WTN: moderately priced Pauillac

Saturday we had grilled loin lamb chops that had marinaded in a red wine sauce, with local corn and some creamed chard. Wine was the 2001 Duhart-Milon (Pauillac). Like many 2001s, this has remained fairly open. Lower acid, a bit plush, raspberry and blackcurrant fruit. Some vanilla/oak aromas, light ripe tannins. Strikes me as more Right Bankish than Pauillacish. Certainly correct and drinkable, but this doesn't excite me. Of course,that's generally been true of every Duhart I've tried except the '96, which was a very good value. An acceptable Bordeaux. B-

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.
 

[David M. Bueker]

Surprisingly I liked the '03 Duhart enough to lay a few bottles down.

I don't think I tried the '03. But I think Pauillac and St Estephe seemed to do especially well in the heat.
In general other people seem to like Duhart more than I.

The 2003 was excellent in an open, low acid, lush kind of way. Good complexity but also easy to drink. Always a crowd pleaser. That wine was a good deal for a while, but got expensive. I have some put away as well, although I don't think it's a long term ager.

I read these posts and sometimes wish I weren't such a cheapskate. I pretty much never see Bordeaux in the price range that I'd call "moderate". The numbers seem to increase over the years, nowadays my "moderate" range is about $15-$25. But I think that's likely to require bumping up pretty soon.
I'm now buying a few bottles costing over $40, and that's what I still think of as "Cringe! Do I really need that?"
I have no idea what you paid for the Duhart; I don't think I've ever seen it.

John

I got 03s at $40, which I thought was fair because I found it an excellent wine. It's now $60+. The '01 used to be around $30.

I think there are quite a few good Bordeaux around $25, although in my opinion when you get to the $15 range you get more for your money elsewhere in the world.

Bordeaux I'd look for about $25:
Bernadotte 2005 (needs a few years to mature)
Tour Saint Bonnet 2005 (around $15)
Marjosse 2005
La Vieille Cure 2005 (excellent, but a bit more expensive)
Caronne Ste. Gemme 2005
Moulin-Haut-Laroque 2005 (excellent value in a modern style)

If you search CellarTracker for those wines you'll find my notes. I think I've posted several of them here as well.

Keep in mind that the dollar has dropped what...about 25% in the last four years against the bottle of Bordeaux.

Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet is a good one at a reasonable price.

Matt's got a good list there.
CT says the '01 Duhart was $24. It was as the '03s were in pipeline that dollar tanked.

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I'm sadly aware of the decline of the dollar.

The 2005 Caronne St. Gemme I found nice but quite austere. Controversial. I liked it, but definitely not soft and fruity.

Bordeaux I'd look for about $25:
Bernadotte 2005 (needs a few years to mature)
Tour Saint Bonnet 2005 (around $15)
Marjosse 2005
La Vieille Cure 2005 (excellent, but a bit more expensive)
Caronne Ste. Gemme 2005
Moulin-Haut-Laroque 2005 (excellent value in a modern style)

Nice list, Matt. And just to put an exclamation point on this, I bought several of those wines as futures for closer to $10 a bottle.

Mark Lipton

My note:

2005 Château Caronne Ste. Gemme 5/26/2008 MRichman
Bright purple fruit with high acid and tight tannins. Lots of middle palate, but a bit lacking in deeper dark flavors. Very pretty, somewhat delicate with a light feeling in the mouth. Pure, clean. Plenty of fruit, but not a blockbuster. Finishes with some leather and oak. Nice.
B/B-