Entre Deux Mers, Bordeaux
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1982
Château Duhart Milon
Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Blend 2019
On the nose and palate are notes of blackcurrant, crème de cassis, plum, purple fig, dark chocolate covered cherry, black licorice, anise, fennel, clove, nutmeg, cedar wood, cardamom, pencil shavings, graphite, leather, pipe tobacco, cigar, forest floor.
It’s dry with velvety tannins, medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium alcohol (13.5% ABV) and a persistent finish. It’s balanced and complex with depth and dimension. It’s providing warmth and deliciousness on this chilly winter night. Cheers! — 16 days ago
Château Trotanoy
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2000
This was on the youthful side that is just beginning to enter its drinking window, silky, polished on the palate with hidden tannins showing dark fruits, plum, cassis, graphite, mocha, spice & tobacco — a day ago
Château Palmer
Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1988
Medium ruby , terracotta , garnet rim . Quite aromatic , with cedar , tobacco , leafy redcurrant , blackcurrant , wet earth. Slightly rounded and red fruit focused sous bois on the palate , quite high acidity , but refined and red fruit focused. Slightly green tannins , but overall reasonable mineral tinged length . This is at peak , leafy but charming — 13 days ago
Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003
Good god. Peaking right now.
Huge aromatics on the nose. Superb weight, balance and texture. No rush to consume. Cedar and macerated black cherries transition to coffee and hints of maple. Blew me away. In raptures over this. Direct from the winery when I lived in Europe. — 8 days ago
Château Pavie
Saint-Èmilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 1999
Opened and double-decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 1999 pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core. On the nose, the wine is developing and predominately red fruited with notes of Morello cherry, tomato leaf, some olive…a touch of well oiled leather. On the palate, the wine is dry and has all the “Power of Grayskull” and the relative structure to match. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and more bitter than the other great Bordeaux in the line-up. Drink now with a long decant and through 2049. — 6 days ago
Château Figeac
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 1998
Opened and double-decanted several hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 1998 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with beautiful, ripe red cherries and a total smoke show in the earth department, giving me an impression of iron-rich earth from an Alpine forest floor. Wonderful stuff. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the ferrous earth notes doubling down. The finish is long. I would like to have more Figeac in my life. Drink now after a whole heap of air or through 2068. — 10 days ago
Jay Kline
Forty-plus years on, people still talk about the greatness of the 1982 vintage in Bordeaux. There are multiple factors that contribute to this and it’s fair to say that Robert Parker’s reaction played a major role in the early popularity; certainly in the States. While some may say that 1982 was merely a “good” vintage by today’s standards, I think history has proven it to be empirically special; there was just so much quality from top to bottom. And yet, even with the high praise of the vintage, the tone shifts to hushed whispers when the 1982 Mouton gets mentioned. Up until that point, the Chateau had sort of underachieved after receiving its unprecedented promotion in 1973. But in 1982, a year full of great wine, they created a legend and firmly cemented their First Growth status. Today, I’m pleased to report the plaudits for the ’82 are all warranted.
Opened and double-decanted earlier in the day. The ’82 Mouton pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core with some sediment; almost youthful when compared to many of the other older wines poured on the night. On the nose, the wine is developing still; loaded with cassis, black berries, leaf tobacco, leather, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with fabulous structure. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and full of power. A stunning wine and well in its prime…a window I expect will remain open for a longtime to come. Drink now with bacchanalian abandon and through 2082. — 15 days ago