Wine tasting in Paris

[pierre45]

I went to wine a tasting recently at le club savour in the 16e.

Every one sat around with paper and pencil and water as well as some chesse and bread.The following !998 wines were tasted:

-Chateau clinet-pomerol

-Chateau mission haut Brion-Pessac leognan

-Chateau cos d'estounel-st estephe

-Chateau leoville barton- St JUlien

A sommeliere went through the basic of wine tasting.Namely color,nose,taste and aftertaste.

Overall all the wines ,except for leoville barton were closed ,with high level of tannin.So its more of an intelectual excersize of determining as to which one had a bright future.Cos d'estounel was the favorite as it had more of a presence,even though it had a strong Cuir animal nose (rotten vegetable in my book).My favorite however was the haut brion.it has a much better future as it develops, and the hidden fruit elements of good breed emerges

The leoville barton was simple and quite pleasant but not worth the price(28 E).

Chateau clinet had strong bouquet ,but the fruit was masked.ITs about average in terms of future prospect.

IN conclusion the wines reflected a somewhat flat year for 1998 with no exciting prospect.

The 1999 chat d'Yquem was delighfull like all Yquems.However the 1999 was weak in acidity so that it was not as vivaceous.

[John Talbott]

I went to wine a tasting recently at le club savour in the 16e.

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Pierre: Thank you so very much with what I hope will be the first of many reports of tastings in Paris. Phyllis/Felice and I have talked for some time about increasing the attention to Paris-focused and France-focused wine issues that would not conflict with the Wine Forum's topics. Brad Ballinger who hosts that Forum, will, I hope, keep us focused over here and there may be times we'll want to move threads from here to there when they're of universal rather than parochial, interest. In addition, Phyllis/Felice will continue to post wine events on her Events feature as well as the thread. In any case, Pierre and others, lets increase the volume on these issues.

John

[algy]

IN conclusion the wines reflected a somewhat flat year for 1998 with no  exciting prospect.

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Pierre, very interested in your experience.

I've only really tried two of my 98's yet: Chateau Berliquet, which is drinking really well - great depth, rich fruit - and Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, which has all of the characteristics you describe (or perhaps that should be lack of characteristics). People say the Right Bank wines are generally better in 98 and it may be that the Margaux is going through a "dumb" phase, but it has a long way to go before it's worth what I paid for it!

[Felice]

Pierre,

Can you give us some information about how to find out about their tastings? I couldn't find anything on their website.

[kerriar]

Pierre,

Can you give us some information about how to find out about their tastings? I couldn't find anything on their website.

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The website is here.

The Savour Club is a commercial group which operates from warehouse type premises in several French speaking countries and also have a comprehensive distance selling operation. Because of the bureaucratic procedures involved, they are reluctant to sell to customers outside their main areas of operation.

In Brussels they are just off Avenue des Celtes.

Details of scheduled tastings can be found on the website -watch the moving window on the right hand side of the introductory screen and when you see Paris 16, click very quickly. The webmaster probably thinks this a very clever feature but it's really a bit annoying - it almost says "if you are not smart enough to figure this out, then you should not be here".

On request, they will also do special tastings for groups of friends or colleagues, generally on the basis of charging just for whatever nibbles are provided. Prices are competitive and, not surprisingly, French wines predominate.

[Felice]

Pierre,

Can you give us some information about how to find out about their tastings? I couldn't find anything on their website.

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Details of scheduled tastings can be found on the website -watch the moving window on the right hand side of the introductory screen and when you see Paris 16, click very quickly. The webmaster probably thinks this a very clever feature but it's really a bit annoying - it almost says "if you are not smart enough to figure this out, then you should not be here".

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Thank you Kerriar, I've found it

[pierre45]

IN conclusion the wines reflected a somewhat flat year for 1998 with no  exciting prospect.

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Pierre, very interested in your experience.

I've only really tried two of my 98's yet: Chateau Berliquet, which is drinking really well - great depth, rich fruit - and Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, which has all of the characteristics you describe (or perhaps that should be lack of characteristics). People say the Right Bank wines are generally better in 98 and it may be that the Margaux is going through a "dumb" phase, but it has a long way to go before it's worth what I paid for it!

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Overall 1998 is not a great year.However as always there are exceptions.

Well made wines usually go through several "dumb" or change periods.When you open a bottle in that gestation period you will note a very cloudy wine and the wine is very dispointing.I have had many, many such experiences,so that when i taste the same wine a few years later its a totally different experience.