Guess which wine had me on the floor?

Wow- There are few tastings as focused and full of quality from top to bottom than the Skurnik Wines portfolio tasting. I was so excited to dive in and check out the new releases, from recently disgorged Grower Champagnes, to vibrant, fresh Rose' wines, zippy German and Austrian white wines, and a plethora of American, Italian and Bordeaux reds. I'm ready for a nap!

To kick off spring, I began with the beautiful wines at the 'Pink' table, celebrating all the wonderful Rose wines of the world. While I'm a traditionalist at heart, and truly adore the racy, brisk style of Provence, it was two wines from Portugal and Greece that stole my attention. The KIR-YIANNI Akakies 2013 had a hot pink color with lots of zippy, fresh grapefruit notes, and had a juicy mouthfeel. LOVED it. Then, the VERA VINHO VERDE 2013 equally impressed at an incredibly attractive price. It had super strawberry that made me super happy!

Then I moved to the Finger Lakes, one of my happy places (I have a lot of them in the wine world, as you'll see) and had the Charles Fournier Riesling Gold Seal Vineyard 2012, which stole the show for a bit with its bright apple freshness and beautiful rich texture. And I forgot how GOOD Upstate NY Cabernet Franc can be! This was the perfect balance of lightness and up front acidity, and intense flavor that persisted without being cloying. Really nice. Like a perfect Chinon without the weighty price tag. Under Twenty bucks too! Kind of HAS to come home with me....

Then I landed in Bordeaux, with some pedestrian wines, and one really awesome value that blew my doors off for under $15 called La Courdraie 2012. It is my perfect blend of 60% Merlot, and 20% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This drinks like a $40 California Meritage with CLASS. Yup- I said it!

My 'go-to' grape variety these days is Chenin and I FORGOT how AWESOME this wine can be when done well. If I were to find the PERFECTLY balanced white for drinking with absolutely everything in my cupboard, THIS would be it. Domaine de L'enchantoir Saumur Blanc 2011 has the complexity of good White Burgundy, the acidity of top notch German wines, and the elegance of a fine Champagne. AND the truly best part? It's $15!!!!

Then I scooted over to Italy to taste one of my favorite white wines in the world year in and year out. This insanely cool white wine from the Italian Alps is known as Kerner. It's a wild cross between the local Schiava and dry Riesling, with loads of peaches, apricot and white flowers on the nose and palate. And yet, it is DRY! Impressive length, and the subtlety hits you like a heart attack, as wave after wave of complex flavors waft over your lucky lucky palate. I could easily see paying $40 for this, and yet it's $25. This is COOL.

Oh how I DO love bubbles! If there is a greatest area of strength in a portfolio, I'd have to say it's in Michael Skurnik's unparalleled Grower Champagne selection from Importer Thierry Thiesse. Ok, I have a bread problem. I'll explain. When I smell brioche, there is a sort of visceral response that immediately makes me hungry and crave it intensely. The Pierre Gimonnet Brut Selection Belles Annees makes me do just that. It smells like glistening with butter, fresh from the oven, perfectly toasted, like baked brioche. I literally sat down in the middle of this busy wine tasting and got cozy with this gorgeous glass.

And finally, the grape variety that I 'cut my teeth on' as an excited teenager traveling throughout Europe that got me INTO this whole wine mess to begin with; RIESLING! It is not a coincidence that this noble grape is considered the king of all white wine. It is by far the most versatile thing you can put in your glass. Good German Riesling can be laser-like and super high in acid, causing your mouth to literally pucker in recoil at its lime-laden sour tartness. And then the very same wine from further up the slope or in a different valley can be honeyed, unctuous, rich, full, silky, and super duper long and sweet. No two are remotely the same!

So I was TICKLED when one of my favorite Mosel Riesling producers (next to Dr Thanisch), Johannes Selbach Oster came out with a KILLER value Riesling that really takes your palate to the stratosphere. With a name like INCLINE, that is an ENTIRELY appropriate description! From the Mosel's steep slopes, this is juicy with green and red apple, lime and spritzy, fresh acidity, and a lip-smacking medium body that has beautiful length. Yup, for $14, he NAILED it!

So, I'd bill the Skurnik CT Spring tasting as time well spent. There is something for everyone here.

Cheers!
Amy Dixon CSW and
Guiding Eyes for the Blind Elvis

Bordeaux 2010- showstoppers and hype

The Unions des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting was the place to be this chilly Martin Luther King Day at the Marriott Marquis. Hordes of somms, retailers, importers, and restauranteurs line the ballroom and hallways of this great tasting. The room layout was identical to the previous year, much to my chagrin. While I appreciated starting with Graves/ Pessac Leognan, particularly with their always invigorating whites, I did not appreciate the incredibly inconvenient placement of the spit buckets a good ten feet away, behind throngs of other tasters, waiting patiently to get near the bucket. This log-jam caused a lot of people to become inebriated, as they gave up spitting a good ten minutes and 15 wines into their tasting.


Starting with the White Graves, I noted screamingly high acid, rendering many of the wines out of balance. Very few contained the pleasant waxiness I adore in Semillon, and even less saw the support of wood to frame out the wines a bit. Even the perennial standout, Carbonnieux was a disappointment. Wines of note were no surprise- Pape Clement Blanc, Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, and the sleeper, De Fieuzal, which had the most balance. Domaine du Chevalier was ok, with some detectable Semillon and a better, softer balance, but at its high pricepoint, I wouldn't bother.


The forward focus of many red Graves made me smile with my 'instant gratification' meter going a mile-a-minute. Haut Bailly, had a wonderful complexity with a briary note, a lush, rich texture, and incredible concentration. Both Larrivet Haut Brion and Latour Martillac had a serious streak of graphite running down the center, with a tannic mid-palate and incredibly density. The Latour Martillac had a more chewy style with distinctive red fruit, while Larrivet Haut Brion had noticeable black fruits in its core and distinctly on the fresh nose.


My personal favorite values are always Malartic Lagraviere and Olivier. The Malartic hit the 'sweet spot' with lots of lush dark fruits, and well integrated, finer tannins. The Olivier however, was quite closed with a grittiness of texture and structure, with some sweet dominant tannins. Backward? Yes. Out of the running for good value? Time will tell- this needs to come together undoubtedly.


Winners of Graves? Pape Clement with a linear, laser-like focus framed by a hint of smoke all in an elegant, beautiful balance. Very nice indeed! And for the modernists, look no further than my staple, smith Haut Lafitte, with a long, long, finish, chewy tannins, and loads of cassis.

Onto the Right bank with the St. Emilions, which I found incredibly inconsistant, with an over-dominance of wood in some otherwise well-made wines. I mean, what were these guys thinking? It's like clubbing a duckling- Over-kill! Well, onward and upward I guess! Chateau Canon was a lovely intro to the region, with a pretty and gentle styling, framed by a hint of soft rose petal and a long, silky finish. Not one for the ages, but a lovely wine nonetheless.


Canon La Gaffeliere was incredibly forward with a profound mid-palate that was really fabulous and shocking at the same time. The roundness really works for this wine beautifully. The disappointment? Ugh- Figeac. SOOOO much wood buried this beloved wine in a wall of wood tannin so impenetrable, I couldn't bear to go back for a second sip. Clos Fourtet was disjointed as well, with a lush palate, spicy wood, and rock hard tannins, followed by ripe fruit, and s whiff of greenness. Hmm...


Winner? Oh Berliquet? How I could have danced with this lovely wine all day! Simply incredibl with lush balanced, layered fruits. Seamless. Truly. A pleasant surprise was the Larcis Ducasse. Folks looking for something to drink now, grab this sleeper. Really nailed it- Lots of fresh fruit, a long finish, bright acidity, chewy tannins, and a ripe plum nose. Very good indeed!


Pavie Macquin was its usual subdued self with dried orange peel and raspberry leading to an elegant, moderately tannic finish. One to keep your eye on- all the class is there for the making of a very good wine. One to avoid? troplong Mondot. The nose was so laden with menthol that I was convinced I was in a doctor's office. The palate completely hollowed out, and all that was left was spice. Weird!


The further punish my palate, I sauntered over to Pomerol, where I prepared for the onslaught of hard tannins. Beauregard had a super-clean nose with a palate laden with graphite and a wall of hard tannins. All the fruit was there, but well hidden. I was so excited to taste Clinet after I named it my favorite wine in 2009, only to be met with an underwhelming vintage for this estate. While is had all the layers one can hope for, this wine was just so out of scale and BIG, that I couldn't truly appreciate all that makes it so very special. Was it an excellent wine? Yes. Was it an excellent Clinet? so-so. The 2009 blew the doors off of this.


Gazin was just a pleasure in a glass. Pretty, balanced, ripe and elegant- hard to believe it was from Pomerol. One of the stars of the entire day was an old-time favorite of mine, La Conseillante. A super-ripe nose, with over-the-top juicy fruit, and very soft tannins. This is one to drink and enjoy.


From the Medoc and Haut Medoc I was simply disappointed. Chateau Clarke was like licking the inside of a barrel that had been seasoned with sweet tobacco. Not pleasant. I typically like this wine and the value it represents from the Rothschilds, but definitely not this vintage. Much of the same could be said for Poujeaux, though the wood was far more restrained, and this had some elegance and a hint of orange peel to the tobacco. Long and good. Chasse Spleen had better acidity than most of the Medoc wines, with some brightness and freshness that really worked for the wine. quite nice. Citran had a very brambly/ briary style with a distinctive cherry cough drop palate and very high acid. I dont' know what they were thinking here....


Wine of the region from haut Medoc? without a doubt Chateau Coufran. Absolutely delicious and incredibly drinkable with an abundance of fruit. the Soft tannins just made it an absolute pleasure. Do your wallet a favor and skip La Lagune with its burnt wood palate that had almost no detectable fruit. La Tour Carnet was quite pretty and charming with its rosy nose and ripe fruit. This was better, but not outstanding. La Tour de By, typically a real diamond in the rough, fell just short of very good, due to its lack of a middle. The lush tannins and ripe red fruit lead to a long finish, but it leaves you hanging in the middle when you want it most. So sad!


My personal favorite region of Margaux really brought some 'game' this year. Starting with Angludet, this beauty had much finer tannins than I had seen all day, with excellent acidity and gorgeous length. My favorite quote of the day, when I asked U.S. Sales Manager Nicolas Idiart about this distinct stylistic difference?, "Some people are attracted by the dark side of the oak." I nearly fell over laughing. Yes, many from St. Emilion and Medoc went to the 'dark side' for sure!


Brane Cantenac was a 'solid citizen', lending itself more towards briary and drier tannins dominated by distinctive pencil-lead. there was pronounced Brettanomyces in the Cantenac Brown- super sweaty! While it had good structure and and elegance to the body, I couldn't get past this unclean nose. With notable complexity was Dauzac, complete with orsnge peel, high acidity, a pleasant streak of graphite with incredible length- a very good value if you can find it! Desmiril had that same pencil lead, with additional concentration and fantastic richness. One of my favorite values, Du Tertre had a nice texture, fat mid-palate, with a dense, round opulent finish with some light tannins at the back.


The massive Labegorce had chewy, chalky tannins that were super-ripe and a nose of Ticonderoga pencils. Lascombes was tight as a drum, with a severe lack of fruit or body. Malescot St Exupery had a ton of ripeness, and lots of layers of chewy, maleable tannins. I loved the texture on this. SO classic was the Prieure Lichine. This oozed breeding with its core of black fruit, fresh acidity, and its elegant, uplifting palate. A lovely 'instant gratification Margaux is the Rauzan Gassies with a sper-concentrated palate, and and easy, forward balance. Lots of density and cassis there! The wood reared its ugly head again in the Rauzan Segla, which has lovely acidity, and a brooding, complex nose, but it killed the wine for me.


OH Man! If I could have just hung out in St. Julien today, I'd have died a happy girl. These wines stole the show, knocking it out of the park with nearly every single wine. This will be a great vintage to convert California Cab drinkers over the pond to see what all the fuss is about. You need your head examined if you didn't enjoy these gorgeous reds.


Starting with Beychevelle. Like, are you kidding me? SO long, so sexy, with fruit that goes on and on in the long, silky finish. This is a WOW wine that totally makes you hungry on a visceral level. A must buy. And then BAM! Another one out of the park- Branaire Ducru- definitely one of my top five wines of the tasting. SO freaking delicious. A seamless structure, definitely dominated by Cabernet, and drinking nearly perfectly. Yum in a glass. Get Some!


A TOTAL class-act and back to its hay-day is Gruaud Larose. The best in years, with a balance of cassis and elegant structure that is so distinctly Gruaud at its finest. I am pleased as punch. The only dog? Lagrange- seriously like drinking a smoothie made of bell peppers. What the heck were they thinking? Sad. Langoa Barton and Leoville Barton upped the ante for me, with the surprise winner being Langoa! WOW! Fresh roses on the nose, with dense black fruit on the palate, and a long, lush finish. The Leoville had that distinct creaminess that is Leoville Barton, but was much more closed down today and difficult to assess. Nonetheless, all the 'stuffing' is there for another excellent vintage at this estate.


Everyone was buzzing about Leoville Poyferre. Again, classic in style, and back to its roots. Beautiful balance, great structure and excellent length. Nothing exciting, but very 'complete'. Lastly, Talbot rounded out the region with a surprise. This Talbot was VERY forward, delicious, and laden with graphite and thirst-inducing acidity. Very, very good.


The chalkier side of tannins dominated Pauillac, which had no shortage of stars. Batailley had a distinct glycerin component that made it very modern, complete with soft tannins and a long, lush fruit-laden finish. Clerc Milon had an almost candied Boysenberry nose. The palate was gritty and peppery in its tannic structure, and I really feel there is a lot of potential in this wine. A sleeper and one I intend to purchase. D'armailhac had a surprising profound coffee and chocolate nose and palate with graphite, sweet tannins and impressive length. No slouch, and another knock-out value.


Ever-so-pleasant was Grand Puy Ducasse with imcredibly chalky tannins and sweet fruit. I certainly enjoyed it. Even more impressive was the Grand Puy Lacoste with its raspberry, lush, elegant palate that finished round and plump. Gorgeous! One of my top wines of the day was Lynch Bages. I finally appreciate the high price tag it has demanded the past 5 vintages. This wine absolutely deserves every ounce of hype thrown its way. INCREDIBLE concentration, with super-fine chalky tannins that were so linear, you'd swear the wine was filtered a million times. By far the best structure of any wine today.


Lynch Moussas was like drinking your way out of a garden- briars and green peppers. Neither of which I find pleasing. Pichon Longueville was classically balanced, with the appropriate amount of cassis, and some lovely chalky tannins and a hint of rose petals. Pichon Comtesse de Lalande was a stunner. Vanilla covered blackberries leap from the glass, all shrouded in silky tannins with a brooding nose and a lush palate. Totally a class act, and spot on as usual.


St. Estephe was plagued by the same dominance of oak that troubled the Medoc. Phelan Segur was a terrible disappointment, while Lafon Rochet was MUCH better, loaded with plush, chewy tannins and better acidity.


Finally the stickies! How I DO love Sauternes! Climens was excellent, and mostly balanced, with the exception of a bit of heat on the finish. Coutet had apricots galore and was super rich but balanced. The BEST by far was de Fargues- OMG- I MUST get this right away! Tropical pineapple, brilliant fresh acidity that invigorates with each delicious sip, and just the perfect length. Really amazing wine. Doisy Daene was a "Doisy Don't", with a very light body and high alcohol and no complexity. Guiraud wowed with tropical fruit, white pepper, a rich texture, but a hint of alcohol on the finish. Latour Blanche had better balance and was more elegant with noticeable apricot. Lafaurie Peyraguey was pretty, spicy and long, but nothing struck me as exciting. Lastly, Suduiraut, the perfect way to cap this glorious tasting. GOR-GEOUS! This had structure- YES, structure in a white wine- sounds nutty, but true in this case. Apricots, super rich and long, with just enough alcohol to keep it lighter on its feet. Another great vintage for this knockout producer of stickies.


After 123 wines, purple teeth, long trips to the spit bucket, and my guide dog getting stepped on constantly, I can honestly say it was well worth the trip. For those producers that were smart with their barrel treatment of this incredible vintage, the results spoke for themselves. Graves was great, Margaux the most pleasurable and easy to understand, St Emilion the most inconsistent, and the wines of St. Julien being real 'show-offs'.


I'd say that a good deal of the hype surrounding 2010 is well founded. I think some great values will stand the test of time in the cellars of patient folks, and the big boys are going to be surprisingly drinkable in the short term. The acidity is not really there for the Sauternes to be long agers, but instead look to Pauillac for your grandkids to enjoy. There's something for everyone, and sadly I have not seen the quality in Medoc or St Estephe that I was hoping for. HOwever, that being said, I've tasted dozens of Bordeaux Superieur that will delight the wallet and palate of many savvy shoppers. 2010 as a whole- definitely a winner. Two thumbs, and Two Labrador Paws UP!

Bordeaux 2008 Vintage Tasting NYC

HI Everyone!

I have a really, really tough job. Really- I do! I swear! Somedays it happens to be more grueling than others, as was the case of the 2008 Unions des Grands Crus Bordeaux Vintage Tasting in NYC at the Metropolitan Pavillion. Spitting snow and freezing drizzle made the travel with my guide dog near-impossible. The exits from the subway were barely cleared, and wearing business attire black was almost a joke with a shedding yellow Labrador. After trying in vain to walk a block with a Starbucks in my hand, and realizing that the curbs weren't plowed, and there was no safe place for Elvis and I to cross or even wait for the lights to change, I desperately searched for a cab, and was immediately sprayed in the face by one passing us by (empty mind you), as I disgustedly spit out bits of sand and salt from my mouth. This was not starting out on the right foot.....
Moments later my chariot arrived, whisking me quickly to my destination, where, upon exiting sed cab, I promptly stepped out into a rather large puddle, soaking my dress boots and slacks to mid calf. Oh God- I hope the wines are going to be good! The registration was poorly orchestrated, as they lost my information, and I had to suffer through a stick-on name tag that didn't stick to wool. Go figure. Onto the wine!
I started with the white Graves (Pessac Leognan) to get my palate going. Overall, they were under-whelming with searingly high acid, almost New Zealand-ish in their style with loads of grapefruit. This tells me that a lot of growers probably picked too soon. The best were more balanced, like Carbonnieux with a fresh citrus and mineral nose, and Chateau Olivier, with nice length despite its high acid. Two disappointments that are typically my favorite wines, were Domaine de Chevalier, with had a richer, waxy component from some additional Semillon, but not a lot of fruit to support it, and the Smith Haut Lafitte, which was literally "ok" in my notes, in which I also wrote- "a total miss". Shame....BUT, the good news is there were two bright stars amongst some lackluster wines- Chateau Pape Clement was extraordinary, "Gorgeous- perfect balance, with a slightly elevated alcohol that actually worked FOR the wine- WOW, Long!" and Latour Martillac, which I absolutely LOVED for its great acidity, body and length all wrapped into one fabulous wine.
At this point in the tasting, I sadly discovered the incredible design error of the event planners. The knuckleheads had placed all the wine tables around the sides of the room, and all the spit buckets in the CENTER, about 15 feet away from the table, so EACH AND EVERY bloody time you had to spit, you had to walk 30 feet, and throw elbows against a mass of people with your service dog nosing his way through the throng of 600+ people to get near the bucket while trying to say "Excuse me" with a mouthful of wine. Piss poor planning, which caused it to take nearly 3 times as long to taste the wines as it should have. Enough bitching....
Onto the reds...Unfortunately (little did I know at the time) I started at the top, and it was all (for the most part) downhill from there. It had me at the nose. Angelus, the legendary St. Emilion was the highlight of the vintage for me. My notes read, "OMG! Beautiful-plum, cocoa, silky tannins, elegant- does this wine EVER quit on the finish? I should just stay here all day." Hard to come back to earth from that, but press onward I did....
Beau-Sejour Becot was young with red fruit and moderately hard tannins and vanilla oak. Canon La Gaffeliere was like 'licking a barrel'- too much wood. Figeac was balanced, big, rich and chewy with blue-black fruit and rose petals. Clos Fourtet had some punishing hard tannins with a pretty red nose and a bit of leather. Pavie Macquin had many good parts- nice acid, complexity of palate and nose, with moderate tannins, however the wine appeared disjointed and in a million different places at once, not yet in full communication with each of its components. Troplong Mondot smelled like a forest fire, leading me to wonder how on earth my palate would recover for the Pomerols. Lucky for me, it did.
Oh Beauregard, sweet Beauregard- if only I could drink you every night! SO young, but full of sweet black fruits, and a great eucalyptus nose with such invigorating freshness it was like a breath of clean air in a city filled with smoke and smog. Then came the blessed Clinet. Simply SILK in a bottle. A delicate, bashful nose, enticing me to go deeper into my senses and coax this wine out of its cocoon and show me its true colors. Glorious, and though not one for the ages by any means, it is one to drink over the next decade while you're waiting for those 2000s to start showing their stride. La Conseillante showed sweet blue fruits with mineral and graphite- super tight, but very good.
Medoc is where everything went to hell in a hand-basket. In almost EVERY tasting note I wrote, I consistently tasted- "very dry tannins" and "lighter body" and lots of leather. The ONLY wine worth mentioning was Citran, which clearly had a healthy dollop of Cabernet Franc, showing lots of bright cherry, with a fresh, delicious nose of vanilla and red fruit. To further show you how disappointing the Medoc was, I even have the words, "Sweaty armpit" written clearly on the page of MORE than one wine- and NO I was not being followed by a poorly groomed Frenchman!
Margaux was all over the map with more chalkiness detected in the wines. My usual favorites really disappointed, and my often overlooked estates were the stars- go figure! Brane Cantenac was a delicious easy-drinking Margaux with sweet blue fruit and a long finish. Lovely to drink over the next 5-7 years. Du Tertre was a "little broody" but pretty nonetheless in a classic Margaux style. Kirwan and Lascombes had added elements of rose petal that gave them additional complexity, making me fall in love again with this appellation. Labegorce was a nice surprise with a closed nose, but firm structure and red currant fruit and a dry, chalky tannic finish. Malescot St Exupery was definitely the most elegant of the group, showing a long, silky, blue-fruit and vanillin palate. The losers? Sadly my two favorites! Prieure Lichine and Rauzan Segla both were shockingly GREEN with bell pepper on both the nose and even more so on the palate (if you COULD get PAST the nose). I asked the owners, and they said they used more Cabernet Franc this year (apparently very under-ripe Cabernet Franc at that!!!) Bummer indeed!
The third Superstar of the tasting (next to Angelus and Clinet)was Beychevelle. "Beautiful, creamy cassis, vanilla, and a non-quit finish. Like a scrumptious dessert!" Enough said, right? Gruaud Larose had a nice mouthfeel, but a hint of greenness. Lagrange showed Rich long, chalky tannins- tight as heck, but worth the wait. One of the few age-worthy St Juliens of the group. I was in the minority on preferring the Langoa Barton to the Leoville for its super-concentrated nose, and its full, lush palate. It had silky fruit and was incredibly inviting to drink even now. Not one for long-term cellaring (2-8years), but if you were to lay something down, the Leoville Barton won't disappoint with its intense spices and supreme concentration. Talbot was BACK with a pleasant balance, and an easy-to like style. Leoville Poyferre was simply forgettable- "blah" was my tasting note!
Clerc Milon and D'armailhac were green and hard- not pleasant. Grand Puy Ducasse was lean and austere, however I enjoyed the fruity nose. Lynch Bages will probably be the most ageworthy of the wines I've tasted here, showing excellent tannic structure and a great balance of cassis and coconut from the wood, with refreshing acidity. Pichon Baron was beautiful- a very "complete" wine with that same coconut and a chewy but elegant palate and a long finish. Sadly, Comtesse didn't make it through customs in time for tasting. Bummer number two...
Lastly, my usual FAVORITE part of the tasting proved not at all exciting- Sauternes. The Climens was NOT good- minty? Yuck. The Coutet was WAY out of balance with high alcohol, Doisy Daene was NOT exciting in any way, Guiraud had an over-abundance of wood, while Lafaurie Peyraguey was semi-promising with a candied palate and bright nose. My usual favorite, Suduiraut was full of fresh melon and honey, but lacking in decent acidity. The one glimmer of hope? The fantastic La Tour Blanche 1er Cru with fresh pineapple and vanilla. That was awesome.
After getting bounced around at spit buckets and elbowed at tables, I had succeeded in tasting about 100 wines and running into a few dozen colleagues. Fortunately the day ended up with a fabulous dinner with the winemakers from Larcisse duCase and Pavie Macquin, enjoying some much needed Italian wine to give us a break from our day. Overall, I would say the 2008 vintage was one where the right bank was by far the star, and the left very inconsistent, without enough structure to age long term, with some obvious exceptions. The Medoc was a disappointment for the most part, as are Sauternes, and I'd save my pennies for the 2009s