Bordeaux - '95s
Saturday, May 2, 1998
Results from a Bordeaux tasting at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. 17 wines were poured for a tasting fee of $47. Prices listed are Wine Exchange prices. $n/a indicates they currently don't have the wine in stock. Where noted, I have located approximate pricing from other sources.
The wines, in the order tasted:
'97 Lawson Sauvignon Blanc - Dry hills, Marlborough, NZ. $9.99. Golden yellow color. Sweet, pungent citrusy nose - the grapefruit jumps out of the glass. Jasmine and peach aromas. Smells very much like a cross between semillion and viognier. Citrusy floral taste, with crisp acids, chewy mouthfeel, and medium-long finish. The warm-up wine, and a pleasant surprise. I was never a big fan of the austere, highly acidic Cloudy Bay style of sauvignon blanc. So, this lush beauty does pretty well. Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
---------------------
'95 Ch. La Chenade - Lalande de Pomerol. $17.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Stunning nose of butterscotchy cassis, black cherry, ash, and sawdust. Tight and slightly bitter fruit. Touch of stem or leaf, and cassis, raspberry, and pomegranate. Made by Denis Durantou who also makes L'Eglise Clinet. Could be a sleeper. Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'95 Ch. La Barde-Les Tendoux - Cotes de Bergerac. $16.99. Dark ruby, with a purple cast. Nose is a mass of cassis, with leafy, herbal, shoe polish and meaty components. Huge mouthfeel. Soft, but obvious tannins, silky mid and latter palate. Lovely fruit; slight acids. Reminiscent of a Tertre de Rotebouf. Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+
'95 Ch. Corbin Michotte - St. Emilion. $24.99. Garnet ruby color. Sweet, pungent mass of blackberry, cassis, pepper, meat, and rosemary. Big mouthfeel, very chewy and jammy. Controlled tannins, very long finish. Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Ch. Ferrand Lartigue - St. Emilion. $42.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Smoky cassis and floral nose. Vanilla, mint, and shoe polish. Amazing! Soft tannins, medium-full mouthfeel, long seamless mid-palate and finish. Perfect balance, with a light toastines to fruit. Aroma score: A Taste score: A Overall score: A
'95 Ch. La Pointe - Pomerol. $31.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Sweet deep smelling cassis and sawdust. Cigar, hint of stem and briar. Very integrated and surprisingly complex. Smooth, full mouthfeel, with imperceptable tannins. Fruit is very nice, though a bit green or bitter. Aroma score: A Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Ch. Petite Village - Pomerol. $47.99. Ruby garnet, hint of purple. Wow! What a nose. Shoe polish, cassis, BBQ meat, capers. There's great fruit in there, but the condiments steal the show. Fleshy mouthfeel; big, yet easy, with soft tannins and a finish that goes on forever. Aroma score: A+ Taste score: A Overall score: A
'95 Ch. La Cardonne - Medoc. $11.99. Dark ruby garnet, with purple cast. Lovely nose of cassis, shoe polish, and rose petal. Large mouthfeel of good fruit, which fades out a bit on the latter palate, yet quite smoothly. Not exceptionally sweet or chewy fruit, but surprisingly good. This label previously languished at the bottom of the Lafite stable, but new ownership has made a big improvement. Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'95 Ch. La Garde - Pessac-Leognan. $19.99. Medium dark garnet color. Nose of cassis, shoe polish, rose petal, smoked meats, BBQ sauce, and leaf. Good tannins, oak, and cassis fruit. Full mouthfeel. Excellent balance, and very long finish. Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'95 Ch. De Fieuzal - Pessac-Leognan. $27.99. Purple garnet ruby color. Floral, cassis, shoe polish nose. Suffocatingly sweet and seductive -- Oh, yeah!! Medium mouthfeel, soft tannins, delicious cassis fruit, long finish. Aroma score: A+ Taste score: A Overall score: A
'95 Ch. Smith Haut Lafite - Pessac-Leognan. $n/a. Garnet ruby color. Nose of sweet fruit, shoe polish, ash, toast, chocolate, meat. Toasty cassis. Soft, but obvious tannins. Excellent balance, long smooth finish. Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Ch. Monbrison - Margaux. $22.99. Medium garnet ruby color. Nose of shoe polish, cassis, ash, toast, black cherry, and sweet oak. Medium mouthfeel, slightly sour band of fruit. Nice, but not particularily full or lush. Smooth, medium-long finish. Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'95 Ch. Siran - Margaux. $28.99. Medium garnet, with a purple cast. Slightly restrained nose of vanilla, cassis, caper, and dill. Additional hints of leafy and and floral qualities. Very nice mouthfeel. Floral, meaty and lush mouthfeel. Smooth, slightly sweet fruit, and long finish. Tasty stuff! Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Leoville Poyferre - St. Julien. $47.99. Dark garnet ruby, with purple cast. Nose of shoe polish, cassis, and floral qualities. Fabulously sweet black cherry and brown sugar. Nice initial mouthfeel, with a medium feel to the mid and latter palate. Medium-long finish. Aroma score: A Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Pichon Lalande - Pauillac. $139.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Nose of cassis and vanilla. Slightly restrained, but very nice sweet , if shy, fruit. Thick and chewy mouthfeel. Sweet black cherry and vanilla flavors. Okay, it's good…maybe fabulous. But, $140? Aroma score: A- Taste score: A Overall score: A-
'95 Ch. Haut-Beausejour - St. Estephe. $14.99. Dark ruby, hint of purple color. Huge shoe polish, cassis nose, with additional notes of anise and tar. Obvious tannins, very good fruit and frame work. Fruit slightly tart or bitter, but not excessively so. Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'95 Ch. Cos D'Estornel - St. Estephe. $n/a.(approx $70) Ruby purple color. Nose is floral and meaty, with obvious cassis fruit. Tight and tannic, but with obvious sweet fruit. Time will tell on this one, but it looks like a winner to me. Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Ch. Montrose - St. Estephe. $n/a. (approx $56) Purple garnet color. Nose of floral cassis, shoe polish, vanilla, and beet. Big mouthfeel and stiff tannins. Thick and chewy fruit, with a smooth long finish. Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
___________________
Overall impressions: well now, here were some pleasant
surprises. With the pricepoints of these wines all over the map, I was
a bit skeptical about what I'd find in this flight. In the face of all
the press the big name '95s are getting, this group has be the "no-name
defense" of Bordeaux. Other than the Pichon Lalande, most of these wines
are priced at [arguably] reasonable levels. The de Fieuzal was
killer at less than $30. And, all the sub-$20 wines were incredibly good
for this price-range.
___________________
Here is my relative ranking, by tier and in order of preference, of the wines tasted.
'95 Ch. Petite Village. $47.99
'95 Ch. de Fieuzal. $27.99
'95 Ch. Ferrand Lartigue. $42.99
--------------
'95 Ch. Pichon Lalande. $139.99
'95 Ch. La Pointe. $31.99
'95 Ch. Leoville Poyferre. $47.99
'95 Ch. Smith Haut Lafite. $n/a
'95 Ch. Corbin Michotte. $24.99
'95 Ch. Cos D'Estournel. $n/a (approx $70)
'95 Ch. Montrose. $n/a (approx $56)
'95 Ch. Siran. $28.99
--------------
'95 Ch. La Barde-Les Tendoux. $16.99
'95 Ch. La Chenade. $17.99
'95 Ch. La Garde. $19.99
'95 Ch. Haut-Beausejour. $14.99
'95 Ch. Monbrison. $22.99
'95 Ch. La Cardonne. $11.99
|
|
No original material may be reproduced without written consent
Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson
