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Bordeaux Blind Tasting
These tasting notes are from a blind tasting of Bordeaux. All of those who attended brought one or two bottles, and as a result there was a fascinating, eclectic range of wine ready for tasting. The bottles ranged from thirty year old Côtes de Bourg to top of the class 2000 Bordeaux.
Although the wines were tasted blind in fairly random order the tasting notes here are organised according to appellation. The only wine tasted but not discussed below was the 1995 Rothschild Pauillac, presented in magnum no less, which sadly was found to be corked. (16/10/03)
Blind Bordeaux - Tasting Notes
Tasted in October 2003. Click
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Château Verbois Bordeaux Rosé 2002: A clean, pink hue of moderate
intensity. Fresh raspberries on the nose, with a sweet candied edge. Quite full
on the palate, with blackcurrant leaf flavours and an oily edge. 14/20
Château La Barde Côtes de Bourg 1973: A mature, pale, browning hue.
The nose is obviously very mature, with sweet, claretty notes. On the palate it
is somewhat dried out. There is some oxidation and a short finish. Nevertheless
it is not undrinkable and for a thirty year old Côtes de Bourg I think it has
held up very well. 14/20
Château La Tour de By (Médoc) 1990: A mature, smoky,
slightly stewed/roasted fruit nose, with a biscuity edge. It is soft, round and
a touch sweet on the palate. Medium bodied. Not a lot of charm. Fully integrated
tannins and certainly ready to drink. Red and black fruit flavours. Good length.
That roasted character suggests 1990. 17.5/20
Château Caronne Ste-Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 1985:
The nose here displays mature, sweet fruit. The palate is delightfully and
gracefully balanced, with a beautiful integration of tannic structure. It has a
firm touch but remains very fluid. Elegant fruit. Finishes well. Very typical of
the 1985 vintage. 17.5/20
Château Fourcas Hosten (Listrac) 1996: Stony, mineral aromas on the
nose, with some black fruit and a hint of black olives. Medium body apparent on
entry, quite firm structure, with stony fruit flavour. Somewhat stinky and I
would say rustic. Seems to have a touch more finesse on the endpalate though,
with more black olive flavour. Some tannin still evident on the finish. Overall
it has just enough fruit to cope with the structure. 16+/20
Château Beau-Site (St Estèphe) 1996: A good colour. Black
fruits on the nose, with a restrained, hard, minerally, stony, gravelly edge
that suggests St Estèphe to me. Quite classic. The palate has a full, medium
body and sweet, stone and mineral edged fruit. Again quite classic suggesting
the 1996 vintage. 16.5/20
Château Lynch-Moussas
(Pauillac) 1997: Not tasted blind as this was the first of two
wines I brought along. I've never really enjoyed this wine, from what I maintain
is (generalising) a disappointing vintage. Showing advanced maturity on
inspection. Evolved nose, with unusual ripe banana and confected notes. Seems OK
on entry, but falls away on the midpalate. Medium bodied, charmless tannins, and
hollow. Another bottle (my last!) - which was in fact a little less evolved and
better for it - I
took to another tasting group a few weeks later and had them all thinking it was
Italian (the unbalanced acidity) and commenting on strange custard aromas.
Clearly an "unusual" wine. 13/20
Carruades de Lafite
(Pauillac) 2000: Again not blind, this being the second wine that I brought
along. The second wine of Château Lafite-Rothschild. A wonderful youthful
colour. A rich nose, full of red and black fruits and black olives, with a
perfumed edge. Medium bodied and elegant on the palate. There is a touch of
power though. Good sweet fruit, and a little tannin. Needs another year or two
but then should be ready. 17+/20
