Hi guys,
The following notes are fairly cursory because the wines were served at my house and I was busy in the kitchen and serving the food.
2005 Ch. Chantegrive, Graves Blanc
The Bordelais are very partial to Graves. The red wines are good both young and old, tend to be lighter and more digestible than some other appellations, and aren't as pricey as Médoc and Saint Emilion. The white wines, of course, can be very good indeed.
Chantegrive is owned by the well-known broker, Henri Lévêque. It is a large estate and they have been doing good work for years. They make 3 whites: a Graves blanc, a special Graves blanc called "Cuvée Caroline," and a Cérons.
Our 2005 regular bottling was a real treat. A very aromatic, fresh Sauvignon Blanc nose with more than a little citrus (always the hallmark of a good Graves to me). The palate had clean, mineral qualities with a touch of bitterness on the finish that did not really detract from the whole. Only the shortness on the aftertaste prevents this wine from being in another category altogether. Discussion ensued about the pricing of Burgundy whites and the tremendous value well-selected Bordeaux white now represents.
With shrimp cocktail we had 2004 La Tour Martillac, Pessac-Léognan blancd. This was in a more serious, ponderous style than the Chantegrive with a smoky nose and showing much more restraint on the palate – but with greater potential. I prefer the Chantegrive today, but the situation would probably be reversed over time.
We had an entrecôte à la bordelaise with 3 red wines:
1999 Pavie Macquin: I approached the wine with a little scepticism because I figured that being overseen by Stéphane Derenencourt it might be in a bland, unidentifiable modern style. In the event, my prejudice was unfounded. Lovely nose of black cherry, tobacco, prune, etc and a fine tannic texture. Strong, but elegant. The aftertaste was good, but lacked some depth. This wine is enjoyable now, but has not yet reached its peak, which I would estimate at about 2012.
1996 Léoville Barton: A mighty fine wine, as we had expected from this estate. We tasted it twice: once about 3 hours after it had been decanted, and then again after about 5 hours. The difference was pretty impressive. The first tasting showed the wine to be unexpectedly forward with upfront fruity flavours and much more softness than any of us expected. The aftertaste seemed good, but not special. We had expected tightly wound tannins and a young adolescent instead of what seemed a wine well on the way to being resolved. However, on retasting, the bouquet had evolved considerably with lovely lead pencil and blackcurrant overtones very reminiscent of an 85 Léoville Las Cas enjoyed 10 days ago. The wine also seemed more full bodied with a brambly, wildberry aspect and a more finish that had also fleshed out. I am fortunate enough to have several bottles of this wine and will be pleased to follow its development.
1999 Haut Brion: This was decanted about 2 and a half hours before drinking. The keywords here are purity and refinement. The nose was very complex, even including what everyone agreed was a coconut nuance! There was a healthy tension on the palate, with great focus and precision. Long, lingering aftertaste. While enjoyable to drink now, this Haut Brion is still a way off from its peak, and will undoubtedly keep for years thereafter. I do my best not to be a label drinker, so can say in all honesty that this first growth from a not-so-hot year was fully in keeping with what one might hope for. Were I to criticize the wine, it would be only for a certain lack of richness. The aromatic subtlety on the nose and palate nevertheless covered a wide range, with the exquisite stamp of Haut Brion's terroir.
We, in fact, ended the meal with a Swiss late harvest wine (selection de grains nobles), 2005 Polymnie, Sélection d'Or from Domaine des Muses -http://www.domainedesmuses.ch. This is an example of a wine whose qualities I objectively appreciate and acknowledge, but it is not one I especially liked. I think that this has much to do with the fact that I am unfamiliar with the grape varieties and Swiss wines in general – and that my palate has Sauternes as its reference point.
Best regards,
Alex R.
