2000 BV George de Latour Private Reserve

I have an opportunity to buy a case of this wine at a very discounted ( employee ) price. However I am not a very experienced wine connoisseur and I don't know if this is a good year or if it even matters. Any suggestions?

Reply to
renecafe
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Can you return if corked? Because BV suffered from systemic TCA in the winery from basically '97-'00. Lots of discounts, because high percentage show TCA (and probably many others are "fruit scalped." The BV GdlT has a very honorable history, but I personally would not chance this unless the price is incredibly discounted (like under $20).

Reply to
DaleW

Thanks, I can't return and it's more closer to $40/bottle.

Reply to
renecafe

BV George de Latour is one of my favorite wines. I have not had the 2000 and passed on most Napa 2000's.

Can you try a bottle and see if its to your liking before taking the entire case? BV is a favorite...one of the best wines I have had was a BV GdL from

1986, 1987 and the 1997 which I still have some in cellar.

Dale mentioned BV and cork contamination. All I can say is #1, BV would likely stand behind if you had an issue. In fact when I saw the article I had a full case in my cellar of 1997 and was concerned. I wrote them and they assured me that they would stand behind if any issues. Then in the mail a few days later I received a letter from the wine maker and a really nice, leather bound book, on the history of the valley showing the contributions of George De Latour.

Very Classy!!!

Reply to
Richard Neidich

I sent 3 bottles back to my local wine merchant for just this reason.

Reply to
Lawrence Leichtman

the gdlt was supposed to be made at a different site, and not affected.

the tca in the cellar may have made the wine taste like a corked wine, but the wine was not corked since the problem did not come from the cork.

Reply to
gerald

Do you have a source for the idea the GdlT was not in the infected cellar? Because the reports I read at the time said that BV had found contamination in the cellar where the GdlT, Tapestry, Clone 6 etc were produced. The wines that weren't effected were the low level reds and the whites.

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I've been batting about 40% noticable TCA on BVs from that period. Some of the others were muted and probably had "fruit scalping." I have one '98 GdlT left (plus some older ones '60, '88, '94). The '98 will not be a centerpiece of a dinner. :(

Most of us use the term "corked" for any TCA contamination, although in cases like BV its likely the problem was the winery (although of course there's still the 5%!).

Diageo said they would "stand behind" the wines. But the hassle of returning bottles bought years before limits how much they will have to. I doubt seriously if that '98 is infected I go to trouble to try and recoup my losses (I only paid $35).

Reply to
DaleW

I had a full case of 1997 and NO PROBLEM. Truely outstanding wine.

When I contacted the winery when I heard the news they were great...if there was a problem they would take back and return for another bottle or refund.

If I did not have a receipt they would work on that also with exchange for a differeing vintage.

Do you have a source for the idea the GdlT was not in the infected cellar? Because the reports I read at the time said that BV had found contamination in the cellar where the GdlT, Tapestry, Clone 6 etc were produced. The wines that weren't effected were the low level reds and the whites.

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I've been batting about 40% noticable TCA on BVs from that period. Some of the others were muted and probably had "fruit scalping." I have one '98 GdlT left (plus some older ones '60, '88, '94). The '98 will not be a centerpiece of a dinner. :(

Most of us use the term "corked" for any TCA contamination, although in cases like BV its likely the problem was the winery (although of course there's still the 5%!).

Diageo said they would "stand behind" the wines. But the hassle of returning bottles bought years before limits how much they will have to. I doubt seriously if that '98 is infected I go to trouble to try and recoup my losses (I only paid $35).

Reply to
Richard Neidich

I had the the same experience Dick. A full case of GdlT showed no TCA and I have 7 bottles left of a second case and so far no TCA. In fact, the first "corked" wine I've had in months I just had last night and it was an Usseglio CdP Deux Freres 2005 and it was whoppingly corked. I just received the wine from Zachys so I'll see what kind of response I get to my email.

Reply to
Bi!!

no, i do not, as the conversation was the better part of 10 years ago, and since i don't drink the stuff(i have thought it overpriced) i forgot most of the conversation.

i do recall that my interpetation of the conversation was that gdlt was made by a different wine maker at a different site and using highly selected grapes.

is gdlt estate bottled?

Reply to
gerald

Gerald, I cannot speak for the 2000, but the 1997 that was supposed to be affected was one of the best wines I have ever had...and still have a few bottles remaining from the case.

Those I have had did NOT have any issues that I could notice.

Reply to
Richard Neidich

Gerald, The GdlT is an estate wine, selected grapes from their Rutherford vineyards,. Definitely supposed to be produced at same facility as the Tapestry, etc. The low -level reds (Signet) I think are mostly non- Napa and may be produced elsewhere.

Bill, since the admitted vintages with problems are '97-'00 (not sure re '01), my guess is that the level of contamination grew with each year, so '97 likely to be least affected. Maybe Mark could correct me, but I think that in most cases the issue is chlorine based cleaners on wood in a humid enviroment. It would make sense to me that initial levels would be low, and the latter years more heavily affected. I also think it was one of the rooms used, so you might have gotten a case that didn't pass through that room, I'd still pass on the 2000 at close to $40 (and if anyone wants the '98 at the $34 I paid I'll happily sell or trade!). :)

Billl

Reply to
DaleW

I was aware of the problem...after I had purchased the wine and was lucky to have avoided the TCA problem so far. My recollection of the problem was similar to your re: the chlorine bleach cleaning issue. FWIW, so far I haven't found a bottle of Chateau Montelena that's been corked in recent years dispite Jim Laube's assertions. I think that I have normal perception levels of TCA and certainly can pick out a wine that suffering from fruit scalping.

Reply to
Bi!!

Ditto here. I think as usual the press on this situation was overblown.

I was aware of the problem...after I had purchased the wine and was lucky to have avoided the TCA problem so far. My recollection of the problem was similar to your re: the chlorine bleach cleaning issue. FWIW, so far I haven't found a bottle of Chateau Montelena that's been corked in recent years dispite Jim Laube's assertions. I think that I have normal perception levels of TCA and certainly can pick out a wine that suffering from fruit scalping.

Reply to
Richard Neidich

So I opened the '98 BV GdL last night. Definitely corked. I've written winery, we shall see.

Reply to
DaleW

(posted this on another thread, but wanted BV's response on record here, too) Credit where credit is due: talked to David Chu from Diageo, he assured me they stand by every bottle, and sent me a '04 BV GdL as a replacement- and a bottle of Tapestry (I did promise to let them know how the '60 has held up when I try in 2 years). Excellent response!

Reply to
DaleW

(posted this on another thread, but wanted BV's response on record here, too) Credit where credit is due: talked to David Chu from Diageo, he assured me they stand by every bottle, and sent me a '04 BV GdL as a replacement- and a bottle of Tapestry (I did promise to let them know how the '60 has held up when I try in 2 years). Excellent response!

Reply to
Richard Neidich

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