Page 3 - Wine Journal
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Posted: September 15, 2020Categories: BordeauxRead more »
"Do wine drinkers genuinely seek pleasure above all?"
Award-winning author and contributing editor to the Decanter magazine, Andrew Jefford, asked in the recent issue of August 2020. What a timely question! Do you?
If you are a hedonist wine drinker, here is a new release for you: a custom-made original wood case of 3 top vintages of Château Mouton Rothschild - 2005, 2009 & 2010.
These are the ratings by wine critics of the 3 vintages of Mouton:
Château Mouton Rothschild 2005 (99/100, Robert Parker Jr, Antonio Galloni)
Château Mouton Rothschild 2009 (99/99, Robert Parker Jr, Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
Château Mouton Rothschild 2010 (98/99, Neal Martin, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker Jr)Tasting Notes
Château Mouton Rothschild 2005 - "The 2005 Mouton-Rothschild has developed magnificently, and is even better than I remember. The final blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Stunning notes of crème de cassis, melted asphalt, roasted espresso and cedarwood
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Posted: September 11, 2020Categories: Italy
Read more »Who doesn't fall in love with the Tuscan sun? When you are far from Tuscany, a Super Tuscan is the next best thing to savor over the memory you may have.
New Release: Solaia 2017
Here is the latest release from Solaia, an iconic brand of the Antinori family from Italy. Solaia is one of the original and top-rated, "Super Tuscans," a term used to describe red wines made from Tuscany that may include the use of non-indigenous grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
The Antinori family has been making wine for over six hundred years. The qualities of tradition, passion, and instinct have made Antinori one of the leading Italian producers of fine wines. Marchesi Antinori's first vintage of this wine was 1978. Solaia is heralded as a defining wine to Italy -- the ultimate, "Super Tuscan" alongside Sassicaia or Ornellaia. Solaia 2017 is offered at $259/bt.
Tasting Notes:
"Just bottled, the 2017 Solaia is naturally going to need time to come together. Even in the
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Posted: September 08, 2020Categories: BordeauxRead more »
This morning, Château Latour released a small quantity of its top-rated vintage of 2009. For collectors and connoisseurs, such ex-chateau release of the top vintage is the most reliable way to acquire 100 pointers. The wine is being prepared by the chateau to leave its cellar for the first time after aging in its vaulted cellar under perfect conditions for 10 years. You wouldn't find a better kept bottle anywhere else in the world. For an inside view of Château Latour's cellar, here is a picture I took on my last trip.
When the 2009 vintage was first released, Robert Parker Jr called it "a monumental wine from a monumental vintage in the Médoc, this is our children's children's children's elixir". We all love our children. But I plan to open one of the bottles in another 5-10 years, just so I can be sure of the quality of what I will be leaving behind for the children and their children one day. :-)
Tasting Notes:
"A blend of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7%
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Posted: June 18, 2020Categories: BordeauxRead more »
Let the Terroir Shine ...
A year ago, I worked with my local Newport Beach chapter of La Chaïne de Rotisseurs to present a dinner prepared by our local Michelin-starred chef, Craig Strong, featuring the wine from Clos du Clocher.
Most of the gourmet in attendance had never heard of the wine before. That was no surprise. Clos du Clocher, in my view, is one of the best hidden value hailing from Pomerol, the smallest village in the Bordeaux area.
Here's what I told the audience at dinner:
"Imagine you decide to take a walk in the center of Pomerol plateau, to really get a feel for the land. Starting at Château Trotanoy, in less than 5 minutes, you would pass Le Pin. Another 5 minutes, you walk past Clos du Clocher. Make a left turn, in 9 minutes, you reach Vieux Château Certan. Another 10 minutes, you reach Château Pétrus. Along the way, you will see Château Beauregard, Petit Village, La Conseillante, L'Évangile on your right. Further in the
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Posted: June 15, 2020Categories: BordeauxRead more »
It isn't every day you hear a lady calling herself "a heartless cow" for not giving 100 points to Château Margaux 2015 (Paul Pontelllier's last vintage), like wine critic Lisa Perrotti-Brown just did yesterday. To make up for her past hesitancy, maybe, she went on to say this about Château L'Eglise Client 2019 (Denis Durantou's last vintage):
"This L’Eglise Clinet is difficult to review, not because it is Durantou’s last wine, but because beyond all the quality factors, this wine so clearly, evocatively tells a story of a man’s life and achievements like very, very few wines can. How many points is that worth? For me, it’s off the scale."
That statement about Denis Durantou's winemaking prowess should not come as surprise to subscribers of Laguna Cellar Wine of the Month Selections.
Just in the past six months, we have featured Denis Durantou's wine twice, once before we knew how dire his health conditions were, once 10 days after his premature passing.
I am a big fan of Denis
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Posted: June 04, 2019Categories: BordeauxRead more »
Pichon Comtesse de Lalande scales a new height
Her name was Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande. She was one of the Médoc’s most illustrious characters of the 19th century. Her namesake wine is Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (AOC: Pauillac), commonly referred to as "Pichon Lalande". Its peers in Pauillac appellation include such luminous names as Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Latour, and Pichon Baron.
It is considered a Super Second, wines classified in 1855 as Second Growths but can stand up to the quality of First Growths nowadays. On the ground, a visitor to Pichon Lalande cannot fail to notice its other half (Pichon Baron) across D-2, the dirt road that cuts through legendary wine estates in Médoc. (Background: Complex French laws on inheritance make the split of family estate among siblings a compulsory affair). Pichon Baron ended up with more land, Pichon Lalande ended up with a one-of-a-kind next
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Posted: May 10, 2019
Read more »"History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes." Heard of that one before? The wine world is likely seeing its illustration in Château Palmer 2018, which was released earlier today. "Sold out" is the universal response from our friends in Bordeaux to anyone inquiring about availability. It is often followed by another Q&A: "Alter Ego? None was produced". If that sounds like inside baseball, allow me to elaborate.
Friends who know me also know that I am a big fan of Château Margaux - one of the iconic First Growth names that I do not hesitate to purchase nowadays. However, have you heard of Neal Martin's description of Château Margaux 1961 before: "Destined to forever be in the shadow of the impeccable 1961 Palmer, the 1961 Château Margaux remains an attractive wine, if not one that reached its full potential." (Rated 86 by RP initially, revised to 89 by Neal Martin in 2016). On Château Palmer 1961, on the other hand, Neal Martin wrote: "The bouquet is difficult to capture
