The Red Wines of Bordeaux

Class 5 was the most fun yet. Kevin Zraly says Bordeaux is his favorite region; the wines are highly collectible and can age well for 100 years. (The demand from Asia and other places is also pushing the prices up.) I never really think in those terms -- how can I have a wine cellar when I live on the 9th floor? But it's fun to daydream about. Here are some notes:

1. Blind: Earthy/dusty bouquet; very grape-y and tannic at first, "austere," very drying, almost to the point of cottonmouth; low fruit at the finish. It was a 2005 Mouton Cadet, the world's No. 1 selling Bordeaux, produced by Chateau Mouton Rothschild. $12.
2. Barons de Rothschild Reserve Speciale 2005 (Médoc): Deep ruby, almost magenta upon swirling; mossy, oaky aroma, started quite astringent with fruit showing up after half a minute; good balance. $18
3. Château Graysac 2003 "Cru Bourgeois" (Médoc): Plush red color with leafy/plum scent; fruity and balanced with a slight dryness over time, a soft finish. $18, a good value for wine from a classified chateau.
4. Château La Lagune 2003, "Grand Cru Classé" (Haut-Médoc): A shade of brick, woodsy, dried fruit smell; tannic to begin, acidic and drying toward the middle with a subtle ending. Complex. $47.
5. Sarget de Gruaud-Larose 2005 (Saint-Julien): Deep red with ruby edges; slightly musty, nutty aroma; a fruit-acid punch at the start, then dry, softening but a closed-in finish. "Tight." $25.
6. Château Gruard-Larose 2005 (Grand Cru Classé" (Saint-Julien): Black fruit/violet scents; bright and balanced, mellow after a minute. $62, "a good value" from a second-label wine from the chateau.
7. Château Haut Corbin 2000 "Grand Cru" (Saint-Emilion): Deep red with garnet edges; an open, floral, red fruit aroma; clean fruit taste, softer tannin, an elegant structure. A bit of sediment in this one, normal for a 9-year-old bottle. (For people who think they hate merlot, this one was 70 percent merlot, and my second-favorite of this tasting.) $35.
8. Blind: A cloudy red, with an overripe, almost fecal smell. This wine insulted my nostrils. Surprisingly, it did not taste nearly as funky as it smelled: a bit gamey, then a bit of fruit with an appealing finish.
9. Blind: Medium color; minerally, slightly musty scent with a hint of hay; oaky and balanced with a lingering fruity end.
10. Blind: A light garnet; herbal, raspberry notes, luscious fruitiness, with a smooth and velvety farewell. A wine of "finesse. My favorite of the class.
    

KZ played a game at the end: Were Nos. 8, 9 and 10 wines from the same vintage but different chateaux, or different vintages from the same chateaux? I guessed wrong; it was the first choice. And they were: No. 8, the stinky one, Château Belle-Vue 2001 (Haut-Médoc), $25. No. 9, Chateau Talbot 2001 "Grand Cru Classé" (St. Julien). No. 10, Chateau Margaux 2001 "Premier Grand Cru Classé" (Margaux), $450 (!).
I had been tasting and spitting. Not for No. 10. Sigh. The high point of wine school (so far).