Let's talk about 2003 Bordeaux vintage.

[Serge Birbrair]

I have lots of very positive expereinces with it and find "lower Chateaux" being an exceptional good value for the quality of wines they produced that year,
with 2003 Chateau Lagrange been my #1 pick at $35 US a bottle.

[Raymond W]

The Chateau Lagrange 2003 is a pretty nice drink. I had a bottle around June and have two more in the cellars. Not sure how long it will cellar for though, so I am planning to drink my remaining bottles over the two to three years. It cost the same here in Japan, around USD35 , 4,200yen or AUD45

The other VFM Bordeaux 2003 that I have had is the Chateau Lynch-Moussas 2003. It might be a little too-light bodied for some, but I find it to be a nice contrast to some higher alcohol and fuller-bodied Cabs. It is always nice to have some variation. I think I got this wine for around 3,500 yen / AUD 38 / USD 29.

I am thinking of getting a bottle of Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cab / Merlot 2003 to compare against these Bordeaux bottles later. The Moss Wood Ribbon Vale is priced at 3,700yen in Japan, so it is in the same price range and vintage as the Bordeaux blends.

Cheers,

Raymond

[Serge Birbrair]

Raymond,
I had it once early and was discouraged by hint of toasted oak. Upon the insistence of a very dear friend from Holland who turned me to Bordeaux originally, I tried another bottle, got opinions about it's potential from Daniel Rogov, the leading Israeli wine critic and bought the whole case, rare ocassion for me.

I think the "taosty oak" will integrate well, as a matter of fact it's doing it now and will eventually become kick butt wine for a lousy $35 US.

Raymond, if you ever get your hands on 2003 Château Launay
I rec it highly. This is the best $17 (US) a bottle French wine I ever had.

[Ratcatcher]

Lagrange - A$85 at one leading AUS on-line retailer.

A bit more than the amounts you guys paid.

I assume Gavin won't mind the mention as he doesn't sell Bordeaux.

[Serge Birbrair]

any chance of finding
2003 Château Launay ?

A$85 IS much higher than what we pay. The juice is just 20 Euros in Nederlands, about 60% of our prices.

Bloody....I don't know whom to blame!

[Gavin Trott]

Lagrange - A$85 at one leading AUS on-line retailer.

A bit more than the amounts you guys paid.

I assume Gavin won't mind the mention as he doesn't sell Bordeaux.

No I don't mind

I would object to them being named, or a link to them, this would clearly not be in the spirits of the forum, but the above is perfectly fine.

[Craig(NZ)]

tried a number of the top ones but they didnt excite me to hunt them down. good wines for sure but without the aura of perfection the the 00s exuded.

[Raymond W]

Serge,

Thanks for the recommendation. Maybe, my palate and nose is not as sensitive to toasty oak as others. I found the wine to be quite a pleasant drink, but if you pay a visit to the UK Wine Forum, there is quite a negative review about the Lagrange 2003.

I guess I will open another bottle sometime next year to check it out again.


Ratcatcher,

A$85 for the Lagrange! That is blatant robbery. Wonder how much the higher growths go for...I wonder if it is a combination of the high Aussie wine taxes and shipping costs.

[Serge Birbrair]

tried a number of the top ones but they didnt excite me to hunt them down. good wines for sure but without the aura of perfection the the 00s exuded.

Craig, here are my notes from Sept 3 regarding '03 tasting. I wasn't impressed by top tier either. There are few reasons which might have nothing to do with the wines itself, but....



That is it - this is official now - I will no longer go to the winewatch wine tastings.
The wines are double decanted at 2 pm, put in decanter at 4 pm, one ounce is poured at 6:15 pm and we get to the table at 7:30 pm.

By that time, all "meat" and the essense of the wine is gone, no nose whatsoever and for me it's like licking the bones and ALL bare bones practically taste alike. Few wines were poured right from the bottle for comparission and what a difference that makes! In 15 mins sitting in the glass they showed the best! Oxygen just kills all the nuances.

