In Vino Veritas & Baron Philippe Rothschild

Monday, the 9th of December, was highlighted by one of the last In Vino Veritas wine tastings before Christmas and oh what a tasting it was! Once again I was accompanied by Miki San. The private tasting room at Legrand Filles & Fils in the center of Paris, where this Prestige event was hosted, was beautiful. Xavier de Eizaguirre, the Managing Director of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, guided us through a wine journey, tasting six of the many gems that make up the Rothschild dynasty. All bottlings were Grands Crus or the local equivalent. Due to the strong combination of interplay and contrast between the bottles, I felt a family begin to form. As such I’ve noted below the role each member played within the Rothschild family. The Opus One took the gold in my humble opinion, but this was certainly a very close, highly contested and highly subjective contest, as is any in the world of Captain’s List wines. All wines presented intense complexity and an ever evolving and expressive finish.

The Husband: 2003 Château D’Armailhac 5ème Cru Classé (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
Price: $35
Nose: big, strong black fruits, earth and dirt; leather, tar, blackberry, plum, herbal notes in the background
Palate: tight tannins, acidic, fresh black berries, blueberries, secondary notes of chocolate
Conclusion: A big, solid and complex wine.
Rating: 16/20

Wine Spectator 91 Rating: Loads of currant, berry and light toasted oak on the nose with hints of milk chocolate. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a medium-long finish. Thick texture. Nicely crafted and balanced. Best after 2011. 15,000 cases made. -JS

The Wife: 2003 Château Clerc Milon Grand Cru Classé (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
Price: $70
Nose: very floral with primary notes of rose; tobacco, vanilla, black berries, cassis, chocolate
Palate: strong dark chocolate and tobacco; black fruit, leather, cloves, secondary notes of cranberry
Conclusion: A very classy and elegant wine, dominated by flowers on the nose and chocolate on the palate.
Rating: 17/20

Wine Spectator 93 Rating: Loads of licorice and currants follow through to a full-bodied palate, with lots of refined tannins and a long, long finish. This is very structured and layered. Beauty. Better than the 2000. Best after 2010. 8,330 cases made. -JS

The Older Sister: 2005 Domaine de Baron’Arques (Limoux, Languedoc-Roussillon)
Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Malbec and Syrah
Price: $35
Nose: Dark fruit, bitter, vanilla, rose, plum, red fruit, cherry, leather, tertiary notes of citric flesh
Palate: strong coffee and dark chocolate; spice, black cherry, plum, nice tannins, medium-bodied
Conclusion: Progressively more elegant and subtle as the glass opened up.
Rating: 16+/20

Wine Spectator 87 Rating: Well-structured, with olive, red berry and fresh savory notes. Crisp finish of mocha and spice. Drink now through 2011. 6,000 cases made. -KM

The Younger Brother: 2001 Viña Concha y Toro, Viña Almaviva (Puente Alto, Maipo)
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc
Price: $85
Nose: spice, chocolate, subtle earth, game, and molasses, Thanksgiving cranberry salad after about 30 minutes in the glass
Palate: strong red meat, milk chocolate, Marciano cherry and plum; molasses, vanilla, red fruit
Conclusion: A very fruit forward, big wine.
Rating: 17/20

Wine Spectator 95 Rating: This brick house of a wine shows plenty of Pauillac-like hints of iron, dried currant and cigar smoke, but also has layers of Chilean loam, blackberry, plum, spice and minerals. A powerful performance in a powerful vintage. Best from 2005 through 2012. 15,000 cases made. –JM

The Family Lawyer: 2001 Robert Mondavi, Opus One (Napa Valley, California)
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec
Price: $180
Nose: Loads of black fruit, plum, velvet, third tier rose, leather and graphite pencil shavings; massive Hershey’s milk chocolate bar after about 30 minutes in the glass
Palate: Strong red meat, blackberries, and blueberries; molasses
Conclusion: A big and powerful, yet quite approachable fruit bomb.
Rating: 18/20

Wine Spectator 90 Rating: Bordeaux-like in its structure and balance, showing cedary oak, dusty berry, dried currant and mineral, with hints of herb and sage. The flavors firm up on the finish, and this is rich and intense without being heavy. Needs decanting. Best from 2009 through 2015. 22,000 cases made. –JL

The Grandpa: 1995 Mouton Rothschild 1er Cru Classé (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec
Price: $330
Nose: Very strong earth and sense of terroir; wood, rocks, red meat, secondary notes of cedar, tobacco, and leather;
Palate: Strong filet mignon; blood, tight tannins, black fruit, cassis
Conclusion: A very nostalgic, wise, and comfortable, old wine, reminiscent of the old barn on my Grandma’s farm.
Rating: 17/20

Wine Spectator 94 Rating: Aromas of ripe fruit and grilled meat follow through to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a long caressing finish. Very beautiful wine. Mouton shows finesse yet richness in this vintage.–’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2007. -JS

Anecdote: I’m in the midst of a mini nervous breakdown because I’m trying to figure out how the heck to etch out the finishing touches on The Grand Crew blog site design, before the formal launch. And let’s just say I’ve ran into some kwirks! So I’ve got all this unneeded stress brought on by my wine obsession, combined with the more legitimate stress due to all the MPA final papers approaching their due dates, and the Christmas vacation hiding just around the corner.