On Friday afternoon I attended the BurdiGala Grand Tasting held at St. Bartholomew’s church in Manhattan. Thirteen Bordeaux producers each poured wine from the 2010 vintage as well as a couple of wines from older vintages. I think the marketing department should have come up with a different name for the event but it promised to be an excellent tasting.
At the church, the event was held in the restaurant, Inside Park. Tables were scattered all around the place and they had a cheese table and a pate table for nibbles.
I started the tasting at Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtese de Lalande. Their 2010 had a big perfume of dusty plums with silky fruit and tannins but young and needs time to come together. The 2009 was medium red with a nose of strawberry, tight and a little grapey. The 2008 was drinking nicely, medium red with violets on the nose, tight, dry and dusty with a long finish.
Chateaux Ducru Beaucaillou. The 2010 had a beautiful nose of earth and violets with tight but velvety fruit with nice acidity on the finish. Very approachable. The 2009 was dark red with a nose of stewed prunes. The 2000 was dark red with a nose of stewed fruit silky fruit but a bit harsh on the finish.
Chateau Pontet-Canet. The 2010 was dark red to black with graphite and red roses on the nose, good fruit with nice mouth coating tannin at the end. The 2006 was dark red with bright cherry and smoke on the nose, firm, velvety with approachable tannins on the finish. The 2000 was dark red with a nose of tar and cigar box, I thought the finish dropped off.
Chateau Clos d’Estournel. The 2010 was black in the glass with a nose of black cherry. The 2008 was a nice glass of wine, dark red to black with a gorgeous nose of camphor and black berries with silky graphite fruit and a balance long finish. The 2006 was black in color with a tight nose of violets, chunky and velvety, tight with a moderate to long finish.
Chateau Gruaud-Larose. The 2010 was black with a slightly closed nose of mint, tar and graphite with chunky, tight fruit. The 2007 was dark red with nose of green pepper with peppery, tight fruit. The 2004 had a beautiful nose of tar and camphor, very concentrated with velvet balanced fruit. I thought it was drinking perfectly now.
Chateau Ormes de Pez. The 2010 was dark black with a nose of black cherry. The 2005 was medium dark with a nose of stewed fruit. The 2003 was medium red with a nose of earthy berries with very tight fruit with the finish dropping.
Chateau Lynch-Bages. The 2010 was black and chunky and needed some more bottle time to come together. The 2006 was dark red to black with a closed nose and tight tannin. The 2003 was medium dark with a big perfumed nose of red roses and graphite with moderate fruit but with a very long finish. Tasty.
Chateau Palmer. The 2010 was black in color, deep and concentrated with firm tannins and acids on the balanced finish. The 1998 was dark red with an amber robe with a beautiful perfume of tar, cherry and smoke with a velvet smoke on the balanced finish. The 1990 was medium red with an amber robe with a nose of dried leaf, camphor and slate with silky and smokey fruit and a very long finish. Some nice wines all around.
Chateau d’ Issan. The 2010 was dark purple to black with black cherry on the nose with closed fruit at this time. The 2008 was dark purple with toasted oak and smoke on the nose with tight but concentrated rustic and earthy fruit with a balanced finish. Tasty. The 2006 was dark red to black with dusty violets on the nose with good concentration but I thought the fruit dropped a bit at the end.
Clos Fourtet. The 2010 was black with toasted black berries on the nose, inky, concentrated but young and needs time to come together. The 2008 was dark with a nose of toasted oak and petroleum with hard acids on the finish. The 2005 was dark purple with nose of camphor and stewed fruit with velvety fruit, firm and balanced with a long finish. Tasty.
Chateau d’Yquem. The 2009 and the 2007 were both light gold in color with saffron and wild mushroom and earth on the nose. I thought that the ’09 had higher sugar levels and a bit unbalanced than the 2007 . The 1996 was very dark gold in the glass with dusty saffron and forest floor on the nose with rich, mouth coating fruit and a very long finish. Could drink it all night.
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