Vintage 2003 Bordeaux Wine Tasting

 Mills Fine Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Maryland (www.millswine.com) arranged a memorable tasting of Bordeaux wines from the steaming 2003 vintage. The wines were forward, in general drinkable earlier than customary for Bordeaux wines. They were on the whole much finer wines than expected, fruity and good tasting. Over 100 wine fanciers paid $69 each for the tasting, and they got a bargain for the money. Not only were the wines showing well, but the catering, by The Chesapeake School of Cooking (www.acookscafe.com) was outstanding, with a fine assortment of flavorful cheeses and breads, and huge pates of duck, peppercorn and cognac, and mushroom, available in generous quantities.

      Here are notes on the wines, with prices per bottle. In general, I found several of the medium priced ($45 a bottle) the best buys, although there were some fine wines in the $25 range. We also tasted several expensive first growths, including Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Mouton Rothschild (each $399.99), which were fine examples of these estates,  too pricey though for most people (including your reviewer). I would note, however, that the highly touted 2005 Vintage, the subject of my last two articles, will cost appreciably more, and those wines will take longer to mature. And so, the old tradeoff, “le rapport qualite-prix” comes into play. You pay for what you get, and sometimes a less expensive wine will be a better bargain for the money than a first growth, let alone a case of the former which costs the same as one bottle of the latter. But you knew that already.

      Carbonnieux Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) ($28.99).  This is the reliable high quality Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend, which often is the first wine poured at Bordeaux dinners. I found it classic, a touch on the light side, which is what you want with a first course. The Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) ($46.99), a more alcoholic wine, was flavorful, and medium weight. Not for oysters, but good with white meats or medium weight fish. We once had this wine at Antoine’s in New Orleans with Oysters Rockefeller. It was memorable and, in those days, inexpensive.

      Marjosse (Bordeaux) ($10.99). This is a very good value, tasty and balanced, produced by the reliable Pierre Lurton. Chantegrive (Graves) ($15.99). This was a fuller wine, quite satisfying, tasting of red berries. Try it with a pork roast with plums.

      Les Ormes de Pez (St. Estephe) ($25.99). This is a tasty, medium weight wine, some flavor of black currants. An easygoing wine without much depth. What you taste is what you get, but that is pretty good. Chateau de Sales (Pomerol) ($27.99). Again, rather medium or even light weight, with some tannins and less fruit. Not really a successful wine. A victim of the hot weather, surely.

      Potensac (Medoc) ($24.99). Dark, fruity and good. Will stand up to the tannins. Imagine a magnum of this in 8-10 years! Poujeaux (Moulis) ($25.99). A fine Poujeaux. Tannins now predominating a bit – give it a few years. Nice ripe fruit (Damson plums) already. This was the favorite wine of Georges Pompidou when he was President of France, and it usually is a bargain. Certainly that is so in this vintage.

      La Grave a Pomerol (Pomerol) ($44.99). Give it a few years. This may be one of the hits of the vintage, for its weight and class. Very good and full-bodied. Les Carmes Haut Brion (Pessac-Leognan) ($49.99). Excellent. A note of Chateau Haut Brion here at a fraction of the price, not yet as refined, rather smoky and earthy (there has to be a more exact and appealing term for describing the Haut Brion mouth feel) like a good Scotch single malt. Yummy. Clos du Marquis (St. Julien) ($47.99). Very successful, deep and satisfying. If this second wine is this good, what must the Chateau Leoville Las Cases be like?

      Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac) ($58.99). Very good fruit, which is forward, without many tannins. A good effort, but not really beyond that. Medium. This will be a pleasant beverage, but not a memorable one. But how many wines are memorable? For the money, there are better bargains.

      Gloria (St. Julien) ($27.99). Fruity and fine, good value. Somewhat astringent now, give it 4-6 years, it should come around. Lynsolence (St. Emilion) ($49.99). This is a “garagiste” wine, 100% Merlot and 100% new oak cases, some 600 cases produced a year. The vineyards are in St. Sulplice de Faleyrans, near Chateau Monbousquet, not on the St. Emilion slopes. Very fruity and flavorful. Deep purple color, not overly tannic. Will the structure hold and develop?

      Marjollia (Margaux) ($89.99). This wine was very tight and fruity, and it will take years to open up. A winner in the making? This is also a much needed chateau hotel in the Margaux region, located in Arsac near Du Tertre. I’d say, buy the Du Tertre and stay at Marjollia! Du Tertre (Margaux) ($29.99). Excellent! Accessible, fruity, and will improve.

      Sociando-Mallet (Haut-Medoc) ($49.99). Good, dark, somewhat puckery now. Pichon-Longueville Baron (Pauillac) ($74.99). Deep and good, a very satisfying wine. Won’t take quite as long as some to come alive and be well balanced. A fine wine to buy and hold for 6-8 years. Good quality, and it shows.

      La Mission Haut Brion (Pessac-Leognan) ($118.99). Almost black in color, very large and tannic. Will need a long time to settle down. Flavor of dark berries. For those with patience. Imagine a magnum of this in 20 years! Haut Brion (Pessac-Leognan) ($399.99). Great breed as always. Hold for 15 years. Chateau Haut Brion was the first property to realize the impending catastrophe of the record heat of August, 2003, and they brought in their workers to pick the grapes before the end of the month, the earlist harvest in over a century. The excellence of this wine, and of those other properties who could take comparable steps, proves what can be accomplished at a superb property, even in a difficult year.

      Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac) ($399.99). Very Mouton, but more tannins than usual. This wine will sleep for decades.

      Clarendelle (Monbazaillac) ($30). Not at the tasting, but this 2003 sweet wine, labelled Amberwine by Charles Dillon Wines of Haut Brion, is well made. Sweet but not cloying, it is by far the finest Monbazaillac I have tasted. A blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes. Just out. It would be worth buying a bottle to go with the holiday desserts to come!