One Wine, Two Opinions

2001 Chateau Larruau, Margaux
February 16, 2005


Jen’s Notes

I chose this delightful young Bordeaux to accompany our Valentine’s Day dinner, which we had on the 16th. Dinner was very French: rotisserie chicken, confit potatoes, and brussels sprouts. The wine went perfectly with the food and with our cheese plate.

I decanted it, which I would definitely recommend. While I enjoyed the evolution of flavors in my glass, a more approachable result could be achieved with about 30 minutes of breathing time in the decanter. For the patient types, about 5-7 years of bottle age would be just about perfect.

The first aromas were gorgeous – big blueberry fruit mingled with herbs; the first sips, however, were a bit intimidating. I tasted the tannins more than anything else, but I also detected black fruit with a bit of vanilla underneath and notes of cedar and spices.

As the evening progressed, richer, sweetly decadent cassis fruit emerged, as well as lovely cigar box aromas on the nose. I found the wine to be very well structured, with all the flavors well-balanced and harmonious. The tannins were definitely there, as they should be in a wine this young, but they were not overpowering. Toward the end of my last glass, blueberry, vanilla, and sweet, musky spices predominated. Long finish.


Shane’s Notes

This was the first serious Bordeaux I have tasted, and I found the experience a bit bewildering. I am much more used to the predominant flavors in the meaty Rhones and in the power Cabs of Napa. The flavors in this wine were just too subtle for me. I definitely noticed the vanilla (both on the nose and up front) but had difficulty detecting much else. I suppose I noticed a hint of blueberry but I could not detect the cassis, cedar, or spices that Jen tasted. The tannins were also a little harsh for me. I enjoy wine with a nice structure but I want the tannins to be like the bassist in a rock group – in the background and barely noticeable.

This wine was just too young to enjoy. This is the type of wine that needs at least five years of aging to smooth out the tannins and to elicit the flavors.