Taking a look at some 2000 Bordeaux

[Comte Flaneur]

Last night at Piccolino behind London’s Liverpool Street Station a timely snapshot of the 2000 Bordeaux vintage. With one or two exceptions the wines showed well. It is a very good classical vintage and most wines are into their drinking windows

White starter

Latour Martillac 2015

Quite pungent – bit of sulphur – and tropical fruits; quite a luscious texture but with good acidity and the sauvignon blanc dominating, even though it is only 60% of the blend, the other 40% being semillon. Still youthful but these wines can be premox- afflicted so you take your chances – this was a good example, it tightened up a bit …90 pts

Latour Martillac 2017

Fresher than the 2015 with grapefruit notes overlaid with fresh basil and herbs. Not as lush as the 2015, and more youthful with pronounced acidity. Like the 2015 probably better with food, rather than drink more than a glass on its own…89

On to the main event

St-Emilion flight

Belair

Cool red fruits, perfect ripeness and balancing acidity, beautifully balanced, deft and not shouty, classic laidback Delbeck signature, 70% merlot 30% cabernet franc and 12.5% abv…92

La Gaffeliere

Cool merlot-dominated nose, good resolution, with a little more precision and flamboyance than the Belair, and very refined on the mid-palate, with limestone terroir expression; fabulous St-Emilion, also 70% merlot, 30% cab franc and 13% abv…93

Margaux Flight

Belair Marquis de l’Aigre

This ideally needs a lot of air (ideally 4-6 hours slow ox) and was slow out of the blocks and a bit bolshy to start with, and then it began to unfurl its wares, in whispers. Red berries and cranberries, tomato leaf, minerals, tobacco, chimney sweep, 1970s pub ashtray and chanterelles. This creeps up on you, and you have to focus on it – it was never going to blow the doors off or be a contender for the wotn but I found it quite fascinating and delightful. It is roughly 35% merlot, 35% cab sav, 20% cab franc, and 10% petit verdot and other varieties, 12.5% abv… 92

Lascombes

On the nose coffee/strong cappuccino. That is the oak. Lots of it. How many trees (or forests?) were sacrificed to make this wine? Ironically there is a good wine underneath gasping for air but it is smothered in oak. I could sip it but not really drink it…not sure how to score this…80-85? A blend of 58% cab sav, 35% merlot and 7% petit Verdot, 13% abv.

Rauzan Segla

Mocha and Margaux berries on the nose, tobacco notes, a very accomplished wine drinking well now, but still with a big tannic bite and grip, impressive - a blend of 61% cab sav, 36% merlot and 2% petit Verdot, 13% abv…92

St Julien flight

Beychevelle

Captivating on the entry with earth, mushrooms, tobacco and cigar box, spice and incense notes, which carry forward to the opulent palate with licorice and black currants, cedar and tobacco. This wine is fully mature and in a perfect place and an absolute joy to drink now. My wotn at least for current drinking. A blend of 49% cab sav, 38% merlot, 7% cab franc and 6% petit Verdot, and 13% abv…95

Branaire Ducru

More cabernet-dominated and less opulent and more linear than the Beychevelle this is nevertheless a class act, with perfect line and length. It is still quite restrained and youthful, and just into its drinking window, 70% cab sav, 24% merlot, 4% cab franc and 2% petit Verdot, 13% abv…92

Gruaud Larose

Glorious claret with a bit more oomph and lead in its pencil than its flight mates, full-bodied, dark fruited and complex. Very impressive and a much better bottle than the last one I tried. The wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec (1%).and 12.5% abv….95 and my third placed wine

Pauillac flight

Grand Puy Lacoste

Red fruited with tobacco leaf and still youthful with cabernet fruit to the fore. Good ripeness, but a bit simple and a bit of a dullard. It lacks precision and is quite austere and ungiving. If you have some probably best to hold on rather than drink now, but this will never be a great wine. It was exactly the same last time I tried it…a blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 2% cab franc and 13% abv….88

Pichon Baron

Very pure cabernet fruit of the very highest calibre – from that famous plot on the kink of the D2 shared with Latour and Leoville Lascases - and expression dominated by cassis. It is full-bodied and concentrated. Nicely integrated oak and beautifully harmonious. Best showing of this wine after a disappointment a few years ago. Could not find the blend but probably 70% plus cab sav and 13% abv. The classiest wine on the table and voted group wotn, my second….95

Pontet Canet

A late entrant into the fray and popped and poured. Intense laser-like red fruit - a hallmark of this estate’s wines around that time - modern with a hint of coconut, and not really recognisable as Bordeaux. But it is a good wine with some interesting mineral and incense notes. Also still quite primary and youthful. This is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot and 13% abv…91.

Sweet

Sigalas Rabaud

Quite a savoury, chewy and rustic style of Sauternes which I really enjoyed…91

[DavidG]

Nice report Ian.

BAMA is just a different kind of wine from most Bordeaux these days. It's so old school, takes time to develop in the glass, and requires your attention to enjoy it. But it repays that attention handsomely. It's like a jazz or complex classical piece in a program of more accessible pieces.

Gruaud, Pichon Baron, and Beychevelle sound wonderful. The only one of those I've had recently is the Gruaud, with similar results.

[marcs]

Nice to see the Pichon Baron doing so well.

[hautbrionlover]

I had the 2000 Pichon Baron recently and agree that it is a beauty

[Claudius2]

Ian
Your description of Lascombes is consistent with my experiences with this wine from the early 2000's. Like sucking on a wood stave.
I sent the 2000 and 2004 to auction many years ago and have never bought it since.

The 2020 (tried at the Union tastings) was not nearly as oaky as the above, but hardly set the world on fire against numerous other Margaux wines.
cheers
Mark

[greatbxfreak]

Dominique Befve arrived at Lascombes in 2004, when the new owner came in. The use of new oak has decreased significantly since then. He left in September 2023, and the new winemaker, Axel Heinz, vinified the 2023 vintage. This is a different Lascombes. I was confused about it, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

La Lagune 2000, tasted in April this year, was a beautiful wine. Angelus 2000, enjoyed at Logis de la Cadenne in April this year, was a mind-boggling experience with no trace at all of over-extraction and overripeness. I spent two weeks in Bordeaux in September 2000 and participated at the sorting table at La Croix St. Georges.

[marcs]

Ian
Your description of Lascombes is consistent with my experiences with this wine from the early 2000's. Like sucking on a wood stave.
I sent the 2000 and 2004 to auction many years ago and have never bought it since.

The 2020 (tried at the Union tastings) was not nearly as oaky as the above, but hardly set the world on fire against numerous other Margaux wines.
cheers
Mark

I’ve never thought much of Lascombes. Did a long vertical of them in DC, there were a few good solid wines in there but nothing great, and a lot of duds

[marcs]

Ian
Your description of Lascombes is consistent with my experiences with this wine from the early 2000's. Like sucking on a wood stave.
I sent the 2000 and 2004 to auction many years ago and have never bought it since.

The 2020 (tried at the Union tastings) was not nearly as oaky as the above, but hardly set the world on fire against numerous other Margaux wines.
cheers
Mark

I’ve never thought much of Lascombes. Did a long vertical of them in DC, there were a few good solid wines in there but nothing great, and a lot of duds