- Location
- Deep South of Cambridgeshire
Yes, well plenty of room for other events! Maybe, based on Gareth's post, it should be wines from 2003 from regions beginning with B!
I guess that would allow Bekaa Valley....
TN 2003 wines at twenty years of age.
- Thread starter Andy Leslie
- Start date
I guess that would allow Bekaa Valley....
- Location
- London
I have also found the Pegau to be very enjoyable throughout its life - much better than than the Clos des Papes which has only recently, finally, seemed to have started to sort itself out. I agree with Steve re the DP03 and when had alongside Nyetimber BdB 03 in 2021, I much preferred the latter! I have found Bordeaux 03 to be extremely variable from hard underripe wines to lush, rich, sweet and warm - I do wonder how much some of the notes on CT are swayed by the label .... The two red Burgs I own have both been somewhat dark and intense but were also very popular amongst the non-wine enthusiast crowd - Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux and Grivot Clos Vougeot.
- Location
- Loughton, Essex
Leoville Poyferre 03 is cracking with a steak. May well fall off a cliff 5 years or so from now, but for the moment, it’s exactly what you’d want with a big slab of red meat, IMO.
- Location
- Berkshire
The Bordeaux 03 dinner was being arranged late last year but then got postponed. As Ian mentions above.. it’s on their radar to resurrect soonish. Nothing has been scheduled yet.
- Location
- Yorkshire
I have two left I will open one in the near future and report back.
- Location
- London
We will keep you posted @Sean Hardon - there has been a long tradition of informal Bordeaux dinners at Piccolino behind Liverpool Street station for many years among mainly London forumites but all are welcome. Nobody is excluded.
- Location
- Deep South of Cambridgeshire
That reminds me - I gave Piccolino a £100 deposit last year in anticipation of a Treloar offline. That got cancelled, but of course I never got my £100 back - fair enough, as it's a deposit, I suppose, but hopefully it can be used against something else. If anyone's thinking of organising something there, let me know!
Actually, I might try asking them for it back. No harm in trying.
Actually, I might try asking them for it back. No harm in trying.
- Location
- London
It is a good venue for off lines Alex - so you could do your wider 2003 theme there for example.
- Location
- Deep South of Cambridgeshire
If you actually get the private room, yes.
- Location
- Staffordshire
I thought I ought to check in on 2003 Medoc to see the state of play.
2003 Chateau Leoville Las Cases. Decanted two hours prior to drinking. Deep, impenetrable colour, no fading at the rim. Classic blackcurrant nose with some hint of menthol. Blackcurrant Tunes throat sweets on the palate, ripe sweet fruit with a slightly medicinal note. The tannins are unobtrusive and there is no surplus of oak. It is fresher than I had anticipated and wears its 13% alcohol well. It is still remarkably young, and I would think that is still on a long upward curve.
Certainly a pleasant surprise.
- Location
- South Africa and UK
The 2003 Montrose I had a few months ago, was somewhat similar to your description Edward of the LLC. Have a case or two but suspect I will be long gone before it is anywhere near ready. May end up like the 89, which still needs time .
- Location
- Edmonton, Canada
It so happens that I have a 20 year-old wine on the tasting bench, a 2003 Quinta do Crasto Reseva Old Vines. I will have to check what else I have in the cellar.
- Location
- London
Interesting-I remember that wine at three years old and at fifteen years old. I really enjoyed the energy of the young wine but the teenager was grimly undrinkable.
- Location
- Leicestershire
Certainly when it comes to Bordeaux there is no sign of wines from this vintage falling apart as some predicted in the early years.
- Location
- UK
Henschke Mt Edelstone 2003 - Cork v Stelvin
This is my favourite South Australian wine, even over Hill of Grace from back then - could be different with recent vintages tho. A real shame at the price of MtE these days - well out of my price league. Both wines double decanted for sediment although the thrown sediment seemed to be in similar amounts. I’d (for no particular reason) thought the screw cap bottle would have shown less (less oxygen, less sediment???). Hard to tell at any rate - but see the photo. The first pour was spectacular with seemingly little difference between the two with violet notes to the fore. However… with air, beyond 30 minutes… clear differences.
2003 Henschke Mt Edelstone (cork)
Lighter to the eye. Sensual fragrance. Medium-bodied this really is a fabulous bottle and in perfect condition at 20 years. This has lost most of its primary fruits, with blackcurrant/violet/spice/coffee grounds, this is a seriously complex wine. Ends with decent acidity, resolved tannins and a persistent finish with tremendous intensity. A long and complex wine that shows the positive added development the cork gives (unless it s corked - lol) There are at least 10+ years of development left here. A superb bottle edging it on complexity alone. 14.5% 94pts
2003 Henschke Mt Edelstone (screw cap)
Darker in every respect. Colour, development, complexity. It seems a little more full-bodied compared to the cork. Like a brother from another mother. More unresolved oak in this poking over the primary red/blackcurrant/black cherry fruits and somewhat less subtle in every respect despite the many similarities. I like this a lot texturally. Some game/gravel/peppery spice swirling around too. Tannins/acidity still balanced although backward compared to the cork version. Could do with 20 years in the cellar. Slightly young overall. 14.5% 92pts
This is my favourite South Australian wine, even over Hill of Grace from back then - could be different with recent vintages tho. A real shame at the price of MtE these days - well out of my price league. Both wines double decanted for sediment although the thrown sediment seemed to be in similar amounts. I’d (for no particular reason) thought the screw cap bottle would have shown less (less oxygen, less sediment???). Hard to tell at any rate - but see the photo. The first pour was spectacular with seemingly little difference between the two with violet notes to the fore. However… with air, beyond 30 minutes… clear differences.
