WTN: 6 guys taste 11 2006 Bordeaux

Matt got together a small group to try a bunch of midrange 2006 Bordeaux last night. None of us had bought much, so most of the wines came as a group buy, with Matt doing the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively). Public did a nice job with stems, decanters and service, and the food was quite good. My choices (fried oysters in shiso leaf, and a oxtail/snail ravioli) weren't the most Bordeaux friendly, but I was in a whatthehell mood.

I had brought a blind starter. Initial guesses were Chablis and white Rhone, I said it wasn't Chablis and they went more generally white Burgundy. I confused them when I said not Chardonnay, with folks guessing Aligote and other minor grapes. Turns out no one was familiar with the Pinot Gouges (white sport of PN). 2006 Henri Gouges “la Perrieres” Nuits St. Georges Blanc 1er. Floral, slight honey note on nose. Rich, good acids, good length, soil notes. I quite enjoy, and saved some for my oysters. B+/A-

On to the reds (non-blind)

2006 Ch. La Vieille Cure (Fronsac)
Interesting nose of toffee and red fruit, but monolithic and closed on palate. Tight and tannic, nothing to see here at the moment. Might turn out nice, but for now B-/C+

2006 Ch. d’Aiguilhe (Cotes de Castillon)
Easily the value of the night for current drinking. Lush, red plums and cocoa, drinking well, very tasty. B+

2006 Ch. Cantemerle (Haut Medoc)
Blast of brett at first, then it blows off partially. Plums, smoke, medium length. B

2006 Ch. La Lagune (Haut Medoc)
Good, also just a hint of brett . Nice red fruit, woodsmoke, a bit of mineral. Could be worth checking out in Jan sales. B+/A-

2006 Ch. Malescot St. Exupery (Margaux)
Really lovely Margaux nose of berries and sandalwood, but I found a bit flat and lifeless on palate. Very low acid. Others enjoyed more. B-

2006 Ch. Haut Bailly (Pessac-Leognan)
Wow, I was really surprised at this, oaky and unintegrated. I'm usually a fan of Haut Bailly, but I didn't like this. Maybe time will help. B-/C+

2006 Ch. Lynch Bages (Pauillac)
I was just as surprised at this, as other than the 1996 I haven't really loved a Lynch since the 1989. But this was my favorite of the evening, some oak but much more in touch with the fruit, the oak cutting more of a cedary swath than a vanilla one. Cassis, herbs, cedar. Tannic but they seem fine and manageable. A-

2006 Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste (Pauillac)
Overall nice, but there's a funny note I can't put my finger on in nose-seaweed? Other than that, nice good Bordeaux, black fruits, ripe tannins. B/B+

2006 Ch. Leoville Barton
Showing a lot of wood at first, but as black fruit deepens it becomes more integrated. Big, blackcurrants, surprising oak but I think it'll integrate. B+

2006 Ch. Pontet Canet (Pauillac)
Lush, modern, forward, big. I think a lot of people would love this. B

2006 Ch. Duhart Milon (Pauillac)
I apparently stopped making notes here, but found this simple and short. Wrote C+/B-

1988 Ch. Rieussec (from 375)
no notes but I know I found it lovely and full,thanks Ramon! B+

Fun night with nice group. Thanks to Matt for organizing. No true stunners, but if good post holiday sales I might seriously consider Lagune, Barton, Lynch, GPL, etc. Aiguilhe is probably a decent deal already


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.  

'88 Rieussec should really be much better than B+. I've had it several times (I bought a case) and its always seemed like A/A+ to me (although I think it will get better and probably drink well for at least another 30 years). I wonder if it was an "off" bottle or if it was stored under less than ideal conditions?

'88 Rieussec should really be much better than B+. I've had it several times (I bought a case) and its always seemed like A/A+ to me (although I think it will get better and probably drink well for at least another 30 years). I wonder if it was an "off" bottle or if it was stored under less than ideal conditions?

I brought the bottle which I purchased last year as a pair with a bunch of other wines from a private seller in another wine board. As per my notes below, the bottle looks OK and the wine was fine, but it just didn't blow me away. However, I recall that the 1st one from the same purchase that I had seemed better.

