October 2006 Tasting:
Wines were tasted blind in flights of 3. After the wines were revealed they were reassessed (once again in flights) with a four course meal . Scores shown after my tasting notes show both scores, blind and that with dinner. If the score is unchanged only a single score is given. Notes are in order of wines tasted.
Beausejour Becot (St. Emilion): Very dark ruby; deep and inviting nose with exotic spices, black fruits; spicy and forward but never ponderous. Delightful wine with sumptuous finish. Stylish and well balanced. 92/92
La Mission Haut Brion (Graves): Also very dark; dusty and green peppery nose with slightly roasted notes; unexpectedly weak and washed out with a lean and sinewy character. Very underwhelming wine even with food. This is usually one of my favorite Bordeaux. Possibly a bad bottle. 85/?
Rausan Segla (Margaux): Quite dark; intense aromas of oak, ripe fruit that is almost Spanish in style; quite exciting. Promise of the nose does not carry over to the palate, however, where it is relatively straightforward and low acid (a demerit)-- somewhat dull and hollow. Yet it is fine with food where it sparkles and ably partners. 87/89
Smith Haut Lafite (Graves): Not as dark as the previous three; fragrant and perfumed , (seems more Margauxish than Graves-like), it seemingly defies the vintage character. Medium full with fine tannins supporting the rich and ripe fruit. Alcohol is in check and overridden by a long, flavorful finish. Delicious now but has potential to age and be the better for it. 92+
Grand Puy Lacoste (Pauillac): Medium dark with garnet overtones; slightly mentholated fruit but in general reticent on the nose; lean fruit with little in the way of depth or glycerin; does take on weight with food (an hour later) but remains hot and herbaceous. 85/86
Langoa Barton (St.Julien): Darkish ruby; New oak/ vanillin/ripe and forward fruity nose; rich and quite a mouthful of fruit with soft and ripe flavors. Fine tannins give this wine a balance and focus. Lowish acidity and dilution mars the finish of an otherwise interesting and fine wine. 88
La Lagune (Haut Medoc): Deep garnet; firm and dusty nose with an uncharacteristic unyielding character (even time did not do much to advance the nose); medium bodied, low acid and soft-- delicious already . Like the Langoa it has a similar dilution in finish; best drunk over the next decade. 89/88
Duhart Milon (Pauillac): Rich color; full throttle nose with intense fruit backed by new oak; deep and brooding on the palate with ripe and exotic fruit. Surprisingly restrained as it develops, it is intense but never cloying. Has remarkable focus and well adjusted acidity. The best Duhart I have ever tasted this is a wine that will repay keeping . 92+
La Grange (St.Julien): Very dark; though the nose is still embryonic there are exciting hints of chocolate and blackberry truffles with new oak spice backing; explosive entry with generous, delicious and forward fruit ( totally not presaged by the nose); sweet yet structured on palate it is almost reminiscent of a great Ridge Montebello cab. A winsome, lovely wine. Lots of aging potential . 90/91
Malescot St. Exupery (Margaux): Has a lot of characteristics of the previous wine and initially the wine, though explosive, was taut and hard in the finish; with aeration it barely changed and remained stubbornly ungiving. Yet there is much to like about this powerful wine. Much, much later the wine began to reveal an awesome depth of fruit; broad and dense with potential to be a giant amongst its peers in this vintage 90/93
Gazin (Pomerol): Garnet with a solid core; rather burgundian aromas of earth and leather adds elements of complexity to the nose; medium bodied; initially showed a chewy, sinewy and ungenerous side with markedly low acidity , but with time and with food it was seductive and giving. Quite good . Not for keeping long 88/89
Domaine de Chevalier (Graves): Dull and insipid nose--herbaceous cabernet flavors..with food the wine remained one dimensionally sweet and devoid of flavor. Dull and vapid finish. Was unanimously everyone's least favorite wine of the tasting. 86/84
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