TN: 2 Bdx (Camensac and Barde Haut)

Betsy used a bit of red wine with lamb drippings to make a bit of gravy, I tried the 2005 Camensac (Haut-Medoc) (375) both Wed and Th. Didn't really care for it either night. This reminds me more of a (mediocre) New World CS than a classified growth Bdx from a great vintage. If fruit is your be-all and end-all in wine, you might be ok. But little here if you value structure, complexity, or depth. OK, to be honest, there is some tannic structure, maybe it will develop in time, but this is too sweet and too short for me to get more. Too bad, I've liked older vintages. C+

Friday we had Betsy's 10 year old nephew over for a while, and did a rare indulgence of dinner in front of the TV (Gabe is a total baseball freak, watched the AL Rays/Sox game). We had leftovers (lamb, pasta with shrimp, pumpkin gratin, asparagus, bok choy). I had leftover Petite Arvine with the shrimp, with the lamb the 1998 Barde Haut (St Emilion). A very nice modern styled Bordeaux that is drinking right at peak for my tastes now- chocolate, toast, and flowers over a very solid base of blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Ripe and lush, some tannins but they're quite supple, good length. This is quite lively and maybe could age more, but it's quite low acid and I generally think better safe than sorry with the fat ones. Holds up quite well till tonight, though, I'm often wrong. B+/A-

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.

Glad to hear about the BH, still have three 98s left...

[Jenise]

Peak on the BH? Can't recall if I have the 98, but I'll bet a lot of my 98's are in that place and I've hardly touched them. Good reminder....

[David M. Bueker]

10 years. Time to start checking in on those Bordeaux, especially the "smaller" ones.

I've been drinking through about a case of Roc de Cambes 1998 and it started slipping about two years ago.

A lot of course depends upon personal preferences- my "a pointe" might be another's "declining" and someone else's "too young!" But for my tastes some of the wines that are either "modern" or "smaller" are pretty ready, and a few that are both need to be drunk pretty quickly. But I doubt there's any reason to check on Trotanoy, VCC, Magdelaine, Figeac, etc.

[Jenise]

Here's a list of the 98's I have--I know the Lafons are ready and the GPL isn't. And the Poujeoux was, I'm pretty sure that even though it's on this list I no longer have it. We drank one Haut Bailly about two years ago and hoped it would get a little more interesting IIRC, but other than that we haven't gotten into the 98's at all. I'd presume the Cardonnes, Lagune, Louviere and Carraudes need visiting. Any tips on the rest?

5 1998 Carraudes de Lafite
1 1998 Clinet
2 1998 Ducru Beaucaillou
1 1998 Fieuzal
1 1998 Fleur de Gay
8 1998 Grand Puy Lacoste
1 1998 Haut Bailly
1 1998 Haut Brion
2 1998 La Cardonne
2 1998 La Lagune
3 1998 La Louviere
2 1998 La Mission Haut Brion
1 1998 La Petite Cheval
10 1998 Lafon Rochet
1 1998 Le Conseillante
1 1998 Le Haut Smith
6 1998 Leoville Poyferre
1 1998 Margaux 1.5 L
3 1998 Moulin de Duhart
3 1998 Mouton Rothschild
1 1998 Patris
1 1998 Poujeoux
1 1998 Prieure-Lichine 1.5 Ltr

These are the ones I've had:

Right Bank
Clinet-needs time
La Petit Cheval- ok, seems in a weird place now. I'd hold if I had any more.

Graves/Pessac
Haut Bailly -one of my favorite HBailly, no hurry at all
Haut Brion -excellent HBrion, long long life ahead.
La Louviere- pretty accessible, but no hurry

Medoc
Mostly I bought Right Banks and Graves, but did get a couple Leoville Poyferre. Thought needed time couple years ago, will revisit in 5.
Poujeaux- own but haven't tried recently. I gather you think drink up?

Only ones I've tried, but I wouldn't worry re LMHB.
Le Haut Smith- is this second of Smith Haut Lafitte?

[Jenise]

These are the ones I've had:

Right Bank
Clinet-needs time
La Petit Cheval- ok, seems in a weird place now. I'd hold if I had any more.

Graves/Pessac
Haut Bailly -one of my favorite HBailly, no hurry at all
Haut Brion -excellent HBrion, long long life ahead.
La Louviere- pretty accessible, but no hurry

Medoc
Mostly I bought Right Banks and Graves, but did get a couple Leoville Poyferre. Thought needed time couple years ago, will revisit in 5.
Poujeaux- own but haven't tried recently. I gather you think drink up?

Only ones I've tried, but I wouldn't worry re LMHB.
Le Haut Smith- is this second of Smith Haut Lafitte?

No idea re the Le Haut Smith--I'm actually wondering if it's a white. Clearly, I need to spend more time in the cellar! Re the Poujeaux, best I can recall and the memory's really hazy, I thought the 98 was delish, but if it could be measured by the openness of the '96 it probably would reward further cellaring. That was about two years ago.

Looking back at the list and the prices I paid for these, I'm actually pretty proud of what I've got. Bought most of them at the most amazing wine sale I'll ever see in my life, paying on average about $15 each for the likes of the Grand Puy Lacoste and Leoville Poyferre and $30-50 for the big names (excluding mags).

Can't recall if I have the 98

You have a spreadsheet don't you? Relying on recollection can be dangerous. I have a bunch of these 1998 BHs. Hope the plateau holds a while. I am afraid I will let many of my holdings go over the hill. Since the prices rose so, I have largely stopped bying anything but bargain wines, meaning inexpensive cru bourgeois. Letting my "good" wines sit rather than end up with nothing but unsung heroes in a few years.

Last weekend I drank up my last 2000 L'Argenteyre (sp?) and nearly my last 2000 La Cardonne (sp?), both $10 wines. These were at what I would call peak, and if I could have nothing better for the rest of my life I wouldn't be too depressed. Will try to replace these with their 2005 counterparts.

[Jenise]

Can't recall if I have the 98

You have a spreadsheet don't you? Relying on recollection can be dangerous.

Sure do. That's where the list I provided Dale with further down came from after I checked on the Barde Haut, a wine I've actually never tasted but bought after you recommended it, and it's the 01 I have.

I am afraid I will let many of my holdings go over the hill. Since the prices rose so, I have largely stopped bying anything but bargain wines, meaning inexpensive cru bourgeois. Letting my "good" wines sit rather than end up with nothing but unsung heroes in a few years.

Me, too. I've also not been drinking ANY of my wines early, in violation of my usual policy to "get to know my babies". As a result I have failed to adequately develop the palate calibration needed to evaluate younger Bordeaux. I've tasted a couple of the young 05's (not classed growths, and mostly unfamiliar names) and they all taste like crap to me. Can't tell if it's me, or I've just been tasting the wrong wines. Or to put it another way, no unsung heroes in my neighborhood![/quote]