Bob Perkins Consulting

December 2008 Wine Reviews

2004 Chateau Labegorce Margaux – As I mentioned last month, I am drinking the 2004’s from Bordeaux now as I continue to cellar my 2000’s and 2005’s.  This wine is wonderfully complex with good structure and great balance that has the fruit in the right mix.  I liked this wine very much even though I thought it was a little pricy at $30.

2004 Chateau de Barbe Blance is a delightful wine that is surprisingly approachable and affordable at just $20/bottle.  I liked this wine because it was complex and had a hint of barnyard, with more earth and structure than you would usually find for a young St. Emilion. 

2006 Bouquet des Garriguesle Clos du Caillou from Domaine VACHERON – POUIZIN  is a delightful, fruit forward wine from the Cote du Rhone.  This has the spice and earth of a typical Cote du Rhone but with more fruit on the pallet.  It is another great wine for under $20.

2005 Beaune du Chateau Premier Cru  is a Burgundy from Domaine Bouchard Pere en Fils.  I visited this Chateau several years ago in the lovely little town of Beaune, and they make consistently excellent wines.  This one is subdued in its intensity, but has great balance and is smooth on the pallet.  Again, this is a great wine for around $30.

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November 2008 Wine Review

As the holidays quickly approach it’s time to reach into the cellar and pull out those great wines you’ve been saving.  But if you haven’t been building your cellar there are still some great wines to enjoy.

Chateau Beycheville is one of my favorite wines and last week I opened the 1996 for some friends and it was awesome.  This is what great Bordeaux become after ten years.  It was complex across the pallet with a good balance of black fruit and barnyard that lingers on your tongue.  I wish I had more!

As I have mentioned here many times, 2005 was a stellar year in Bordeaux and those wines are being released now.   The best thing to do is buy more than you can afford and put them in your cellar until at lest 2015.  But if you must drink them now, I have two to recommend.

The first is the 2005 Saintayme – from St. Emilion.  This very nice wine is under $20 and is a good value.  It has nice hints of black fruit and slight earth tones that are pleasant enough on the pallet.

The other is 2005 Chateau Haut-Colombier from Cotes de Blaye.  This region is just across the Girond river from the Medoc and can produce excellent wines at much less the price of top Bordeaux.  This wine is slightly complex with new world big fruit, and some of the earth tones that make Bordeaux more interesting than your average new world fruit bomb.

For those of you looking for a great value, try the 2005 Vieux chateau Grean.  This is a very basic Bordeaux from the Medoc that is a little rough around the edges, but interesting for its price - under $15.  I took this to a dinner last night and loved it.

If you can still find wines from the 1995 vintage, check out the Chateau D’Armailhac. This is typical of what great Bordeaux becomes when it has aged.  This wine has big broad black fruit, leather, barnyard, mushroom, earth and incredible balance in just the  right amounts.  As is true for most great Bordeaux vintages this can last another ten years.  If you find it buy it

Last, but not least is another wine from one of my favorite wineries – Chateau Greysac.  I found – and bought – the last three bottles of the 2004 vintage at our nearby Total Wine store and it is outstanding.  This is by far the best wine for under $20 on the market.  It has good complexity, is approachable now and carries big black fruits with some layers of oak, hay and mushrooms.  I love this wine.

Four Great Bordeaux

The 1995 vintage in Bordeaux is a benchmark vintage and a classic example of what Bordeaux winemakers can do in a great vintage.  By this I mean that the wines are so dense and well-structured that they are only now beginning to be ready to drink, and in most cases can still lay down for another five to ten years.  I recommend two wines from this vintage this month and both are great representatives of the vintage.

1995 Chateau La Croix St. Vincent from Pomerol is an amazing wine.  It is multi-layered and changes several times as it opens up and breathes.  The wine begins with a big hit of black fruit, then changes to more oak and spice.  I bought this ten years ago and it will be very difficult to find now, but is worth looking for.

