Going Back to the Roots, the Terroir, the Reliable

Running through the aisles of my local wine store, I wanted to pick out something different, something I haven’t tried yet. Burgundy? Brunello? German Riesling? Naw, not feeling the sweet stuff tonight. After browsing through the above categories, nothing seemed to have jumped up at me. Either the selection wasn’t that great or the prices were too much for a simple tasting. So what do I do? Go back to the roots, the terroir, the reliable – Bordeaux.

2003 Ségla, Margaux

Ségla is the second label for Chateau Rauzan Ségla, located in Margaux. The vineyard at Chateau Rauzan-Ségla supports 51 ha of vines, with a dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) and Merlot (35%), with 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin is Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, of which there are typically 8000 cases produced per annum. Rigorous selection is essential, ensuring that only the choicest portion of the harvest goes into the Grand Vin, the rest going into the second wine, Ségla.

Decanted for about 4 hours, the 2003 Ségla had a perfume that was undeniably sexy – sporting a dark garnet core with ruby rims, the Ségla had a nose full of scorched earth, dirty straw, manure, and oak. Upon more sniffing, smoke, cigar and hints of herbal notes come into display. On the palate, the wine has an amazing finish – roughly 30 seconds in length. Tannins still present, yet the wine is quite smooth. Speaking of the finish, I get dark cherries and hints of mint. Although the 2003 vintage was not a fantastic vintage for Margaux, the Ségla still displays good texture and complexity.

I decided to try a glass that is not decanted – freshly popped and poured. Wow, is it different on the nose!! Not as mature and dense as the decanted glass – the freshly poured glass displays a nose of fresh spring dirt and wet maple leaves. It’s almost as if you walked through a forest on a misty, foggy morning. Quite beautiful indeed. On the palate, much more tannic than the decanted glass, therefore, a little muted; but the finish is still quite nice. Fantastic!

If this is only the second label, can you imagine the Grand Vin!? Luckily, I have a 2005 Chateau Rauzan-Ségla slumbering . . . waiting to be awaken in about 20 years!

The 2003 Ségla is ready to drink now, but can probably benefit with another 3-5 years of cellaring and should last for another decade. What an enjoyable evening! Like I said, when in doubt, go back to the roots, the terroir, the reliable – Bordeaux. 90+ pts

Tasting Notes: Holiday Wines 2009

I tasted a few bottles over the holidays (span of 2 weeks or so). A few CA, one Spanish and a few Bordeaux. Here are the tasting notes! Enjoy!

2006 Daglia Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon
Decanted for about an hour. Nose of cherries and blackberries. Flavors of spice and hints of vanilla. Opened up more in the glass as the night went on – smooth finish. 87 pts

2006 Montoya Cabernet Sauvignon
Popped and poured. At first, nose of cassis and that was about it; very tight. Flavors of very mild fruits and charcoal? Revisited the following night and boy did the wine open up. Nose had great fruit, some dried roses and vanilla. Palate full of blackberries, hints of cherries, cedar and for some reason . . . potpourri. For $10 . . . not bad at all. 88 pts

2005 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve
Upon opening, nose was muted. Decanted for about 1.5 hours and aromas of cherries came through. After taking 2 lengthy sips . . . chocolate!! Definitely chocolate on the finish! Also revisited the next night; much better . . . fuller wine now with nose of ripe cherries, cinnamon, and hints of new leather. Chocolate again dominated the finish. Could probably benefit with 3+ years of cellaring. 90 pts

2007 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay CHX
Bought it during my visit to Mondavi Winery in August of 2009. $32. Nose of honeysuckle, Asian pear, golden apples . . . bits of tangerine? Smells great, I must say . . . On the palate, crisp golden apples again and hints of vanilla. Very, very mild oak. Short to medium finish. For $32, I don’t think I’d buy it again. Nose is really refreshing though. A nice glass for a hot summer day, paired with crackers, cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese! 86+ pts

2004 Lan Rioja Reserva
Decanted for about an hour. Nose of earth, spice, crushed rocks, crushed rose petals and . . . herbs? Let me get one more sniff. Seems like something between mints and leafy greens. Anyways, rich flavors I must say – ripe fruits, mainly plums and cherries. A bit oaky, but nice balance; smooth finish. 87 pts

2005 Chateau Cruzeau
Popped and poured at a family get together. Really needed at least 4+ hours decant. Nose really tight – didn’t get much except bitter tannins. No fruit for me here. Couldn’t detect any fruits in the first few sips . . . maybe blueberries? I poured some more in the glass and went upstairs and set it on a remote table (so little kids wouldn’t spill it). Came back after 5 hours. Now we’re talking! Nose of tobacco, cedar and leather. Opened up much more here . . . palate included, yup, blueberries for sure this time, and cherries. Nice wine – but really needs time. 88 pts

2005 Chateau De Rochemorin
Popped and poured at dinner. Why do I keep doing this to the 2005s? Tight, as expected. Didn’t even bother to really try it until 2 hours later. Better showing now with nose full of cedar, leather and smoke. Lots of leather more than anything else. Flavors of cherries and vanilla – the finish was actually a bit spicy . . . interesting. Revisited the next night – and once again, leather dominated the nose, but this time, some floral scents lingering . . . nice. Cherries and cassis are definitely there. For $19, a great 2005 Bordeaux! 89 pts

2005 Chateau La Louviere
Decanted for 1 hour. Probably should have left it there for another 3 hours. Anyways, another great 05 example. Like the 2005 Chateau De Rochemorin, lots of leather in the nose followed by cassis. Cherries, plums, toasted oak and dried roses. Still reserved after 4 plus hours. Nice finish, has decent length, although not very smooth at this moment. Needs at least 10+ years. 89 pts

2000 Chateau La Louviere
Double decanted and brought to restaurant. Nice earthly aromas along with blackberries, hints of cherries; leather was there as well. Palate began with smooth texture with chocolate showings towards the end. Fruits were present along with crushed rocks. The wine evolved throughout the dinner, reaffirming the above notes. The cherries became more dominant and boy, did the chocolate really begin to show itself. Nice smooth finish. Very nice. 91 pts

Happy New Year everyone!!