15th June 2010

Where do I start? This was an extraordinary event, and I don’t say that just because I was leading the discussion on the night. John Jens and the team at Lamont’s in Cottesloe put together an amazing selection of wines. The fact that they served a meal and only charged $125 per person makes it an absolute bargain.

My suggestion is to get on to their mailing list as their tasting program is second to none. Keep an eye out for the upcoming champagne tasting. I will lead the discussion again and the wines are breathtaking.

Whilst it would be easy to rave about the near perfect Chateau D’Yquem 2003, the highlight for me was the 2000 vintage Leoville Las Case. This is one of the greatest cabernets I have ever tasted.

If you are interested, this tasting forms part of an ongoing series, so there are more of these to come.

Reviewed

In Order Tasted

Chateau Bernadotte – 2005 (16.8). This has lovely sweet and fragrant fruit on the nose. Really floral with a touch of spice. The palate is on the lighter style, dominated by fresh, plumy fruit and a touch of cedar. Good drinking. (Haut Medoc).

Clos du Marquis – 1996 (17.9). More leather here, reflecting the bottle age. Really supple, quality fruit with spice, earth, tar and some herbal characters. Starting to drink very well. (St. Julien). This is not a second wine of Leoville Las Cases, this is from a different vineyard entirely.

Chateau Lafleur Petrus – 2006 (18). Surprisingly masculine for a Pomerol. Really lovely nose on this. Blackcurrant fruit is supple and rounded and there is a whiff of vanillin oak too. The palate is structured, firm, closed and tight. Develops floral fruit with air. There are plenty of tannins and oak, but these are very fine and elegant. (Pomerol).

Chateau Montrose – 2005 (18.5). Wow, this is good! Floral characters tend towards Violets. There is also leather and spice, but this wine is all about power and structure. The palate is fantastic! Very tight and long, this is very structured and intense. The fruit is fantastic, but it needs 10-20+ years to open up. (2nd Growth – St Estephe).

Chateau Palmer – 2003 (18+). From a very warm year, this is classic Margaux. Really seductive and much more approachable than the Montrose. While the fruit is silky and supple, this is still very structured. Excellent oak supports the quality finish. (Margaux).

Chateau Pichon Lalande – 2006 (17.8). A complex wine that has more of the earthy characters than some. The palate is quite complete with plenty of leather, earth and mocha notes. The tannins and oak are more dominant, and the fruit less ripe. May take years to come around. (Pauillac).

Chateau Pontet Canet – 2001 (18.5). Very fragrant yet with understated power. The nose has complex dark fruits, leather and earthy notes. The palate is supple, and has a spicy edge to the lovely fruit. The very long finish is starting to show some bottle age. (Pauillac).

Chateau Pichon Longueville – 1995 (18.5). A powerful wine that is developing a lovely leathery/savoury note to the floral fruit. The palate is silky, elegant, long, textured and really refined. This is a beautiful wine that will last for many years. (Pauillac).

Chateau Leoville Las Cases – 2000 (18.9). A gorgeous nose. This is a classic case of having an iron fist inside a velvet glove. The fruit is tremendously shy and at 10 years, this is just starting to hint at its potential. The palate is seamless and stunning. A great wine and one of the best cabernet based wines I have ever tasted! (St Julien).

Chateau Latour – 1985. (Cork Tainted).

Chateau Palmer – 1985 (18.5). A lovely developed nose with leather and spice. The palate is fantastic. Fragrant, floral, spiced, mellow and supple. At 25 years of age, a lovely aged claret. (Margaux).

Chateau du Pavillon – 2005 (16.5). Fresh apricot and musk. The palate has almond grip to the sweet fruit. Not complex but a good drink.

Chateau Guiraud – 2005 (18+). Closed and a touch sulphurous on the nose. The palate is a revelation. Classic orange peel, marmalade and marzipan fruit with tremendous length and structure. Will score higher in years to come.

Chateau Suduiraut – 2004 (18). Still tight, but a more restrained style compared to the Guiraud. The finish is spot on and the complexity builds. Great length and has a long future.

Chateau D’Yquem – 2003 (19). A gorgeous wine with stunning floral fruit that opens, evolves and builds for an age. The palate has immense power and structure, and the length is like no other. The flavours evolve in the mouth and never seem to end. Arguably the greatest estate in all of Bordeaux and possibly the world. At $650 per bottle, this is a bargain!