1995 Chateau Mazeris is another great wine from the same vintage.  One of the hallmarks of a great vintage is that even wines from the moderate price range can be great as they age.  This wine is elegant and complex and changes three times as it opens up. This wine is fairly available in the $30 - $40 range and is worth every penny.

2001 Chateau Mazeris the same wine as above, but from a different vintage.  We served both of these at a dinner party and could easily taste the dramatic difference between the vintages.  This does not have the same staying power as the 1995 but is ready to drink now and has great up front fruit that is followed on the pallet with subtle earth tones.  This is a great wine for the price at under $20.

I have recommended Chateau D’Armailhac many times in this space and again I want to mention the 2002 of this great wine.  Here is another excellent example of a very good wine in a mediocre vintage.  2002 was not a great year in Bordeaux, but the great wine makers still made very good wines.  This wine is elegant, complex and is drinking very well now.  These are the kinds of wines you can drink now while you are waiting for the great vintages to age.  You can find this for around $35/bottle and it is well worth it.


There is still time to join B&B’s French Wine Club and receive this year’s shipment.  We have eight fantastic wines for the club, plus an exceptional Burgundy that can be added to your order.  For more details check out the web site www.Bandbsfrenchwineclub.com or contact me.

September 2008 Wine Review

Wine Reviews August 1, 2008

1983 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande – 1983 is not known as one of the great vintages in Bordeaux, but there are wonderful wines in every vintage (even ’97) and this is one of the best from 1983.  This wine has beautiful fragrances of violets and black cherry on the nose and more earthy tones on the pallet.  It is drinking well now and probably won’t get much better over time.  If you can find it, buy it.

2001 Chateau Lafon-Rochet – This is one of my favorite values in Bordeaux.  The Chateau (painted bright mustard yellow) is located just down the street from Cos D’Estournel (a top Bordeaux) and while it is not as elegant or complex as the Cos, it has some of its neighbors qualities at a fraction of the price. The wine has softened since I last tasted it a year ago, and is more elegant with soft spice and slight earth tones on the pallet. I expect to see the price of this wine increase in the next couple of years as more people discover the great value.

2002 Le C de Camplong – Corbieres – 91 pts ‘Wine Spectator.  At the price point and the Wine Spectator recommendation I tried this wine and was pleasantly surprised.  It was really great with cigar box on the nose, and interesting spice on the pallet that softened as it opened up.  For only $15 in PA at the state store it is another good value.

2003 Ch. Segla  - This is the second wine of Ch. Razan Segla and it is typical of the ’03 vintage in its density and complexity.  I really loved this wine because in addition to its density it also has an elegance and finesse that is awesome.  This was one of those wines that I wanted to keep tasting over time because with each change it became more interesting.

2004 Ch. Ormes de Pez  - Wow, what a surprise.  This is a big dense wine with a fantastic nose that changed three times as it breathed over an hour and with each change became more fantastic.  I have been a little hesitant to try the ’04 vintage from Bordeaux, but this was a beautiful wine that surpassed my expectations.

2004 Souverain – For those of you looking for a reasonably priced California wine, you might want to try this big chewy wine that has good lingering black fruit, and soft tannins for under $20.  This is not a wine to cellar, or hope to change as it opens, but it is a big hit of dense fruit that makes a good first impression.

July '08 Wine Review

Summer’s here and the time is right for… White wine!

Now that the weather has heated up it is time to enjoy those cool whites on the patio or deck.

Some of my favorite white wines are from the Niagara Peninsula (there are over fifty wineries there now) and one of the things I enjoyed most about living in Canada was the ability to spend a day visiting the various wineries, eating a slow lunch and looking out on the vineyards in the Peninsula.  

My favorite white is a Jackson Triggs Chardonnay from their Delaine Vineyard, and I brought a case of the ’06 back from my last visit.  The ’06 is a little young and needs a couple of years in the bottle.  The ’04 however is a beautiful wine with elegant balance and flavors of  honeysuckle, butter, and slight acidy.  It is not over-oaked and is simply delightful.

For those of you who do not have access to the Canadian whites, there are two very good Chard’s that are also quite reasonable.

