Weinbörse pre-auction tasting in Bad Ragaz on Saturday, 21 May 2011.
Château Giscours Margaux 2000
Remains promising, but is currently closed and too tough to drink. More rustic tannin than remembered. Firm but closed fruit. Needs and deserves more time in bottle. Rating: 91++
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St. Julien 1989
So bretty I wondered if it was cork-tainted for a moment – once more, the eighties Ducru version of “clean”. Some ripeness and complexity, albeit no “fruit” worth mentioning. Faint lead pencil. Medium-plus length. Some minerality for sure, but lacks the definition and subtlety I look for in Ducru-Beaucaillou. Rating: 87(-?)
Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena Reserva 5 Annos 1993
The least impressive vintage of Valbuena I have ever tasted, at best medium complexity and liveliness, blurry fruit, less attractive and oakier tannin than in most vintages. Rating: 83(-?)
Château Clos Dubreuil St. Emilion 1997
A success of the vintage. Milky-raspberry colour, which pretty much describes the character of this fruit-driven, easy-going, nicely Burgundian St. Emilion. Lots of sediment, this needs careful decanting. Rating: ~88
Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc 1986
A wine I had not retasted in over three years. Retains excellent colour density and freshness. A bit drier, otherwise little change. Rating: 89(+/-?)
Château Cheval Blanc St. Emilion 1993
Dry forest floor and tree bark, some minerality, still typical terroir expression, no fruit, relatively hard tannin. Rating: 87-
Château Angélus St. Emilion 1993
Remains one of my favourite 1993s, holding up well, little change in recent years, good medium ripeness and sweetness, some leafiness, softly spicy, a bit oaky, fair enough length. Rating: 90-/89(-?)
Château Conseillante St. Emilion 1994
From René Gabriel’s personal collection, as I overheard him say. Some life and sweetness left, crystallized berries if any, tannic, a bit leafy for Pomerol. Rating: 89-
Château Phélan Ségur St. Estèphe 2003
Superficially thick albeit not too concentrated, jammy-superripe, New Worldish, faint lead pencil, medium-short on the finish. Rating: 84-/83(-?)
Château Montrose St. Estèphe 1994
Remains on the best 1994s. A bit animal, medium-hard if not -tough. Firm fruit. Some depth and finesse. Firm finish, medium length at best. Rating: 89(-?)
Château Petit Gravet Aîné St. Emilion 2002
Way too modern in style for my taste, but really one of the more successful wines poured that day. Napa Merlot-like in a positive way, easy-to-interpret, nice body, pretty if superficial fruit and oak, backed by some St. Emilion minerality. Rating: 87-/86(+/-?)
Château Gruaud Larose St. Julien 1994
A bit tight and forest floor earth, some dried mushrooms, animal fur. Tannic, fruitless, merely hinting at some sweet cherry. Only just recognizable as Gruaud Larose. Rating: 83-
Château Malartic-Lagravière Pessac-Léognan 2000
100% Sauvignon Blanc from 17-litre bottle. Bright, relatively deep golden yellow colour. Nicely bright fruit, acidity and oak, quite refreshing, if not especially deep or complex. Rating: 88
Château Gigault Cuvée Viva Premières Côtes de Blaye 2002
From 12-litre bottle. Medium fruit, some well-integrated oak. Fair enough complexity, soft ink, nice minerality. Medium-plus length. Better than most red wines poured that day. Rating: 87(+?)
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti