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A recent pre-auction tasting in HK had us sampling the five Firsts from the legendary 2000 vintage, the youngest great vintage of Bordeaux that I can actually drink on this level. Beforehand, based on a Leoville Las Cases tasted a few days prior, I had some trepidation that they may have been shut down, but they were all showing stunningly well. It is always reassuring when Bordeaux performs to the market’s standards.
I sampled them in no particular order, beginning with the 2000 Lafite Rothschild. This was an all-around classic, with aromas of cedar, nut, caramel, vanilla and cassis, a Left Bank version of a quintafecta, which my spell-check is telling me isn’t a word. Obviously, it hasn’t been to the horse track. Its nose was perfect, dancing so elegantly, with precision and strength. The palate was a bit shy, though long, showing reticent flavors of wafer, nut and cassis. It tasted as if it had so much to say but didn’t feel like talking much. This will be an all-time great Lafite (96+).
The Fabulous Five First Growths
The 2000 Margaux was elegant as usual, with more coffee in its nose, along with grounded earth and chunky fruit. It was roasted and smoky, with delicious flavors of deep plum and chocolate. This is what I would call weight without heaviness. Sounds like something Confucius would come up with (97).
The 2000 Mouton was the last of the Firsts, at least on night one. I will be quick to point out that on day two, it held/gained more than any of the others, so this might have been a case of too Mouton, too soon (PS – we finished the Haut Brion on night one since it was a magnum and not two bottles). There was more hay in its more open nose, which also had lots of charcoal and what I would call ‘wild’ fruit. There was this wild animal meets horse confrontation in this tight yet extroverted 2000 (95).
What can I say about the 2000 Latour? It was practically perfect; in fact, perfect ended up in my notes three times, specifically describing its smoke, fruit and sweetness. Smoke, fruit and sweetness, sounds like a good Saturday night, but it was Friday, yet the Latour didn’t come too soon, as great men, I mean wines, are prone to do. Long and stylish, this was a wine that will arrive on time no matter what hour it is. It was ‘pure everything,’ as I wrote. The 2000 Latour is a wine that gets me excited (98).
The only wine served out of magnum was the 2000 Haut Brion, which was the most opulent of the Fab Five. Chunky, rich and ripe, the Haut Brion was the most concentrated of the bunch, although I am not sure if the magnum had something to do with that. Classic gravel, smoke and cassis were abundant in this giving, thick red. This could be a dark horse for wine of the vintage, but it may need more time than the rest (96+M).
While Bordeaux may not be as fashionable as other wines from other regions of the world, smart money will always be collecting – and drinking – Bordeaux. That goes for me, too.
Self-Evidence
In Vino Veritas,
JK
