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Bordeaux Tastings
My vintage assessments, from the most recent back to 1961. The more recent get the full treatment, with a commune-by-commune assessment from en primeur and two-year in-bottle tastings.
Bordeaux Vintages
- Bordeaux 2010 (12/4/10) A fine vintage of fresh acidity and tannin.
- Bordeaux 2009 (6/4/10, updated 15/11/11) A rich, fine, velvet-textured vintage.
- Bordeaux 2008 (7/4/09, updated 2/11/10) The sequel to 2007; only better.
- Bordeaux 2007 (8/4/08, last updated 10/1/12) The Hollywood Vintage.
- Bordeaux 2006 (3/5/07, last updated 16/11/10) A success, with many good wines.
- Bordeaux 2005 (4/5/06, last updated 17/11/09) A great vintage with many superb wines.
- Bordeaux 2004 (6/11/06, last updated 9/12/08) A return to classicism for Bordeaux.
- Bordeaux 2003 (25/10/05, updated 7/6/11) A vintage with Multiple Personality Disorder.
- Bordeaux 2002 (1/3/11) A polarising vintage of knife-edge ripeness and flesh.
- Bordeaux 2001 (21/7/06, updated 6/5/08) A great vintage for Sauternes.
- Bordeaux 1998 (17/6/04, updated 26/8/08) A vintage of variable quality.
- Bordeaux 1997 (12/2/03) An assessment of one of the weaker vintages of the 1990s.
- Bordeaux 1996 (12/7/01, updated 7/4/07) Classic wines from the left bank.
- Bordeaux 1995 (2/3/10) A broadly successful vintage on both banks.
- Bordeaux 1994 (7/7/04, last updated 23/8/11) An under-rated vintage.
- Bordeaux 1990 (14/5/03) A hot and dry year led to a bumper crop of great wines.
- Bordeaux 1989 (21/5/00, updated 14/8/08) Another very successful vintage.
- Bordeaux 1988 (21/5/00, updated 11/8/08) The first of a triumvirate of good vintages.
- Bordeaux 1986 (7/2/01) This vintage has a reputation for tannin.
- Bordeaux 1985 (18/9/02) A superb vintage for current drinking.
- Bordeaux 1983 (7/11/00, updated 10/8/08) A classic vintage, great in Margaux.
- Bordeaux 1982 (18/6/03, updated 19/8/08) Drinking beautifully at over 20 years of age.
- Bordeaux 1981 (20/9/01) Including first growths and 'super-seconds'.
- Bordeaux 1975 (14/8/02) I find quality to be very patchy.
- Bordeaux 1964 (10/10/00) Two clarets from a patchy vintage.
- Bordeaux 1961 (15/6/07) A great vintage, but many wines tasted here were fading.
Domaine Tastings & Updates
- A Visit to Raymond-Lafon (31/1/12) I meet Jean-Pierre Meslier. Six vintages tasted.
- Recent Vintages from Phélan-Ségur (3/1/12) From 2011 back to 2000.
- Château La Conseillante 1945-2009 (24/5/11) Five vintages old and young.
- Three more from Château Laulan Ducos (5/6/09) The 2008 and 2009 vintages.
- An Update on Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (20/10/10) Four recent vintages tasted.
- An Update on Château Coutet (11/8/10) Wines tasted with Aline Baly.
- Haut Bailly: Recent & Great Vintages (25/5/10) 2009, 2005, 2000, 1996 & more.
- A Pontet-Canet Retrospective (16/3/10) A dozen recent vintages.
- Caronne Ste Gemme Vertical (9/2/10) From 2007 back to 2000.
- Three from Château Laulan Ducos (5/6/09) A trio of wines from Frédéric Ducos.
- Dinner at Château d'Issan (12/5/09) Three wines over dinner with Emmanuel Cruse.
- Five from Château Lezongars (25/2/09) Speciale Cuvée and L'Enclos.
- Les Tourelles de Longueville 2004: Cork or Screwcap? (24/9/08)
- Four from Jean-Luc Thunevin (24/7/08) Including 1999 Valandraud.
- Cheval-Blanc and Yquem with Pierre Lurton (10/6/08) Dinner with Pierre.
- Mouton-Rothschild (22/4/08) A vertical tasting, 1986 - 2005.
Other Bordeaux Tastings
- Peppercorns & Potter's Clay (22/2/11) Pomerol with Roberson Wine.
- Bordeaux CIVB Annual Tasting 2007 Part 1 (1/11/07) Left bank wines.
- Bordeaux CIVB Annual Tasting 2007 Part 2 (6/11/07) Right bank & sweet wines.
- Bordeaux Tasting with Bibendum 2007 (22/6/07) Including Cheval-Blanc & Yquem.
- Graves (26/10/04) A small tasting of mature Pessac-Léognan.
- Blind Bordeaux Tasting (16/10/03) From 1973 Côtes de Bourg to 2000 Pauillac.
- Good Value Right Bank Bordeaux (30/7/03) Value for money.
- Mature Pomerol 1982 - 1993 (15/5/02) Mostly from the 1982 vintage.
- Cru Bourgeois Tasting (16/4/02) Some great value wines from recent vintages.
- Mature Pomerol 1982 - 1990 (5/6/00) More great wines, again many from 1982.
Bordeaux - Odd Bottles
- Bordeaux: Notes on other wines from Bordeaux.