Chateau Ste. Michelle from Washington State makes a very drinkable Chardonnay for around $12.  It is slightly over-oaked, and has the big butter taste that dominates on the pallet, but I prefer this style so I enjoy this bargain. 

The other very inexpensive white is from Kendall Jackson.  This is another simple yet excellent Chardonnay that is easy to enjoy for the price.  This is slightly less oakey and buttery than the Ch. Ste. Michelle – for those of you that prefer that style – and it is missing the balance of the Jackson-Triggs.

Of course the best white I’ve had recently is the 2003 Vouvray Moelleux that we brought in as part of B&B’s French Wine Club.  For those members who have been keeping this in your cellar, now is the time to enjoy it.  This wine has wonderful flavors of sweet citrus in great balance and complexity.  The Moelleux is the sweeter version of Vouvray and is not made in every vintage.  I have never seen it available in any American store, so enjoy your allotment, but sparingly.

The Reds:

I attended a Yankees game in New York a couple of weeks ago and the two high school  kids in front of us started talking to us during the game.  In the process we discovered that one of the kids’ father was part owner of a French restaurant in Manhattan.  We visited Orsay after the game and it was fabulous  - a bit of Paris in NYC – with an outstanding wine list.  We ordered the reasonably priced 2001 Ch. Clarke to go with our duck and was impressed that the waiter really knew how to handle a good bottle of wine.  I had visited Ch. Clarke in 1999 and was mostly unimpressed by the wines at that time.  I knew they were making changes to upgrade the wine, and this is positive proof that they have succeeded.  The wine was absolutely beautiful with great complexity and soft tannins, I was still tasting it the next day.  I  has subdued barnyard, which doesn’t overpower the fruit yet keeps it from being a “one dimensional fruit bomb.”  If you can find this wine it will be well worth it.

The 2000 vintage from Bordeaux is getting close to being ready to drink.  I bought a bottle of 2000 Ch. Laroque from St. Emillion at the state store in Pennsylvania to see if the vintage was living up to its hype.  The wine is deep purple in color, dense across the pallet with flavors of black cherry, fig and hints of smoke.  I loved this wine and while a little pricy ($35) it is worth it.

I’ve gotten several calls recently asking me to recommend an inexpensive Bordeaux.  My favorite under $20 Bordeaux is Chateau Greysac.  They make a consistently good wine that is more interesting than any other wines at the same price point.  This is the wine I often take to gatherings when I want to introduce people to Bordeaux.

2000 Chateau Bois Malot – 2000 was an outstanding vintage in Bordeaux, so even producers at the lower end of the price scale have made some great wines.  While this wine won’t make anyone’s top ten, it is a great value for $11.  There is good fruit and oak balance and the wine is more interesting than many costing more.

In the under $10 category, I buy Mouton Cadet by the case. You get what you pay for in the wine world, but this is quite drinkable for the money.  Don’t expect greatness, but you can drink a glass of this every night (for your heart, of course) and not feel like you are breaking the bank.

June 2008 Wine Reviews

2003 Ch.  De France  2003 was the year of the heat wave in France that killed  a lot of people.  The heat made for very dense grapes and thus the 2003 vintage is big and quite fruity.  The 2003 Ch. De France is drinking nicely now, and shows good balance, and interesting structure along with its dense fruit.  It is slightly “new world” and is not particularly “barnyardy,” making it a good “introduction to Bordeaux” and a crowd favorite.

1998 Ch. Simard  - One of the interesting things about Chateau Simard is that they do not release their wine until 10 years after the vintage.  Good Bordeaux usually takes ten years to reach its peak, so with the Simard you typically get a wine that is ready to drink.  While I loved the ’90, the ’95 was disappointing for the vintage.  The ’98 is a very good wine in an otherwise light vintage.  It has the wet hay and oak flavors, with slight green pepper on the pallet, and is smooth and complex.  I really like this wine and serve it when I want to show a side of Bordeaux most people have never experienced.