Anyway.....
2003 Bordeaux Tasting

Flight One: El Cheapo
Chateau Chavin, St Emilion
Balanced, sweet tannins, good, but falls apart with food

Chateau Cantemerle, Haut Medoc
Not bad, good acidity, considering the vintage. Parker was right, it was kinda 4 points less than the first one.


Alter Ego de Chateau Palmer, Margaux
worth the money, nice aroma with vigorous swirl, very slight bitterness on the finish, should be left alone for a few years, Rob.

Chateau Du Tertre, Margaux
Smoky, and faaaar from the wine I tasted last week from the bottle. Oxygen has changed this baby beyond recognition.

Flight Two: "Myles, I am buying f---ing Merlot, you can leave"

Chateau Ormes De Pez, St Estephe
too tannic, bitter finish, not my cup of tea

Chateau D'Armailhac, Pauillac
I have a few bottles of it in the cellar, wil revisit the wine in 7 years. Baby fat is gone now, and the wine is not very attractive at it's present stage.

Chateau Peby Faugeres, St Emilion
My WOTF. My first 100% Merlot wine and I was overwhelmed by the power of it, but in a good way. This wine susrvived vigorous oxygenation process and even was better compared to the one "straight from the bottle".
Couldn't resist and placed an order for 3 bottles to open them in 10 years.
This one will probably outlive me.

Chateau Le Gay, Pomerol
Smokey and bitter. Just like my ex wives. Pass.

Flight Three: "I want my money back!"

Chateau Pichon Baron
We'll revisit it today at http://www.winewatch.com brown bag tasting,
one of the guys is bringing it over, as he says that what we had and what he had at home are 2 different wines, oxygen kills the "meat"!

Chateau Cos D'Estournel, St. Estephe from magnum
I am glad I have 2 bottles in the cellar, this one is a sure winner. I don't know when this one will reach it's peak, remarkable wine. My WOTN and another oxygenation survivor.

Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan
I don't know what I was tasting. Closed, stripped to the bone, I just can't beleive that this was first growth wine, but after the tasting it in that form,
I doubt very much I'd shekel $350 for a bottle.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauilac
There is no difference in taste of licking the bones of Marylin Monroe, Nephertity or Queen Sheba - the bone is a bone is a bone.
I HOPE the disapointment was caused by oxygen and nothing else, I have 3 bottles in the cellar and all I can think at the moment is:
"I want my money back!!!"

#1 reason we went for this tasting was:
it was cheaper to taste 12 wines than pop a cork of Mouton alone, but I still have more questions than answers due to Oxygen and I can't be sure what exactly was I tasting,
the wine or overoxygenation wine. I guess there is no short cuts in the hobby we've chosen.

[Serge Birbrair]

Serge,

Thanks for the recommendation. Maybe, my palate and nose is not as sensitive to toasty oak as others. I found the wine to be quite a pleasant drink, but if you pay a visit to the UK Wine Forum, there is quite a negative review about the Lagrange 2003.

I guess I will open another bottle sometime next year to check it out again.


Ratcatcher,

A$85 for the Lagrange! That is blatant robbery. Wonder how much the higher growths go for...I wonder if it is a combination of the high Aussie wine taxes and shipping costs.

Raymond,
I am interested in reading the negative review on Lagrange, can you please PM me the link?

Not that I'll bring back to the store the wine I like due to bad reviews,
as MY impression trumps all the reviewers, as it's MY mouth after all,
but still I am curious what's the fuzz is all about.

Opening the bottle next year migth be disapointing, more and more I hear that '03 shutting down. But by anycase, please follow and post your TN on it so we can all see how this wine evolves in "Time Space Continuum"

[Serge Birbrair]

good wines for sure but without the aura of perfection the the 00s exuded.

Beleive it or not, I have opened only one bottle from 00 and it was lovely:
2000 Le Carillon de l'Angélus (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion)

I wanna give them much more time and don't anticipate drinking them 'til 2011 at the earliest.