Bordeaux 2006 Horizontal
Public Restaurant, NYC
12/15/2009

There were 6 of us and this was a group smaller than our usual. The dinner was jovial, candid, and fun. Matt had organized this annual Bordeaux newly-released tasting for years now and this time he also took care of sourcing a collection of wines for those of us who have not purchased wines from this vintage.

It’s the second time that I had attended a tasting at Public, both arranged by Matt. The first time was good. This time around, I enjoyed the “free-spirited fusion” dishes that I had and the restaurant’s swanky library/industrial/warehouse setting in NYC’s Nolita area grew on me, especially as the 6 of us were provided a nice and cozy semi-private dining area with the very friendly and efficient, but not overbearing, sommelier. Towards the end of the dinner, he capped off the excellent service by opening a bottle of, and indulging us with, a 1988 white from California that I neglected to write notes on.


The wines –

2006 Henri Gouges ‘La Perriere’ NSG
Dale (thanks!) brought this mystery wine, served blind and which none of us were able to guess the varietal that this was made from. It was a white Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Some oak, but very aromatic, it was rich with minerals and a long, slightly bitter finish. Some guessed Rhone, and I would have gone with that. B+

2006 Ch. La Vieille Cure, Fronsac
A 375ml courtesy of Bob and a last-minute addition to the line-up. Oak, quite tight but showed enough ripeness and sweetness on the nose. Lot’s of merlot and the consensus was it needs many years of cellar time. B+

2006 Ch. D’Aiguilhe, Cotes de Castillon
A bottle whose name only Ned could properly pronounce. Hey, he’s the wine writer/instructor. Another ripe Right Banker, but this was more accessible with sweet tannin, vanilla, quite modern, nice drinking and tasty finish. B+

2006 Ch. Cantemerle, Haut-Medoc
Heavy barnyard nose, wood, and leafy. High acidity and mineral components. A little disjointed. B

2006 Ch. La Lagune, Haut-Medoc
Good level of ripeness, lean. Amidst fruit and vanilla, there is the slight brett on the bouquet. I like the balance. I was told that this was available in the $30 range and I like it at that price. B+

2006 Ch. Malescot St. Exupery, Margaux
Leafy, mineral and very aromatic nose. Some slight greenness but not obtrusive. There’s enough fruit in the overall structure, but I somehow I find the middle quite thin. B

2006 Ch. Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Leognan
Oak, very tight, chalky. I’ve had previous vintages of this producer tasted upon release and were good enough for me to consider purchasing. Not this one. B-

2006 Ch. Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Notes of gravel and pencil eraser. This was tannic with a nice high acidity level. Power and muscle, with good overall balance. The groups WOTN. A-

2006 Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Slightly floral with something pungent in the nose. Vegetal notes that I can’t get over. Not impressed with the balance. B-

2006 Ch. Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
What a heavy bottle. Floral, cigar, gravel and meat on the nose. Savory, dusty, but nicely balanced with lean fruit. I like this wine. B+

2006 Ch. Leoville-Barton, Saint-Julien
Dry earth on the nose. Agree with Dale on the heavy wood on this one. Slightly green and am not sensing sufficient fruit. A personal perennial favorite, but this one disappointed. B

1988 Ch. Rieussec, Sauternes
A 375ml bottle. Dark gold, some wood notes, nice restrained sweetness, but definitely less sweet than previous bottle that I had and which, then, seemed to offer more in terms of complexity. B+

Sadly I can't comment on any of the 2006 wines, they have only just hit town. I am really pleased however to see the tasting was at Public. Assuming this is still the place down on Elizabeth St, this is always one of my favourite places whenever I am lucky enough to be back in NY. Great ambience. I hopethe food is still up to par? As I recall it had an Antipodean chef with a refreshing style of cooking. Do they normally allow BYO?

I liked the Rieussec, and maybe scored a tad low, but while I'm a fan of '88 in general it didn't blow me away. But seems a sound and reasonably young bottle

Thanks Ramon for the counterpoint. I had forgotten the Chardonnay- I got a little taste as I was leaving, guessed skin contact white. He said wrong but good guess. Was it Kalin?

Yes, Public on Elizabeth. I love the chef's attraction to pickled foods (all sorts of kimchees, pickles, etc - my oxtail and snail ravioli had pickled shiitakes), but it makes pairing with reds hard. But very good and inventive food.

