2003 Château Lascombes (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux)

This is really shockingly good. I pulled this out of the cellar to go with steak and I wan't expecting fireworks at all. This Lascombes really blew me away though. None of the massive oak I feared I might encounter. No overblown fruit, no elevated alcohol and hot finish. Instead, I found a rather classic Bordeaux that was round, loaded with black currant, leather, some cigar box and nice acidity. Really a lovely wine that would do equally well with fowl or pork as it did with the more flavorful beef.

1996 Château Pontet-Canet (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

This was the wine that jolted me out of my rut. It was a reminder of what great wine is all about. At age 14, this is now beginning to soften and show pretty fruit, graphite, and leather. Some chocolate and tons of black currant. Layers and layers of flavor. Really a phenomenal wine that will only get better.

2005 Croix de Beaucaillou (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

Another nice second wine from Bordeaux. Not as good as the Mission de la Chapelle, but a good wine nevertheless. Less finesse and more sweet fruit and tannins in this wine. Cherry and dark chocolate, leather and cigar box. Lovely wine that's drinking great right now, although it does have years left in the tank.

2006 Château Léoville Poyferré (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

Of the 2006s I have tried so far, this was the weakest. More "international" in style with prominent oak on the nose and ample fruit, this has less nuance and finesse than Rauzan Segla and Calon Segur from the same vintage, only to name a couple. That said, it's still an enjoyable wine that will have a long life ahead of it. Dark berry and cherry fruit, tobacco, and cedar aromas. Finish is ok, and mid palate is decent although just a tad hollower than I'd like to see at this point in the wine's evolution. This will be a good wine, but to me, it's not among the better wines of the 2006 vintage in Bordeaux based on what I have tasted so far.

2005 Croix de Beaucaillou (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

Had this with mother's day dinner. Went great with Filet that night. Not a wine that will be as long lived as the 2006 Rauzan Segla, nor a wine that is as intellectually stimulating, but it is imminently drinkable and incredibly enjoyable. Everything is in harmony and balance. The wine is surprisingly soft, but not flabby or boring. Cherry and cigarbox dominate the flavor profile. Pleasing,sappy finish. Very nice QPR wine. Can be cellared for a few years, but I think it's drinking very well right now and it's in a good enough place that I am unconvinced that extended cellaring will benefit the wine.

2006 Château Rauzan-Ségla (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux)

Back with a bang. This is terrific stuff. It is exactly what I expect a young, delicious Margaux wine to taste like. Black currant, cigar box, earth. Impressive structure, fine acidity, elegant fruit, finesse finish. Everything in balance. A great wine regardless of the price, but when factoring in price, this is a phenomenal buy. Can be cellared for quite some time. Highly recommended. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and remainder Petit Verdot.

1999 Château Léoville Poyferré (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

After the Lafon Rochet was finished, I figured I'd open a bottle of this 1999 Leoville Poyferre as it has been one of my go-to, ready to drink Bordeaux wines. And although this was a good bottle, it was nowhere as interesting as the Lafon Rochet that preceded it. The fruit was ample enough and so was everything else (acidity, tannins), but for the first time, I thought the flavors were muddles and un-distinctive. I would have liked some more focus from the fruit I also wonder if the tannins are beginning to dry out ever so slightly. This was my last bottle, so I no longer have a dog in this race, but if I still owned any of this, I would try to drink up in the next year or two.

1996 Château Lafon-Rochet (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe)

A really nice surprise. I made braised beef shank on Saturday night when we had a couple of friends over. I popped this not knowing what to expect, but this was such a delicious wine from the start. Fully mature and drinking at peak, the nose on this wine was heavenly. Tertiary aromas and lovely black currant and red cherry. Cigar box and graphite. Good structure, velvet fruit, lovely acidity, fantastic balance. Shows how much pleasure and value Bordeaux can deliver, especially with the right foods. I bought this for $30 from a fellow wine enthusiast, and the bottler could not have been in better condition.

2006 Château Calon-Ségur (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe)

I opened this on Sunday night to go with a dinner of grilled lamb chops, and this really delivered. I liked this a touch better than even the Grand Puy Lacoste I tasted over the course of the prior two days. With a little more Merlot than the GPL, the Calon Segur comes across as more drinkable right now. Slightly fuller fruit, a touch softer, and although it shows cassis, there's plenty of plum and cherry with some forest floor aromas. A slightly more rustic wine than the more elegant GPL. Although it is drinking great right now, I believe this is balanced and structured enough to be a 15-20 year wine without any issues. All in all, this was a pleasure to drink, and I am very glad I have two more bottles for the long haul. Recommended. 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot.

2006 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

Very nice wine. I tracked this wine from Friday night through Saturday night. Started out hard as nails, but it softened up within 24 hours (most of that time in the cellar). Lovely balance, and a wine that thrives on its black currant fruit and cigar box aromas and flavors. Although it's got leather, earth, and cherries going on, too, the black currant and cigar box really drive this wine right now. Finishes very well. It is remarkable that GPL made this to show off finesse and elegance yet undoubtedly serious ageability. This shows just how good present-day Bordeaux can be when the property doesn't see the need to spoof. Recommended. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.

1999 Château Léoville Poyferré (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

Had this last night with cast iron seared filet, quinoa and caprese salad. Nose is pretty ripe and loaded with black currant and tobacco. Some game and funk on the nose by way of a touch of brett. Soft and medium bodied on the palate with very nice freshness. Sappy on the finish. Still has some tannins to resolve and there is ample fruit. As a matter of fact, this is ripe enough to remind me just a little of some Super Tuscan-like fruit. Incredibly good food wine that is an easy drink and very likable. Not yet at peak, but probably not more than 5 years from it. Drinking well. Purchased for $32 in 2005 and 13% alc.

2005 Croix de Beaucaillou (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

This is a very good and quintessentially Bordeaux wine. Black currant/cassis, cherries, some briary notes, earth, a hint of tobacco. Drinks amazingly well right after popping and pouring and held up fine overnight. Never shut down, always remained ready to drink. Didn't materially change from night one to night two and was a pleasure wine all the way through. On the ripe side for Bordeaux, but definitely still nice and fresh, and not a bit blowsy. I liked this a lot and it's a very good second wine to be sure. The Chapelle de la Mission is a better wine in 2005 in my opinion, and more age-worthy. This Croix de Beaucaillou could be kept for 5-10 years, I'm sure, but this is drinking so well right now that I think I'll finish mine off in the next year or two.

Posted from CellarTracker

2001 Château Lascombes (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux)

Popped and poured. Amazing wine right out of the gate. Great Bordeaux typicity and none of the spoofilation I was fearful of encountering. Soaring nose of cigar box, black currant, earth, and floral aromas. Nice and long on the palate with good grip and sturdy structure, but definitely drinking great right now. Finishes text-book. Just a pleasure to drink. Served with pan-roasted grass-fed ribeyes in a cognac peppercorn sauce, lacinato kale and beets.

1998 Château Rausan-Ségla (Rauzan-Ségla) (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux)

Popped and poured. I like this a lot. Youthful color. Intense nose of leather, green tobacco leaf, black currant, and cedar plank. Still amazingly tannic and structured, but good fruit and earth in a medium bodied package with a very long finish. Still 5 years minimum from peak, and I believe likely 7-10 years from peak, but it's drinking well right now. A very generous gift from a fellow Austin wine lover.