Posts Tagged ‘bordeaux’
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Medium ruby core with a bright rim. Charcoal and slate aromas over dusty roses, rich black cherry and a spicy touch of eucalyptus. Big tannins from the front all the way through the back palate. Dark cherry, plum and cassis are underscored by smoky charcoal. Coffee lingers on the finish. Still young and evolving; could get even better with age.
This is a blockbuster of a hidden gem that has managed to fly under the radar thus far. Complex enough to impress any Bordeaux connoisseur, yet priced right for just showing off in front of a few friends. A well made wine that is built to hold up for a while and will keep improving for a decade. Given the hype around the 2005 vintage for Bordeaux, many of the wines have skyrocketed in price, well beyond the value for what they deliver. Fortunately a few, like this one, remain accessible (for now…).
P.S. It’s pronounced “puh-TEET bock.”
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Tags: 2005, black, bocq, bordeaux, cassis, charcoal, cherry, coffee, estephe, eucalyptus, france, Petit, plum, red, red wine, rose, ruby, saint, slate, smoke, spice, st, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Glass coating dark ruby from core to rim. Spicy plum aromas are backed by spicy fresh ginger, black cherry and a hint of earth. Smooth, juicy entry on to palate making it very approachable for such a young Bordeaux. Black cherry and cassis dominate the palate with a nice touch of roasted coffee in the lingering finish.
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Tags: 2005, aurilhac, black, bordeaux, cassis, chateau, cherry, coffee, d'aurilhac, earth, france, ginger, Haut, juice, medoc, plum, red, red wine, roast, ruby, spice, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 01 Jun 2008
Opaque purple core with a ruby rim. Pretty floral aromas over dark plum, cassis and cherry fruits with a toasted biscuit note, all accented by fresh anise. The palate is rich with cherry and orange zest flavors backed by a touch of earth underneath and just a hint of toasty oak lingering in the finish. The tannins are very ripe and approachable and are balanced by a good hit of acidity. This wine is approachable now if decanted for a few hours - it will be at its best in the next 3 years or so.
Some of the best wines ever made in Bordeaux were produced in 2005. This wine more than lives up to the challenge of providing outstanding drinking during a time when the Euro is so strong against the dollar. The wine is made of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard team takes immeasurable care to grow the best quality grapes while using a minimum of fertilizers and pesticides. The grapes are all sorted by hand to ensure only the top berries make it into the vats for fermentation. Many 2005s are still too young to drink, but this wine is starting to show itself beautifully, particularly if you shake it up and expose it to some air (or decant it for a few hours). Very fruity and approachable with great structure and mouthfeel. A fantastic value for 2005 Bordeaux. [Note: this is NOT to be confused with this winery's other wine, Chateau Reignac, which is also from Bordeaux Superieur, and made from a similar blend of grapes. This wine costs a few dollars more (~$28) and is more tannic.]
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Tags: 2005, anise, biscuit, bordeaux, cabernet, cassis, chateau, cherry, earth, floral, Franc, france, merlot, oak, orange, plum, purple, red, red wine, reignac, ruby, sauvignon, Superieur, toast, wine, zest
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 31 Oct 2008
Light lemon yellow core with a bright, clear rim. Rich lemon meringue aromas surround ripe lime zest and loads of wet stones and flint. A touch of fresh herbal notes in the mouth are backed by flavors of Meyer lemon, cream, lime and green apple with a touch of charred vanilla and toast. Medium bodied with a fresh, crisp finish.
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Tags: 2005, apple, blanc, bland, bordeaux, char, cream, flint, france, green, herb, lemon, Leognan, lime, louviere, meringue, meyer, Pessac, sauvignon, Semillon, stone, toast, vanilla, white, White wine, wine, yellow, zest
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
92 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 06 Mar 2008
Dark ruby in the core, intense and almost black in the middle; bright ruby red rim. A full, rich nose of orange zest, blueberry, wet clay, black licorice, black cherries, cassis and a nice hit of slate. The palate entry is powerful: the fruits are impressively soft for such a young wine, and the bold ripe tannins build through the mid-palate. Blueberry and red cherry flavors circle around dark earthy notes. Starting to be approachable now, and should build in complexity over the next 5 - 7 years.
While not a cheap wine, this comes from one of the best regions and best winemakers in Bordeaux. This is the first time Gerard Perse has released a second wine from Chateau Pavie. Essentially these are the younger vines (around 10 years) that did not make the cut for Chateau Pavie. Stunning quality at less than 1/5 of the price of the Grand Vin.