Thanks Ramon for the counterpoint. I had forgotten the Chardonnay- I got a little taste as I was leaving, guessed skin contact white. He said wrong but good guess. Was it Kalin?

Yes, Kalin Cellars.
I also forgot to mention that, in addition ot the 88 Kalin Chardonnay, the sommelier comped us the extra Spanish cheese plate.
Also, thanks, again, to Matt.

2006 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru La Perrière - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits,
Steely, bright, acidic with chalky tannins and long finish. Mineral with a yeasty, slightly floral side. Too acidic for me. Am told this is white Pinot Noir.
B/B-

2006 Château D'Aiguilhe - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Côtes de Castillon
Tight, fine tannins. Deep dark fruit. Nice light quality behind. Plenty of burnt oak, herbs. Great qpr. Buy.
B

2006 Château La Vieille Cure - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac
Tight with menthol chalky tannins. Angular. Long finish. Muscular. Nice complexity, but tight.
B-

2006 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Bright, tight, and a bit simple. Dark, burnt oak tannins. A bit dirty.
B-

2006 Château La Lagune - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Young. A bit light with a sweet note and lots of burnt oak tannins. Coffee note. Nice finish. Nice herb, menthol. I like this.
B

2006 Château Haut-Bailly - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Young and tight. Clean, clear. Bright fruit with acid. Good herb and complexity. Chalky tannins. Very firm. I like this, I think it will turn out really nice.
B/B+

2006 Château Malescot St. Exupery - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Broad and surprisingly soft. Excellent complexity, broad but a bit short. Flab on finish. Great nose, wonder how it'll turn out.
B/B-

2006 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Surprisingly soft. Broad, lush with espresso and sweet dark fruit and dates. Really nice. A bit sweet, silky smooth. Overly rich?
B

2006 Château Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Acidic angular tannins. Tight. Long acidic finish. Chalky tight oaky tannins. Too angular. How will this resolve?
B/B-

2006 Château Duhart-Milon - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Tight but rich and lush. Coffee/espresso. Broad and expansive. Full flavored, full bodied. Long burnt oak finish. Barnyard.
B/B-

2006 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Angular, metalic with a sweet, dark black core. Lots of blood/iron. Withholding.
B/B-

2006 Château Pontet-Canet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Tight and young. Bright with a sweet core, baking spices. Broad and complex. Compelling, very very nice. Herb, menthol, coffee. My WOTN.
B+/A-


WOTN votes
Lynch Bages (14)
La Lagune (6)
D'Aiguihle (5)
Pontet Canet (3)
Haut Bailly (2)
Malescot (2)
GPL (2)
Duhart (1)
Leoville Barton (1)

Apparently I had very different opinions about these wines from the rest of the group. I'm the only one who voted for Pontet and Haut Bailly and I'm the only one who didn't vote for Lynch...everyone else had it 1 or 2.

Overall I liked the vintage if it could be found at good prices, which I expect may be the case in the new year. Maybe it's because of our recent 1989 horizontal but I thought the 06's seemed a similar combination of fruit and firm.

Guys

Just in case you missed it, you might like to see Rogov's take on the 2006. viewtopic.php?f=29&t=26658

I was particularly interested to see he had Leoville Barton right up there at the top of his list where as it came last with your tasting. It sounds as though it has clamped right down and gone to sleep.

Actually the Leo-Barton wasn't last, a couple (Cantemerle, LVC) got no votes. We each vote for our 3 favorites (1st gets 3 points, 2nd 2, 3rd 1) so conceivably a wine could get no votes because it was everyone's 4th favorite.
Thanks Matt for the notes, my overall impression was similar to yours- maybe some wines to buy if prices drop. I think there's a lot of Bdx clogging pipelines, and my prediction is a LOT of sales/dumping after holiday season. Of course, my market predictions are not usually especially accurate!

[Jenise]

Thanks for the great notes--very helpful. What kind of pricing are you all seeing on the 06's? I've not been buying, to be honest, but yesterday I was startled to see a case of 06 Chateau Meyney at auction on Wine Commune whose four bidders had only driven the price up to $11.99 by closing time, so I jumped in. That's like 1990 pricing!