St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2003 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with powerful notes of ripe and slightly desiccated black and red fruits: cassis, mixed brambles, dark cherry, pipe tobacco, purple flowers, leather, graphite, some earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly savory. This is/was a rather unique vintage through Europe and yet, this is showing extremely well. Drink now with a brief decant and through 2038.

Black fruit, leather, tannins. Lingering finish. Definitely Bordeaux.

Drinking well right now. Plum, strawberry rhubarb, baker’s chocolate, sage. Treacle. Linear palate with Surprisingly firm mouthfeel and finish. 3 hour decant.

It's a good time for a first look at 2003. When I decanted this, it was ruby fruit, violets & lavender on the nose. Generally, a good sign of a nice bottle. It has very ripe fruit from the heat they had in Bordeaux in 03. It has the Saint Julien elegance and smoothness. The fruits are ruby ripe; black cherries, blackberries, dark raspberries, pouched strawberries, elegant dark moist earth with crushed rocks, pebbles, cinnamon, vanilla, touch of mint, dry stems, used lightly roasted coffee grounds, leather, dried tobacco leafs, dried red roses, decent acidity and a dry elegant fruit finish that last 30-40 seconds. Still has good; tannin structure, tension, length and balance. It has another 10-15 years of good drinking ahead.

Shale and mineral. Great structure. Still tight.

Gobstopper. Needs a longer decant but still a sexy bruiser.

Pretty oaky and simple.

I think the Branaire style works well in a vintage like 2003

One of my favorite producers! 1 hour decant. Dark red color. Lovely nose of graphite, tar, and cherry. Wine is deep and more fruit forward than other vintages with more Napa elements (oak, touch of vanilla) than expected. Medium finish. Not as strong as the ‘00 vintage, but for some reason these ‘03 Bordeaux’s haven’t been living up to expectations recently.

Very nice in a very hot 2003. Less elegant than I’d like to see but, damn, it was a hot one. We thoroughly enjoyed.