Wine ChroniclesOn wine tasting and objectivity
Posted on February 4, 2017
Too oaky? Too green? Does it depend on the taster?
By Panos Kakavatos for wine-chronicles.com
4 February 2017
At a tasting lunch in New York City recently organized by the Wine Media Guild and specifically by my dear friend in wine tasting Mark Golodetz, we went through various bottles of Grand Puy Lacoste, Branaire Ducru and Smith Haut Lafitte – the three guests for the luncheon.
I was caught admiring the 2005 Grand Puy Lacoste, somehow putting in the back of my mind a certain oak influence on the wine that was more prominent than the fruit. At this stage.
While discussing the attributes of how wonderful the Branaire Ducru was of the same vintage, a point on which both Mark and I agreed, Mark begged to differ about the GPL, as the … oak was far too prominent. Indeed, he was correct. But should one conclude that the wine is not as good? Perhaps at this stage, or perhaps for one’s personal tastes.
That was open to interpretation, to some extent. Read More
Price-worthy Bordeaux 2014: Live-Ex weighs in
Posted on February 3, 2017
Special Report: Bordeaux 2014 – where is the value?
Submitted by Liv-Ex in London
3 February 2017
As Bordeaux 2014 is released in bottle, Liv-ex takes a closer look at it in terms of price, quality and value compared to other vintages. 2014 is the first recent vintage that has not been reviewed by Robert Parker. It is being released in bottle following strong price gains by the Bordeaux market, albeit aided by a weaker Sterling. Liv-ex has applied its “fair value” methodology to help identify where wines might offer value relative to other vintages.
Key findings Read More
Fit for a wine groundhog 2017
Posted on February 3, 2017
Top Bordeaux back to 1970, with Marla Maples
By Panos Kakaviatos for Wine-Chronicles.com
3 February 2017
Bravo to Kevin Shin for making this happen. The DCWino is in top form. And I got to meet some new wine-loving friends in the area as well as seeing old friends. Once again, we found ourselves at Ripple. The service is great, corkage minimal, and the food superb, by chef Ryan Ratino, who made some of the best courses I have ever had at the restaurant for this Groundhog Day dinner. Here a link to a justifiably glowing review from the Washington Post: http://wapo.st/2kxnsa2.
A most happy Groundhog Day for #winelovers. With master chef Ryan Ratino standing in the back.
We were nine participants: Greg Ossi, Paul Marquardt, Robb Johnson, Alan Strauss, Randy McFarlane, Reginald Brown, David Zimmerman, Kevin Shin and myself. Read More
Underrated Bordeaux 2014
Posted on January 29, 2017
Worth seeking out from bottle: both white and red
29 January 2017
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
When I tasted 2014 and 2015 Château Montrose side-by-side in October last year at the estate, I learned that less than 40% of the harvest was used to make the first wine in 2015, while over 50% was used to make the 2014.
Rains came at the wrong time in parts of the northern Médoc in the more heralded vintage, putting vintners to the test. Montrose certainly lived up to that test, with an excellent 2015. But the 2014 seems to be just as good, if not better. At the estate tasting, the 2014 came across as more seamless and elegant, as well as substantial. I had a similar experience with Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, which I had also compared side-by-side.
They were not empty for long: loads of glasses for the UGCB tasting in New York City in January 2017
In much the same way, I noticed how 2014 northern Medoc cru bourgeois wines did very well as compared to 2015, which seems to have favored the southern Médoc (no rains causing any problems in Margaux, for example).
Savvy consumers should take note that you are getting good deals from the northern Médoc in 2014, as prices – for the most part – went up in 2015. Read More
Diamonds in the rough: Cru Bourgeois 2014
Posted on January 22, 2017
Heterogeneous in quality, the sprawling cru bourgeois category from Bordeaux also can mean diamonds in the rough
(This is part 2 of a two-part article on affordable Bordeaux. For part 1, click here.)
22 January 2017
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
I recently visited Washington D.C.-based fine wine importer/retailer Calvert Woodley. Owner Ed Sands said that shelf space for fine Bordeaux has shrunk significantly over the past 10 years as prices have skyrocketed upwards.
And even if many consumers have searched for alternative wines from outside Bordeaux, shelf space for value Bordeaux of quality has expanded, Sands said.
That could be because advances in better winemaking and viticulture have not only benefitted the great names like Latour, Montrose, Haut Brion, Palmer and more. Indeed, the overall quality of wine and winemaking has led to better quality as well for economically priced Bordeaux, such as the wines under the category known as cru bourgeois.
The cru bourgeois category in Bordeaux as it stands today counts some 250 estates. And many people have never heard of most of them. Furthermore, more famous brands – such as Poujeaux, Les Ormes de Pez, Haut Marbuzet, Chasse Spleen and others – disengaged from an earlier official “cru bourgeois” appellation definition, when a 2003 classification that had rated such great brands as “exceptional” was (rather stupidly) annulled at least in part because of typical Bordeaux infighting. Read More
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