LeDomduVin: Chateau Leoville Barton 2009 - Decantation

 

Chateau Leoville Barton 2009 - Decantation

I was recently invited to a farewell party at a discreet restaurant in a central Hong Kong tower. The restaurant resembles a private club and even has a wine shop where you can purchase a bottle (or more) to take away or enjoy in the restaurant, making it very convenient. 

As I came empty-handed, I bought a bottle of Chateau Leoville Barton at the restaurant's wine store and informed the restaurant manager that I would decant it myself. One of my colleagues made this video while I was decanting the bottle. 

I was disappointed with the wine as it didn't taste as good as on previous occasions. When I opened the bottle, I noticed a vinegar-like smell and the acetic acid odour was also noticeable during decantation. I didn't mention anything on camera, but I could tell something was off with this bottle.

I spoke with the restaurant manager regarding the issue. He suggested double decanting the wine, which slightly improved its aroma. However, the taste remained lacklustre and differed from what one would anticipate from a 2009 solar vintage.    

After waiting for approximately 2 hours, the taste slightly improved. However, it was still below the expected quality for such a good vintage and definitely not comparable to previous bottles I have opened.

Because I bought it, I could not leave it to waste, so I finished it.  

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Decanting Château Léoville Barton 2010

Another night

Another wine

Another decanting 

LeDomduVin decanting Château Léoville Barton 2010

I must admit that I have been opening quite a few 2010 Bordeaux lately, and they are drinking fantastically well. The Pontet Canet 2010, which I opened the previous night was amazing! (here) And this Leoville Barton was no exception either.   

Video by @nc_hang 

Thank you, David, much appreciated 

😁👍🍷🍷🍷

Santé! Cheers! 

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Coincidental pairing

Coincidental pairing 

Following up on "which bottle should I pick to be paired with a cigar?" Some of you guessed it well, spot on, well done! 

Yet, most of you discovered it with the reel (a short video) I posted in the previous post. 

I picked Château Pontet Canet 2010. 

Why? 

Well, as I did not know which cigar it will be paired with, I needed a solid wine with complex aromas and body, so as not to be overwhelmed or overpowered by the flavors, strength, and richness of the cigar. 

It was not an easy choice, as Pomerol first came to my mind. And yet, Cabernet Sauvignon being stronger and more tannic, it had to be from the Left Bank. And, amongst the choice I had, my gut's feeling (combined with my experience and knowledge of the wines) told me that it will probably be the best choice. 

Pontet Canet 2010 is an amazing wine displaying aromas of dark fruits, earth, soil, and wood mingling with floral and mineral notes. It has power and richness, structure and texture while being harmonious and balanced, and beautifully expands throughout the palate with substance and character up to the long lingering earthy finish. Majestic! 

It showed wonderfully after 2 hours of decanting and displayed a lot of complexity and refinement and potential of aging. Highly recommended and to be revisited within the next 5-10 years. 

As for the "coincidental pairing" part, it came when I realized that the cigar, (it will eventually be paired with), was none other than one of my favorite cigars, and truly an excellent choice from the host: 

Partagás Serie D Especial Edición Limitada 2010

What a coincidence! And, what a surprise! (as I had no clue what the cigar will be). A 2010 vintage wine paired with a 2010 vintage cigar. Perfect! 

It definitely makes for a good story to tell. 

Santé! Cheers! 

Dom

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LeDomduVin: A man in black decanting Château Pontet Canet 2010

Men in black

A man in black decanting Château Pontet Canet 2010

When it comes to preparing wine for clients or guests, decanting becomes a crucial, needed step of the preparation when a wine is too young, too tight, or presents lots of sediments due to its age. 

For Burgundy, for example, I don't usually decant the reds (it might have happened but only on rare occasions), as Pinot Noir-based wines open up quite easily and rapidly in the bottle, and thus do not require decanting, unless really tight.  

However, I love decanting white burgundy, especially if they are young to give them a boost and allow them to open up faster. Old burgundy whites also deserve to be decanted in most cases.  

For Bordeaux, both young and old need to be decanted in my opinion. The ones in the middle with a certain maturity, not necessarily too young or too old, can just be opened, tasted, and left open, without decanting.  However, if too tight, too young, or too old, and, more importantly, if full of sediments, then decanting is a must.  

For other regions and appellations, it depends on the wine, the grape variety, the strength, the alcohol content, the vintage, and many other factors.  

For example, I do not usually decant Loire valley Red, yet, some Chinon and even some Saumur Champigny deserve to be decanted, for the Cabernet Franc to fully express itself. 

In the meantime, I like to decant full and strong wines from the Southern Rhone, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, California, Barossa, etc... as they usually need to be tamed down a little to be better appreciated. 

I must say I love decanting and I'm pretty good at it. The key is to remain calm, concentrated, and focused. And after doing it and repeating the same gests for the past 30+ years, I'm like a Decanting Master now.  It is definitely one of my specialties and all the videos I posted on YouTube and other Social Media can attest to the quality of my decanting skills.  

Santé! Cheers!

Dom 

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LeDomduVin: Decanting Château L'Evangile 2000

Decanting Château L'Evangile 2000, 

Pomerol, Bordeaux, France 

by @ledomduvin

Yesterday, I opened, decanted, and served a bottle of Château L'Evangile 2000 at a private lunch. A video was made while I was decanting it. 

So, once again, I decided to explain a bit what I was doing and the different steps of the decanting process. 

It makes the video more interesting, informative, and educative in my opinion. Hope you'll enjoy it, and thank you for watching. 

And, a big thank you to Karen for making this video, much appreciated. 

Watch the video on YouTube at  https://youtu.be/OVMgBHYuNSE  or directly below. 

💥Work in progress.  Full tasting notes and other details coming soon... 💥

Santé! Cheers! 

Dom (aka LeDomduVin) 

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