One of our good friends was recently overcome by the urge to have some Bordeaux at lunch and so our little group converged on Je Suis Gourmand to try some young Bordeaux.
We started with Ruinart Brut NV Champagne which, unfortunately, was dead. No bubbles. Intense coffee, and obvious oxidation. I adore old Champagne but even this was too much for me. With the Champagne discarded we proceeded to:
Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang 2002 - One of the more interesting expressions of Sauvignon Blanc I've tried. The nose is quite strong and suggests overripe, nearly rotten, fruit. There's a hint of the sickly-sweet smell of decay about this wine. Soft, with good fruit, but quite dry. Despite the nose, there's a greenish, grassy quality to the flavor. A little bitter in the long finish. Good and very interesting.
Chateau Clerc Milon 2004 - Nice nose. Minty and peppery. Mocha and pencil shavings. Very dry, long. Good.
Chateau Leoville-Poyferre 2004 - Strawberry on the nose. Quite sweet fruit. Dusty. Dried herbs. Chocolate. This has good complexity. The finish is long with some good acidity to keep it food friendly. Strangely, I found there was a bit of New Worldy oakiness poking out at the finish. Rather modern in style compared to the Clerc Milon but I thought it was very good.
For dessert:
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2003 - Deep gold. Exceptionally smooth. Manages to be syrupy without being cloying. Oddly, I also detected a hint of seaweed/umami on the palate which certainly contributed to the rich mouthfeel of the wine. Excellent.