The 2001 Troplong Mondot was the winning bottle in the September installment of Pick My Next Bottle. In actuality the Troplong Mondot tied with Cos d’Estournel but yours truly was more excited to try the Troplong Mondot. I promise a Bottle Note on the Cos in the near future. The wine was decanted for an hour and served with steaks.…
The 2003 Sociando-Mallet was the winning bottle in the May Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for two hours and served with steaks. Chateau Sociando-Mallet is a 225-acre estate in St.-Seurin-de-Cadourne, which is part of the Haut-Medoc appellation just north of the city of Bordeaux. It has been owned since 1969 by Jean Gautreau. After many…
The May Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2003 Bordeaux. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published shortly thereafter. We all know…
The 1998 Pavie Macquin was the winning bottle in the November Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for 30 minutes and served with a Tri-Tip roast. Chateau Pavie-Macquin gets its name from Albert Macquin, its 19th century owner. His descendants, the Corre-Macquin family, still own the 37-acre estate, which is in the Right Bank appellation of…
The November installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Bordeaux from the 1998 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published the following…
Château Haut-Marbuzet is in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Haut-Médoc. Its origins date back to the 18th century. The estate was acquired in 1952 by Hervé Duboscq. Today, his son Henri Duboscq is the winemaker and owner of Haut-Marbuzet. The Chateau is in some rarified air located between Chateau Cos d’Estournel and Montrose, the vineyard covers 61 hectares (150 acres)…
The 2000 Branaire Ducru was the winning bottle in the September installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for two hours and paired with a hearty beef stew. Chateau Branaire Ducru is a Fourth Growth Bordeaux according to the official classification of 1855. The 123-acre estate is in St.-Julien on the left bank of the Gironde River.…
The September installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Bordeaux from the heralded 2000 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. 2000 was simply one of the best vintages ever in Bordeaux. It was the first vintage…
Purchased by Gerard Perse in 1998, Chateau Pavie, a Premier Grand Cru Classe B, has since become one of St.-Emilion’s most noted wines. A former cyclist who made his fortune with supermarket chains, Perse in the last decade has modernized and updated the estate with a major replanting program in the vineyards and by totally remodeling the cellars. Perse also…
The 1996 Lynch Bages was the leading vote getter in January’s Pick My Next Bottle survey. The winery is located in Pauillac, and is designated a 5th growth as determined by the classification of 1855. At release time, the wine received a rating of 93 points from the Wine Advocate. I purchased this bottle on release and the cork was in…