2003 Henschke Mt Edelstone (cork)
Lighter to the eye. Sensual fragrance. Medium-bodied this really is a fabulous bottle and in perfect condition at 20 years. This has lost most of its primary fruits, with blackcurrant/violet/spice/coffee grounds, this is a seriously complex wine. Ends with decent acidity, resolved tannins and a persistent finish with tremendous intensity. A long and complex wine that shows the positive added development the cork gives (unless it s corked - lol) There are at least 10+ years of development left here. A superb bottle edging it on complexity alone. 14.5% 94pts
2003 Henschke Mt Edelstone (screw cap)
Darker in every respect. Colour, development, complexity. It seems a little more full-bodied compared to the cork. Like a brother from another mother. More unresolved oak in this poking over the primary red/blackcurrant/black cherry fruits and somewhat less subtle in every respect despite the many similarities. I like this a lot texturally. Some game/gravel/peppery spice swirling around too. Tannins/acidity still balanced although backward compared to the cork version. Could do with 20 years in the cellar. Slightly young overall. 14.5% 92pts
- Location
- Dorset, England
Thanks for the report, Phil.
A TN from 2 years ago.
Probably my favourite Oz Shiraz, even over the big guns. Regretfully, price rises over past decade have prohibited me purchasing more.
I was contemplating opening our final bottle ('04) as part of our celebrations this weekend, but re-racked as I'm not ready to let go.
Edit: For our past two celebrations, one of the wines opened has been Edelstone. The 2002 last year was as good as wine gets.
A TN from 2 years ago.
- 2003 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (17/01/2021)
Blood red, near opaque; a blast of black fruits, beefy; full throttle, huge, power packed; tremendous attack on the finish. All too much of a good thing? (91 pts.)
Probably my favourite Oz Shiraz, even over the big guns. Regretfully, price rises over past decade have prohibited me purchasing more.
I was contemplating opening our final bottle ('04) as part of our celebrations this weekend, but re-racked as I'm not ready to let go.
Edit: For our past two celebrations, one of the wines opened has been Edelstone. The 2002 last year was as good as wine gets.
- Location
- London
Interesting. I think I’d go Mt Langi Ghiran over any of them. There’s probably a Hunter red that I haven’t yet tried that might be better still, but that would be more a hometown decision of the heart over the head…
- Location
- Holmfirth
Thanks for the write-up, Phil. I well remember the photo you posted years ago of umpteen boxes of Henschke wines that you’d just had delivered. As I recall it, they were stacked maybe 6 cases high and there were several stacks. Hill of Grace featured, I think. Canny buying on your part. Nice that you’re now reaping the rewards.
I thought this TWS tasting note on a wine sold years ago was interesting - wonder if anyone's tried a bottle?
Domaine Jean Grivot, Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Pruliers 2003
Harvested after the great heat had abated, this is a great 2003, unusually big and rich for Burgundy (due to the earliest and hottest vintage for about 500 years) yet neither raisiny nor dry. It is underscored by ripe tannins which support its great density and power and will ensure it of a great future. It may resemble the great long-lived 1947 Burgundies.
Domaine Jean Grivot, Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Pruliers 2003
Harvested after the great heat had abated, this is a great 2003, unusually big and rich for Burgundy (due to the earliest and hottest vintage for about 500 years) yet neither raisiny nor dry. It is underscored by ripe tannins which support its great density and power and will ensure it of a great future. It may resemble the great long-lived 1947 Burgundies.
- Location
- NW England
Thanks for that Phil. I agree: Mount Edelstone has always excited me more than HoG.
- Location
- NW England
2003 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No. 13, Kurt Hain
Bright, clear yellow gold, not looking as mature as I was expecting.
Lightish riesling nose. Some peach; some apple, some honey and good wet-paving-stone-across-the-road-from-the-petrol-station minerality.
Well, what a lovely, suprisingly fresh Spätlese. Gentle sweetness perfectly balanced by the acidity. There's even still a little bit of spritz.
Really together and in a lovely place.
(Sorry about the black spot - I think the lens on my phone's camera must have a scratch, as not even IPA* will clear it.)
(*Isopropyl alcohol of course, not India Pale Ale.)
Bright, clear yellow gold, not looking as mature as I was expecting.
Lightish riesling nose. Some peach; some apple, some honey and good wet-paving-stone-across-the-road-from-the-petrol-station minerality.
Well, what a lovely, suprisingly fresh Spätlese. Gentle sweetness perfectly balanced by the acidity. There's even still a little bit of spritz.
Really together and in a lovely place.
(Sorry about the black spot - I think the lens on my phone's camera must have a scratch, as not even IPA* will clear it.)
(*Isopropyl alcohol of course, not India Pale Ale.)
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- Location
- London
Very interesting-did Henschke promote this comparison at the time? I'm not at all surprised that they are so different. I wonder if another screwcapped bottle opened on the same occasion would have been identical-it is almost certain that another cork-sealed bottle would not have been.
- Location
- London
It would certainly be interesting to taste it now, Grivot did do very well in 03, but this sort of thing hasn't thus far matured as I hoped it might.
- Location
- Europe
EP I recall liking Grivot Vougeot 03 and Gouges LSG 03.
Not to mention Manfred Prum saying 03 reminded him of 59.
Not to mention Manfred Prum saying 03 reminded him of 59.
- Location
- Marlborough
A lot of people back then did the same wine in cork and screw cap for different markets. So there will be a few comparisons about. I'm sure someone like Henschke would have gone screw cap because they had bad experiences with corks.