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WTN: Notes from the 2003 Union des Grand Crus Tasting at Vinexpo

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WTN: Notes from the 2003 Union des Grand Crus Tasting at Vinexpo

by Jay Labrador » Sun May 28, 2006 1:56 pm

These are some very short notes and sometimes just notations of good or no good on the 2003 Bordeaux wines offered for tasting at Vinexpo. Most of the wines were poured by the Chateau owners or winemakers themselves but there was little opportunity to chat due to the great number of people. I wasn't able to try everything but I believe the notes here to be a good representative sample.

Pessac-Leognan

Carbonnieux Rouge - Good nose. A bit alcoholic. Some mint. Metallic. Not good.

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge - Light but very fruity. Very good.

Pape Clement Rouge - Lovely nose. Quite sweet. Very good.

Saint Emilion

Angelus - Quite sweet. Berryish. Long finish. Very good.

Canon la Gaffeliere - Very plumy, sweet, plenty of fruit. Slightly overripe. Very good.

Figeac - Good nose. Thick. Very dry. Needs a steak! Very good.

Pavie - I believe this is the wine that sparked the exchange of words between Parker and Robinson. Powerful stuff. Verging on New World but not quite there yet. Still identifiably Bordeaux. Excellent.

Trottevieille - Very dry and full-bodied. More classically Bordeaux in style than the other wines. Good.

Pomerol

Petit Village - Chocolate. Very rich. Excellent

Moulis

Chasse-Spleen - Mint and berries on the nose. Lots of body. Good.

Haut Medoc

Camensac - Nice nose. Coffee. Very rich, deep flavors. Excellent

Citran - Elegant, medium weight. Good.

Margaux

Brane-Cantenac - Floral nose. Very ripe finish. Chocolatey. Nice. Good.

Giscours - Fruity. So-so.

Lascombes - Very dry. More classically Bordeaux than the other riper wines. Good.

Malescot Saint-Exupery - Nice finish. Good.

Prieure-Lichine - Good.

Siran - Very good.

Saint Julien

Gruaud larose. Very tannic. Floral nose. Good.

Lagrange - Lovely nose. Good potential for development. Good.

Langoa Barton - Coarse compared to Leoville Barton but good.

Leovile Barton - Weighty. Very good.

Leoville Poyferre - Lots of tannin. Light. Good.

Talbot - Very full. Tannic. Excellent potential. Very good.

Pauillac

Batailley - Very ripe nots. Plenty of acid. Coffee notes. Good.

Clerc Milon - Very nice nose. Very sweet, opulent stuff. Excellent.

d'Armailhac - Sweet, very concentrated. Very good.

Haut-Bages Liberal - Coffee, chocolate, quite sweet and ripe. Very good.

Lynch Bages - Rich mouthfeel. Concentrated. Very good.

Pichon Baron - Elegant, rather light. Good.

Pichon Comtesse - Light. Very nice finish. Good.

Pontet-Canet - Very dry, tannic, rich. Very good.

Sauternes and Barsac (I did not spit any of the sweet wines)

Bastor-Lamontagne - Slightly minty nose. Light. So-so.

Coutet - Very sweet. Lacks some balance. Good.

de Fargues - Extremely sweet. Full. Well balanced by the acidity. Excellent.

Doisy Daene - Smoky nose. High-toned, light. So so.

Guiraud - Very deep flavor. Very sweet. Excellent.

Suduiraut - Classic nose. Great balance of sweetness and acidity. Rich. Excellent.

Nearly everything I tried was at least good. Very few were bad and only a handful were so so. 2003 seemed to produce quite rich wines dominated by chocolate and coffee at this early stage of development.
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Re: WTN: Notes from the 2003 Union des Grand Crus Tasting at

by Saina » Wed May 31, 2006 6:26 am

Thanks for the notes! I haven't been quite as pleased as you with the 2003s and in fact the only one which I've bought so far is Haut-Bailly. A pity you didn't have that in the line up. Classic Graves, if you ask me, not at all spoofulated despite the heat of the year.
I don't drink wine because of religious reasons ... only for other reasons.
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Re: WTN: Notes from the 2003 Union des Grand Crus Tasting at

by Jay Labrador » Wed May 31, 2006 11:41 am

If I recall correctly, the Haut Bailly was in the lineup but time constraints got in the way of tasting everything on offer. A friend of mine was able to try it though and reported that it was one of his top 5 favorites.

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