2003 Les Fiefs de Lagrange – This is the second wine of Chateau Lagrange, and for regular readers you know how much I like the seconds.  There is great fruit on this wine, and is another example of the heat wave that made the ’03 vintage so big and dense.  The wine has a hint of tannins and good structure that lingers on your pallet.  This is a good value wine to drink now.

1995 Pavillion Rouge – Another  “second”  - this one from Chateau Margaux - is perfect now.  I have been waiting for the ‘95’s to be ready to drink and I think they have reached their time.  This wine has smooth tannins and the perfect balance you expect from a first growth.  Beautiful back fruits and hints of oak and smoke make this wine beautifully complex and a quintessential example of great Bordeaux.  The finish lingers on and on and I only wish I had another case of this fantastic wine.

2005 Coudoulet de Beaucastel – Still another “second” this time from the fabulous Chateau de Beaucaster in Chateauneuf du Pape.  This wine doesn’t get the Chateauneuf designation however, and is simply labled “Cotes du Rhone.”  Nonetheless, it is strongly reminiscent of it’s superior first label big brother and is a great value.  You can taste all of the elements of Beaucastel – the earth, spice and black olives -  but not in the intensity that the first label has.  For Cotes du Rhone fans this is a wonderful buy that still needs a little time in the bottle to reach its full potential.

April 2008 Wine Review

2003 Bel-Air Ortet:  In the quest for a reasonable Bordeaux for under $30 this is a great value.  It is a little light but has a great nose of oak and hay and is fairly complex on the pallet.  This wine got considerably better after it opened and was a great companion to steak.

2001 Clerc Milon:  This wine is from the Mouton Rotschild family of wines and you can taste the subtle elegance of it’s pricer sibling.  It has a beautiful nose with big fruit and soft barnyard and is a good buy in the under $60 range.

2001 Les Tourelles de Longueville:  This is the second wine of Ch. Pichon Longueville and is a great example of a second wine that is a good value. Typical of the vintage it is a little light, but good smoke, and mushroom are combined with black fruits that linger on the pallet.

2005 Des Eyrins: – A B&B’s French Wine Club selection from last year, I opened a bottle to see how it is tasting young.  At this point it is a great California wine, but in ten years it will be a terrific Bordeaux.  By this I meant that there is plenty of big fruit here, but also good structure and tannins that will develop over time and make this a blockbuster.  Wine Club members note – don’t open this until 2015!

1996 & 1998 Chateau Leoville Poyferre:  This was a classic vertical match up between two wines from the same producer in different vintages.  A friend came for dinner and brought the ’98 covered up so I couldn’t see the label.  I smelled the bouquet and said that it had all the elements of a great Bordeaux but on the pallet it was thin and while all the elements were still there, it dissipated from my pallet quickly.  I had the 1996 of this in my cellar so we opened it also to make the comparison.  The ’96 had a very similar nose, but on the pallet it was quite different.  The ’96 was big and dense with great complexity and depth that lingered on your tongue.  It was a true WOW!  One of the keys to buying quality wine is to know the  quality of the vintage of the wine you are buying.  The great vintages in Bordeaux are 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2005.  The vintages to avoid are 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997.  The other vintages are ok, but you must be selective as they vary from one chateau to another.

1998 Tourbrec: On the same evening my friend also brought over this very interesting wine from the Barossa Valley made of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier.  It took a while to open up, but when it did, it was reminiscent of a great Chateauneuf du Pape from the Rhone region of France.  It had lovely fruit and spice that lingered and lingered on my pallet - an exceptional wine, that everyone really loved.

2005 Mouton Cadet:  OK, for those of you looking for something that can be your “glass of wine every night” that won’t break the bank or cause you to gag, this inexpensive claret is just the thing.  At about $7 a bottle it is entirely likable and pleasant.  It won’t blow you away, but it also won’t kill your budget.

