1998 PAVIE 

A somewhat hot nose with strong toast notes indicating a dominance of oak-derived aromas preceded a very powerful and full-bodied palate with what seemed to be overly extracted tannins. A wine that seemed to lack enough fruit to match the tannin, with a somewhat dry finish. Perhaps simply too young? 

2000 PAVIE 

More oak than fruit but very pure and ripe red cherry precedes a full bodied texture and somewhat jammy richness. Finish is intense and long, but I get the feeling of it being a bit too much for my taste... Though two people liked this wine, including Emile Jung, some found it “hard and austere” while others “lacking in acidity".” 2 votes out of 12"

1990 BEAUSEJOUR BECOT

A nose that exuded an almost citrus freshness, even ripe red apple intermixed with dark berry fruit and hints of leather and spice. The finish was just a bit warm, suggesting slight imbalance, with the alcohol making itself present. Otherwise, a refreshing wine with a smooth texture and a long finish. 

2000 BEAUSEJOUR BECOT

I sympathized with the verdict during this tasting: the nose was milk chocolate, plum and some spice and the palate was ever so smooth, rich and structured with more plum notes and some blueberry. I thought it had a very nice finish if a tad heavy. Some participants noted flower aromas and good underlying acidity. Most picked this as the top wine of the blind tasting! "9 votes out of 12"

1993 ANGELUS

A dark color and a wine tasting rather young for its 12 years. Very blackberry marmalade on the nose, with a rich and ultra-ripe fruity texture, though sadly just slightly corked. Still, a very fine effort from a difficult vintage.

2000 ANGELUS

Rather dark color with intense dark cherry and toasted aromas and flavors similar to Pavie. Full bodied, almost New World but a bit alcoholic. Finish was impressive however. I really liked this wine. One participant noted a “very tannic wine that one can chew. ” 3 votes out of 12"

1988 CLOS FOURTET

Pure cherry aromas, pleasingly sour, preceded a very pronounced red cherry flavor in the mouth, though the texture was not as full as one would have liked, perhaps a sign of the vintage. A crisp and elegant wine.

2000 CLOS FOURTET 

This was among my top wines of the tasting. Lovely nose, with sharp flavors of bitter chocolate and red cherry also on the palate. Not as rich as Pavie or Angelus but seemed to show more balance at this stage. A pleasingly long finish! "5 votes out of 12"

 1989 BEAUSEJOUR DUFFAU LAGARROSSE

A subtle nose of plum and some spice, but not very expressive. The mouth was richer and more giving than the nose, indeed very full bodied with pleasant dark fruit flavors and chocolate. Full-bodied and long.

 2000 BEAUSEJOUR DUFFAU LAGARROSSE

Nose more muted, palate with thicker fruit of plum and cherry. This wine showed greater extraction than the Belair and one participant noted a “broad aromatic palate.” I found greater power in style, though just slightly hard on the palate with a relatively short finish. Still, it was among the most popular wines of the tasting – and did show better the next day. "5 votes out of 12"

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1975 CANON

Mineral-like with hints of licorice and dry fruit on the nose, preceding a linear and focused palate, again tasting of fresh earth and minerals and a smooth texture. Sneaky persistence and very pleasurable!

2000 CANON

This wine was unfortunately corked but tasted at the château in April during the en primeur season, the 2000 was rather muted and subtle in its pure cherry aromas and very smooth on the palate, with a long finish but far from open at this stage. 

A very fresh nose of violets and cinnamon, but also iodé, or iodized, on the palate, making it a perfect match for the lamproie à la bordelaise. A well-balanced wine, juggling fruit and floral flavors and aromas with both freshness and weight. A long finish. 

2000 MAGDELEINE

Hints of blackberry and earth on the nose, but it was a bit hard on the palate. Nice structure but needed time to open. Though one participant thought is lacked acidity, I found that some wine leftover the next morning showed much better, with fuller fruit flavors in the mouth and a hint of dark chocolate. No votes. 

1959 FIGEAC

(magnum) What an impressive almost Medoc-like cigar box nose! Coming from a magnum, this wine tasted relatively young, with a rich palate of mint, leather and spice, and a very Full-bodied texture, showing its aged Cabernet component very well. A long finish with a pronounced mentholated accent, and, for me, the wine of the night. Owner Manoncourt later said that at Figeac, malolactic fermentation was mastered as early as 1950, so that the chateau was able to limit volatile acidity even in the pre-1961 era. He did not need to convince anyone of the aging ability of his wine! 

2000 FIGEAC 

A lovely red color with a caramel, toast and strawberry nose preceding a fresh mouth of licorice and bitter cherry. body is tight but slowly giving, with more cherry and especially on the palate, licorice notes. As one participant noted, “the Cab component is rather clear.” 1 vote out of 12" 

1983 BELAIR

Coming from a double magnum, a spicy nose at first of clove but then menthol and white flowers, with a very refreshing and fruity palate with hints of black chocolate and a round and smooth texture. Tannins are very well integrated and later smells of tobacco. A good match for the rich faux filet de boeuf charolais ! 

2000 BELAIR

A very big difference in style... I liked the nose, which I found very complex, mixing gingerbread and ripe raspberry and blackberry fruits. For some, it seemed rather too light on its feet on the palate in comparison to the other wines, but this wine is known to need time before being fully ready. "1 vote out of 12" 

1961 LA GAFFELIERE

Also served with the meat, this wine showed a very dark color for its age – served from just a normal sized bottle (!) – with a somewhat wet earth nose. Time in the glass opened it up to some leather and truffle notes. The mouth was a complex mix of fig, truffle and some spice, though marked by volatile acidity on the finish.

2000 LA GAFFELIERE

Not so dark a color and indeed another style from the above. More subtle and very nicely structured with, again, cherry notes and again toast, but not nearly as rich. An Indian Tonic flavor on the finish, but a bit hot on the back end. No votes.

1990 TROTTEVIEILLE

A pronounced animal and mushroom nose that was not very agreeable to me at least – though some enjoyed this wine. I preferred the palate, which had body and texture – even a good edge to it – though the finish was short. 

2000 TROTTEVIEILLE

A coconut nose (oak?) with some blueberry and blackberry fruit aromas as well as on the palate – which is, I wrote, “edgy” with acidity. Time in glass (about 15 minutes) allowed this wine to fill out a bit leaving an impression of balance. Good finish, though some found it rather simple! No votes.

1982 CHEVAL BLANC

Having tasted this for the second time in two years – also at Chateau La Gaffeliere, in 2003, when it was thoroughly closed – I am convinced that it is (still) a sleeping beauty. Just not ready for drinking yet, in my opinion! A complex nose of cherry and smooth tobacco preceded a slightly closed and discrete palate with the same flavors, though the fruit was more pronounced. A cigar box finish but again not overly expressive. 

2000 CHEVAL BLANC

This wine, somewhat like the Figeac, was closed in comparison to the others, and this is no doubt due to its superior Cabernet component. Still, I found a minty freshness in the mouth with some oak notes that were pleasing – just not as exuberant as many of the other wines. Time in the glass however revealed a silky complexity that made this wine truly lovely, with a very long finish. One participant also exuberantly noted “an espresso nose… and what an espresso! ” 6 out of 12 votes"

Panos KAKAVIATOS - for ccvo-bg.org -

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Further articles on ccvo-bg

Bordeaux wine tasting by topic

Bordeaux wine tasting by Chateau