If commentary isn't your "thing", you might want to skip this and scroll down to the wine review.
Before I talk specifically about this wine, I need to comment and WARN the readers of the New Hampshire Wine-man blog that I've grown biased, I'm crazy, or I'm just about right in rating these Bordeaux wines. My last review scored a Bordeaux red wine 82 points (almost as low a score as I've ever given), but my average score of a red Bordeaux wine is just over 90 points. So, how do you trust what I've said about them? Issues of palate, bias, and familiarity (what you are use to) and expectation must play a role here. When I taste a wine, something in my brain, after considering and evaluating, says: "Compared to so and so, this wine is this much better or worse than that wine." Not scientific, but it is a method.
I say these things, because I want to give the best advice I can to those who read this blog.
It is said that wine is subjective, and to some greater or lesser degree that is true, but there is a place for objective value to wine that goes beyond the subjective and is founded, like mathematics, on consensus reality and is grounded in truth, unless you've had too much to drink, or, no offense to our solipsist friends and the Matrix has you, you are asleep.
Château Clarke Baron Edmond De Rothschild Listrac Médoc 2009 Bordeaux received mediocre scores from almost everyone, but I did notice the WS's barrel-score was 90-93 points which are in my ballpark.
To the wine:Château Clarke Baron Edmond De Rothschild Listrac Médoc 2009 Bordeaux, $39.09-$45.99, 93 points, began at the core almost opaque ruby and trended purple black-currant toward the clear rim.
Floral sweet red cherry and cigar are aromatically beautiful.
The near full bodied red wine carries bright acidity and persistent grainy tannin.
Here's where I think the low scores come from: Flavors of earthy plum, black cherry, and boysenberry are subtle, even as are the cola, cigar, and coffee flavors (the whole is greater than the sum of the parts).
Kahlua® and an intensifying spice, finish this fine wine.
Bordeaux Red Wine vintage 2009
Index-of-reviewed-wines
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Dennis,
ReplyDeleteYour method produces some awesome tasting notes and spot-on scores, so don't change it :).
Nick
Thanks Nick! I'm not sure I could change; what changes is the tasting experience: as you, I, and we have a growing tasting lexicon, it becomes more refined, yet I would always want to open a wine with childlike-first-time apprehension of it. I know, TMI;-)
DeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteYour commentary is appropriate. I always tell people that tasting notes are subjective, but I try to review wines objectively - meaning that the wine is fundamentally good or bad. If I love it, I say so. If something is technically wrong with the wine, I say so. But equally as important, is that a wine could be technically good, but just not be my style. Several types of wines have different styles and while I may not enjoy that, I try to express that the wine is well made regardless.
Kudos to you for being on board.
J
John, you said it way better than I did:-) Thanks, and I agree with you and I think , if I may be so bold, our styles are very similar.
Delete