WTN: Cat Baleau

Err, I mean Cote de Baleau 2001. I must be in a Lee Marvin mode. This wine was deep purple with a nice nose of plum but the flavors were of tannic sour cherry. I don't know if this was on the decline or needed more time but the fruit seemed to be fading. Brought from my off-site celler (45 deg.-55 deg.) I was much more hopefull but will drink up the remainder soon

[Jenise]

Cute title. Where's the wine from? Not a familiar winery name to me.

Hi Jenise, this Bordeaux came from St. Emilion and cost $15 on release.

Err, I mean Cote de Baleau 2001. I must be in a Lee Marvin mode. This wine was deep purple with a nice nose of plum but the flavors were of tannic sour cherry. I don't know if this was on the decline or needed more time but the fruit seemed to be fading. Brought from my off-site celler (45 deg.-55 deg.) I was much more hopefull but will drink up the remainder soon

Jim,
2000 is the only vintage I've had, and the following brief notes describe the trajectory thus far, in my experience. The 11/04 note reports yet another exercise in humility.
Charles

• 2000 Château Côte de Baleau - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (9/27/2009)
  Drinking well still, good volume of fruit, good match with lamb rack. Complexity to come perhaps, but suspect best drinking is in next few years.
• 2000 Château Côte de Baleau - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/8/2009)
  Drinking well, oak fully integrated. Not sure if more time will yield more complexity or simply less fruit. Next bottle should tell.
• 2000 Château Côte de Baleau - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (11/10/2008)
  Oak, which had been oppressive on release, is now well-integrated. Good dollop of fruit, good balance. Still plenty of tannin, but drank well with steak.
• 2000 Château Côte de Baleau - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (11/1/2004)
  Tasted blind and thought ill of whoever brought it (me, it turned out) because of off-putting oak nose, but good stuffing of fruit seems to be under it. Soft tannins. Others liked it more. Might turn out OK if/when oak integrates.

I , too, drank the 2000 in 2008. My TN, posted in this board, reads like this:

2000 Chateau Cote de Baleau, Saint Emilion
Very nice nose of fruit, wood, leather, and earth. Plenty of sweet tannin. Then waves of ripe cherries, and then blueberries. This medium-full bodied wine with some creamy notes is pretty good drinking at this point. B+


Ramon