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Tags: 2005, Aromes, black, Blend, blueberry, bold, bordeaux, bright, cassis, chateau, cherry, Clary, complex, de, earth, france, fruit, licorice, orange, pavie, red wine, ripe, ruby, slate, St-Emilion, table, tannin, zest
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Mar 2008
Dark ruby and black in the core, and continuing almost the entire way out to the edge of the glass. Rich fruit on the nose: cassis, blackberry and blueberry. A hint of dusty slate are backed by spicy cedar, cinnamon and toasty vanilla. Lush entry on the front of the palate building quickly on the mid-palate. Ample ripe tannins give the wine a lot of structure and body through the finish. Dark black cherry and cassis are matched with black truffle, wet earth and lingering roast coffee on the finish.
Since this wine comes from the general “Bordeaux Superieur” region rather than a specific village the price tag is about $30 less than it would otherwise be. Very high quality stuff for this vintage. Should be approachable in the next 2-3 years, and can be aged another 10-12.
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Tags: 2005, balthus, black, blackberry, blueberry, body, bordeaux, cassis, cedar, cherry, cinnamon, coffee, dusty, earth, france, fruit, red, red wine, ripe, roast, ruby, slate, spicy, structure, Superieur, table, tannins, toast, truffle, vanilla
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
90 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 04 Apr 2008
Nice deep pink color with a hint of salmon tint. Bright and fresh on the nose. Candied strawberries, raspberries and rose petals with an underlying hint of honey and cool minerality. Nice complexity on the palate. Big strawberry flavors followed by blackberry, raspberry and a touch of cherry. The terroir of Pomerol really comes through with a nice clay and chalk minerality leading to a lingering strawberry and honey finish.
This has amazing complexity for a rose, while maintaining good acid to keep it refreshing. Coming from an outstanding piece of Bordeaux (next door to Chateau Petrus - one of the most expensive and sought after wines in the world), this is a screaming deal. The perfect wine to drink all spring and summer by itself and with appetizers. Light enough to go with fish and vegetable dishes, yet bold enough to pair with meatier pork, chicken and duck. Made from 100% Merlot.
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Tags: 2007, acid, blackberry, bold, bordeaux, bright, candy, chalk, chateau, cherry, chicken, clay, duck, Festival, fish, france, fresh, gay, honey, le, light, meat, merlot, mineral, petal, pink, Pomerol, port, raspberry, rose, rose wine, salmon, strawberry, table, vegetable
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
94-97 / A
Dense black and ruby core with a vibrant rim. Creamy vanilla swims around ripe black cherry, blackberry and cassis aromas accented by lighter floral notes and a touch of flinty wet clay. Creamy and lush on the palate entry building to a bold yet ripe tannic finish. Dark sweet fruit flavors of blackberry, plum and blueberry lead to a long spicy cinnamon finish. Great structure and balance.
While not an inexpensive wine, this is clearly one of the outstanding wines of the vintage. This could age better than the 2005 vintage which goes for about twice the price. Fairly small production (around 4000 cases). While it is lush enough to be drinkable when released, give this one 10+ years and it will be amazing. The pure grade is a range because this wine is clearly still developing in the bottle.
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Tags: 2006, black, blackberry, blueberry, bordeaux, cassis, chateau, cherry, cinnamon, clay, Conseillante, creamy, flint, floral, lush, plum, red wine, ripe, ruby, spicy, sweet, tannic, vanilla, vibrant
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
86-88 / NA
Tasted by Mike Supple - 01 Apr 2008
Pale lemon yellow. Fragrant ripe lemon and a touch of pineapple. Decent fruit on the front palate, but a bit thin on the back. Nice ripe yellow pear flavors.
This wine is not yet released from the winery, thus it has no price or value grade.
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Tags: 2007, blanc, bordeaux, france, lemon, Monestier, pear, pineapple, Tour, White wine
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
84-86 / NA
Tasted by Mike Supple - 01 Apr 2008
Medium/dark ruby core with a ruby rim. Red currant, sweet plum and spicy anise aromas. Lush entry with a fair amount of new oak. Somewhat thin on the mid palate with slightly astringent tannins.
This wine is not yet released from the winery, thus it has no price or value grade.
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Tags: 2007, anise, bordeaux, currant, france, oak, Petit, plum, Pomerol, red, red wine, spice, Villages
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