I was going to reply to Dale's post of 3/8/07 (see below) but couldn't find my tasting notes until today. I opened bottles of the 97 P-Baron on successive weekends recently for 2 groups of friends, one couple having recently retired and about to depart for Vancouver Island. I served bouf en croûte on each occasion. Bottle #1: cassis and faint cedar, some acid, quite light bodied and a bit short ( Dale B/B-). Bottle #2: dark fruit (cassis not obvious) more full bodied, less acid than #1 and moderate length (Dale B) I was surprised at the bottle variation given that both came from the same source and had been stored together. I have one 97 Talbot left. The others confirmed RP's comment:"a picnic wine"!
Has anyone tried the 97 Gruaud? I have a bottle and any comments I've come accross are more favourable than for the above.
Graham
1997 Les Tourelles de Longueville (Pauillac)
>From a 375. Pulled from Alex's cellar to go with the cheese. Hmmm, a
>second wine from a so-so year, where even most of the classified
>wines are fully mature. Hopes weren't high,but it was better than I
>expected. Ripe cassis fruit, a little smoke and cedar. Finish is on
>short side, and I do think this would have been better and more
>vigorous a couple years ago, but still a nice little Bordeaux. B