February 2008 Wine Review

February 2008 Wine Review

’05 Las Rocas – Spain, Garnach - $18 – Yes, I sometimes venture beyond La Belle Hexagon to try wines from other regions, and this wine from Spain is a lovely effort for less than $20.  There is a huge initial vanilla hit on the nose and pallet followed by black cherry in the background that lingers and is really lovely.  I liked this wine because it is interesting and different and is a great change of pace.

’03 Domaine de Courbissac, $16 – Minervois – This wine is from the Southern Rhone and is typical of the region.  It has lots of lovely spice and interesting blueberries that soften and become more complex over time – 3hours –as it opens and changes.  The wine is typically a little light, but like the Las Rocas it is something different if you are looking for a change of pace.

‘04 Chateau Labegorce Zede – I keep reading bad reviews of the ’04 vintage but continue tasting wines from the vintage that are excellent.  This is a beautiful wine that is drinking quite well now.  It is full bodied with a hint of licorice and spice that changed as it opened and the black fruit with hints of vanilla came through.  I’m not sure this is a wine to lay down for a long time, but it is a great choice now.

’04 Chateau Boyd Cantenac – I bought this wine on futures and opened it last week to see what the vintage was like, after reading several bad reviews of the vintage.  The wine is beautiful and I am rejoicing that I still have 11 bottles left.  Unlike the Labegorce Zede I think this wine will do very well with some aging.  It is dense, with big fruit and good tannins that linger on your pallet.  It has the terroir that is characteristic of great Bordeaux and changed three times as it opened up.

’05 Marquis Rocadour – This wine from Cahors is a great buy for under $10.  Cahors is southeast of Bordeaux and makes wines of a rougher nature than its neighbors.  This wine is very rough when it is first opened, but after an hour of breathing has a pleasant cherry and spice on the pallet.  This is not a great wine, but is a good value.

2000 Chateau St. Jean, Cinq Cepages – Sonoma, California – This is a beautiful wine that tries to be in the Bordeaux style.  Cinq Cepages means “five varietals,” and means that it is a blend of five different kinds of grapes.  This wine is still fairly one dimensional, but has excellent body, and good, big fruit on the pallet.

January 2008 Wine Review

I’ve been enjoying some great wines in the past couple of months and am thrilled to pass on to you the following recommendations.

I’ve said many times in this space that the great Chateaux make great wines even in off years.  Such is the case with the 2002 Pape Clement from the right bank of Bordeaux.  Brian (who owns the Wine Chateau in St. Louis) told me this was a great wine and that “the last sip is the best sip,” and he was right.  The wine is big and dense and changes three times as it opens and breathes.  It doesn’t have the lingering, staying power that wines from better vintages possess, but it is a great wine to enjoy now, and at $63/bottle is a very good value.

I opened the ’95 Chateau de Villambis for New Year’s and this wine has finally come into its own.  I visited the chateau last summer and was generally disappointed in their ’96 and ’01 vintages, but this particular vintage is outstanding.  The wine is big and dense with lots of rich flavors that will get even better with more time.  I bought this wine in Canada and haven’t seen it in the States, but my point is that the ‘95’s are beginning to be ready to drink but they still could use more time in the bottle.  If you have ‘95s in your cellar, patience is key here, because this great vintage is going to get even better in a couple of years.

The 2004 vintage is in stores now and I dipped into my cellar to see how they are tasting.  I believe the vintage is going to be better than originally scored.  We opened the ’04 Boyd-Cantenac from the Margaux region of Bordeaux and it was fantastic.  It fills your pallet with complex flavors of black fruits and barnyard that are the markings of a classic Bordeaux.  If you are building your collection, this is one you should consider adding now before the price goes up.

The modern benchmark vintage in Bordeaux is 2000.  With all the hoopla that surrounded this vintage I have wondered if it will really live up to the hype.  I tasted some of the vintage last summer in Bordeaux and was very impressed with what I tasted.  While they are too young to drink now, I opened a bottle of the 2000 Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere (available only through B&B’s French Wine Club) and it was outstanding.  It was still a little young, but it has great depth, complexity and fruit.  This – and the whole vintage – are going to continue to age well and will be outstanding wines when they are ready – sometime after 2010.