The 2000 vintage was magnificent in Bordeaux, properties on both sides of the Gironde produced wines with power and great longevity. Many will continue to develop for decades to come, however here are three which are perfect for drinking now.
Saint Emilion and Pomerol are always firm favourites with customers so we were delighted when we got hold of this small parcel of fully mature wines. Having originally been purchased en primeur, since release they have been stored in perfect conditions (by Octavian Vaults).
Chateau La Pointe, Pomerol 2000 – £55 or £50 in a mixed case.
At just one seventh the size of neighbouring St-Emilion, the wines of Pomerol are rare and highly sought after. With no formal system of classification the wines must speak for themselves and the most famous examples sell for four figure sums. Merlot is the undisputed king of this tiny appellation and makes up the majority of the wine. This high proportion of Merlot gives the wine it’s fleshy, plummy fruit character and appealingly plump mouth feel. As you would expect, the tannins have softened with time and complexity has come with age. Notes of leather and pencil mingle with the preserved fruit and floral notes.
Chateau Grand Corbin St-Emilion, Grand Cru Classe, 2000 £40 or £36 in a mixed case.
Having been bought by the much smaller Chateau Haut Corbin in 2010 the property as it existed in 2000 is no more. The new enlarged estate continues to make wine as Chateau Grand Corbin utilizing fruit grown from both estates. Such is the nature of Bordeaux, much in contrast with the unmoving boundaries of Burgundies Grand Cru.
An important distinction must be drawn between wines labelled as Grand Cru and those designated Grand Cru Classe in St-Emilion. The latter represents a significant step up in quality and covers only 85 properties across the appellation. The term Grand Cru in St-Emilion is much more wide spread and covers many more properties, some of which rest on their laurels and produce wines not much above regular St-Emilion in terms of quality.
Chateau La Dominique St-Emilion, Grand Cru Classe, 2000 £68 or £62 in a mixed case.
In this trilogy of wines the La Dominique is the undoubted star of the show. A certain Mr Robert Parkerfelt that this could be the finest produced by the estate since the magnificent vintages of 1989 and 1990, and predicted that between 2004 and 2018 would be the best window in which to drink it
In addition we also have a few cases of the wines shown below.
Chateau Berliquet Grand Cru Classe 2005 – £42 or £37 in a mixed case.
Chateau Tour de Pin Figeac Grand Cru Classe 2005 – £35 or £31 in a mixed case.
Chateau Figeac Premier Grand Cru Classe 2006 – £100
Chateau Suduirat 1996 – £50 or £45 in a mixed case.
Don’t delay as stock of all these fine wines is very limited!
