Bordeaux 2001 at Twenty Years
What better time to check in on a few wines from the 2001 vintage in Bordeaux than in 2021, as they celebrate their twentieth birthday? Admittedly, only three years have passed since I last tasted these wines, as discussed in my 2001 Bordeaux in 2018 report, but that was in pre-Covid times, and the world has changed so much I am not entirely certain those tasting notes still count. Even if they do, I don’t think I am allowed to let the twenty-year anniversary of this vintage pass without some comment. So, with an eternal sense of duty (and a grin on my face), I pulled fifteen bottles from the cellar, and set about wielding my rather tired corkscrew.
This report takes in a half-dozen reds from the vintage, including the likes of Château Pichon-Baron, Château Léoville-Barton and Château Larmande; I would have also included Château Troplong-Mondot but I have already written up this wine in yesterday’s Weekend Wine report. Following on from the red wines, I here also turn my attention to the region’s sweet wines, with eight from Sauternes and Barsac, including Château Climens, Château Suduiraut and Château Rieussec, among others.
Before I get to the wines though, a very quick recap of the growing season, and some thoughts on how 2001 has fared since its release, in the shadow of the 2000 vintage.
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