - until you got right into it and then the pleasure was in the following wines ...

First, a quick note about the tasting:  this was a Vintages presentation of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, which was established in 1973 and united 132 chateaux across seven appellations in France.  "Member estates represent over 5000 hectares of some of the best vineyards in Bordeaux, employing 10,000 workers annually.  Annual production is in excess of 230,000 hectoliters, with a total sales value of 3000 million Euros" ($415 million CAD).  There were approximately 100 wines in the room, here were the stars (and how they broke down, with selected notes):

I am using a 5-star rating system,
here’s the key to the stars:
5 = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 

4 = Very Good … 3.5 = Good

Three-and-a-Half Stars (*** 1/2)
Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion 2008 (Pessac-Leognan)
Chateau La Dominique 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Troplong-Mondot 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Chasse-Spleen 2008 (Moulis-en-Medoc)
Chateau Dauzac 2008 (Margaux)
Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery 2008 (Margaux)
Chateau Prieure-Lichine 2008 (Margaux)
Chateau Gruaud-Larose 2008 (Saint-Julien)

Three-and-a-Half Stars Plus (*** 1/2+)
Domaine de Chevalier 2008 (Pessac-Leognan)
Chateau Durfort-Vivens 2008 (Margaux)
Chateau Beychevelle 2008 (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Ormes de Pez 2008 (Saint-Estephe)

Four-Star Wines (****)
Chateau Figeac 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Grand-Mayne 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Pavie-Macquin 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau La Conseillante 2008 (Pomerol)
Chateau Lascombes 2008 (Margaux) - smooth and supple
Chateau Langoa-Barton 2008 (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Leoville-Barton 2008 (Saint-Julien)
Chateau d'Armailhac 2008 (Pauillac)
Chateau Coutet 2008 (Sauternes)
Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau 2008 (Sauternes)
Chateau Guiraud 2008 (Sauternes)
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2008 (Sauternes)

Four-Stars Plus (****+)
Chateau Canon 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau La Gaffeliere 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Clinet 2008 (Pomerol)
Chateau Belgrave 2008 (Haut-Medoc)
Chateau Cantemerle 2008 (Haut-Medoc) - softness of red rip berries, very tasty.
Chateau La Lagune 2008 (Haut-Medoc)
Chateau La Tour Carnet 2008 (Haut-Medoc) - lovely dark fruit dominated
Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2008 (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2008 (Pauillac)
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud 2008 (Sauternes)

Four-and-a-Half Stars (**** 1/2)
Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliere 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)
Chateau Gazin 2008 (Pomerol) - lovely fruit, lush flavours: cherry and black currant.
Chateau Rauzan-Segla 2008 (Margaux)
Chateau Lagrange 2008 (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron 2008 (Pauillac)
Chateau Lynch-Bages 2008 (Pauillac)
Chateau Cos-Labory 2008 (Saint-Estephe)

Four-and-a-Half Stars Plus (**** 1/2+)
Chateau Angelus 2008 (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru) - big fruit on the nose which folloows on the palate with grippy cherry tannins

2 comments:

Dean Tudor said...

My take --

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Smith Haute Lafitte 2008 Blanc, $115
-Latour Martillac 2008 Blanc, $147
-Pape Clement 2008 Blanc, $265
-Angélus 2008, $299
-Canon La Gaffelière 2008, $85
-Pape Clement 2008 Rouge, $175
-Beychevelle 2008, $59
-Gruaud-Larose 2008, $95
-La Gaffelière 2008, $79
-Cantemerle 2008, $38
-Citran 2008, $25
-Dauzac 2008, $62
-Lascombes 2008, $79
-Malescot Saint-Exupery 2008, $59
-Prieure-Lichine 2008, $65
-Leoville-Barton 2008, $149
-Léoville Poyferré 2008, $84
-Pichon Longueville Baron 2008, $115


***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Figeac 2008, $109
-Clos Fourtet 2008, $72
-Troplong-Mondot 2008, $115
-Gazin 2008, n/a
-Lagrange 2008, $59
-Batailley 2008, $55
-Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2008, $109
-Lafon-Rochet 2008, $54
-Rahoul 2008 Rouge, $25
-Domaine de Chevalier 2008 Blanc, $119
-Larrivet Haut-Brion 2008 Rouge, $49
-Malartic-Lagraviere 2008 Blanc, $99
-Pape Clement 2008 Rouge, $175
-Trotte Vieille 2008, $99
-Clinet 2008, $219
-La Conseillante 2008, $109
-Fourcas-Hosten 2008, $26
-Chasse-Spleen 2008, $39
-Belgrave 2008, $35
-La Lagune 2008, $85
-La Tour Carnet 2008, $45
-Durfort-Vivens 2008, $49
-Giscours 2008, $59
-Kirwan 2008, $69
-Marquis de Terme 2008, $45
-Rauzan-Segla 2008, $99
-Haut-Bages-Liberal 2008, $44
-Beaumont 2008, $22
-Langoa-Barton 2008, $59
-Talbot 2008, $65
-Clerc Milon 2008, $59
-D’Armailhac 2008, $52
-Lynch-Bages 2008, $189
-De Pez 2008, $39

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Chantegrive Blanc 2008, $33
-Chantegrive 2008 Rouge, $25
-Rahoul 2008 Blanc, $25
-Bouscaut 2008 Rouge, $35
-Carbonnieux 2008 Blanc, $55
-Carbonnieux 2008 Rouge, $49
-Domaine de Chevalier 2008 Rouge, $65
-Fieuzal 2008 Blanc, $75
-Fieuzal 2008 Rouge, $42
-Haut-Bailly 2008, $95
-Haut-Bergey 2008, $39
-Larrivet Haut-Brion 2008 Blanc, $62
-Latour-Martillac 2008 Rouge, $45
-Malartic-Lagraviere 2008 Rouge, $59
-Smith Haut Lafitte 2008 Rouge, $79
-Beau-Sejour Becot 2008, $75
-Canon 2008, $99
-Dassault 2008, $49
-Grand Mayne 2008, $64
-Cos-Labory 2008, $49
-La Couspaude 2008, $65
-La Dominique 2008, $59
-Berliquet 2008, $49
-Larcis Ducasse 2008, $125
-Beauregard 2008, $49
-Poujeaux 2008, $39
-Greysac 2008, $26
-La Tour de By 2008, $28
-Brane-Cantenac 2008, $59
-du Terte 2008, $45
-Labegorce 2008, $39
-Ferriere 2008, $39
-Branaire Ducru 2008, $63
-Saint-Pierre 2008, $65
-Lynch-Moussas 2008, $45
-Grand Puy Ducasse 2008, $49
-Ormes de Pez 2008, $38
-Phelan Segur 2008, $49

Warren said...

I thought they tasted "grapey"