Bordeaux

• Barsac
• Bordeaux Supérieur
• Margaux
• Graves
  • Pessac-Leognan
• Haut-Medoc
• Listrac
• Pauillac
• Pomerol
• Saint Emilion
• Saint Estephe
• Saint Julian
• Sauternes

Wonderful wine.  Finally worth opening after waiting all these years.  Bought on release and cellared.  This was open and decanted for sediment and allowed to breather for an hour or so before trying.  Deep ruby in color, purple at the core, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, pencil lead, tobacco and a hefty amount of earthy funk.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered but still fresh and vibrant.  Cassis with underlying earthiness and a bit of coffee and mushroom.  Long finish.  Contemplative.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with

This is an inexpensive 100% Merlot.  In good vintages, these are great places to look for values and nice wines that are accessible.  And this one, hits all the marks.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has raspberries, plums and slight spice.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the raspberries continue along with some black cherries.  Moderate finish.  This is a tasty, fruit forward style of Merlot.  It improves with a bit of air.  Drinks fine on its own but will work better with some food.  Roasted veggies or fowl would be a nice match.  Drink over the next three to five

Tasted from a Magnum.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose is earthy with cigar tobacco but plenty of fresh cassis.  The wine is mostly clean with just a hint of funk.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is tart cassis and cranberry fruit with underlying earthiness.  Showing some complexity.  Good finish.  In Magnum, this is drinking well today and probably close to peak.  This certainly could go another ten years but I doubt it gets better.  It will work better with food and went well with a tomato tart, but fatty meats would be a good choice.  

Great showing for this wine.  Drinking wonderfully at this time.  Seems fully mature, possibly, just slightly past (depending on your tastes).  Purple in color, ruby swirls, but no browning.  The nose is great with cigar box, earthy, some Bordeaux funk but still with some cassis left.  On the palate, this has faint tannins.  Very earthy with cassis, dried black raspberries some tobacco.  Complex.  The layers unwind in the glass.  Wonderful texture.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own, but would be even better with food.  Roasted veggies or duck would be great.  At this age (34) ever

This showed surprisingly well for such a young Lafite.  It was splash decanted for about 20 minutes prior to serving.  Purple in color, opque and bright.  The nose is big with cassis, graphite, cedar and spice.  On the palate, this drinks young but like a pedigreed Bordeaux (which, of course, it is).  Deep.  Plenty of energy.  Spry is perhaps a better word.  Lots of cassis with underlying cedar and spice.  Medium tannins.  Good finish.  This drinks great on its own right now and will work well with a roast or steak.  It probably need another decade or more to get to peak but should drink we

Sadly, this was corked.  It is too bad because it really seemed like a special wine underneath.  But it would be unfair to judge it.  A shame as the last time I had this, it was given a perfect score and seemed to be just getting to maturity.  

Typically, Haut Brion is my favorite of all the first growths.  Perhaps because the blend is a bit different.  This vintage is 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc.  At age 24, this is just about at maturity.  Purple/ruby in color, but starting to show some browning.  Mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, tobacco and slight earthiness.  On the palate, a nice tart but sweet fruit - cherries, black cherries and slight black raspberries.  Layers of complexity.  Long finish.  This won't get better from here, but should have ten to fifteen years a

Chateau Latour probably takes the longest to come around of all of the first Growths.  Most of the time, patience is rewarded.  This showed quite well for the vintage.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is very earthy with Bordeaux funk but also cassis, black raspberries, tobacco and slight cedar.  Medium bodied with medium tannins.  At age 22, this is more of a teenager than an adult.  The palate goes from heavy cassis to cranberries and back with underlying funk and earth.  There is some complexity.  This should drink well for another fifteen to twenty years.  It drinks nice alo

Any time one gets a chance to drink a first growth, it's a true pleasure.  They have become prohibitively priced, so its nice when a bottle actually gets open and consumed.  Perhaps not the greatest vintage of Margaux, but a very good one.  At age 22, this is pretty much at peak and drinking very well.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The  nose has a bit of that Margaux liquor/perfume with cherries, cassis, slight spice, and leather but clean.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  The palate has black cherries, slight black tea, and slight soy.  Long finish.

A dangerous vintage for this wine as they had winery wide issues with cork taint in the late 80's.  This bottle, however, showed very well.  Pop and pour, it took about 30 minutes to really get going.  After that it kept opening in stages for the next couple hours.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, leather, a slight horse note and with air, cigar box.  On the palate, this is fresh and drinking well.  Tannins are pretty much resolved.  Layers of fruit and earth unwind in the glass.  Good finish.  I would drink these sooner than later