Your biggest disappointments

Nov 20, 2007 6 Replies

In light of the recent '98 Opus One thread, I thought I'd ask what each of your biggest disappointments were. We've had threads about your greatest steals, finds, etc., so how about this for a change?



What expensive, potentially special bottle really let you down when you got around to drinking it?



Perhaps we should omit wines that were corked, cooked, madierized, etc., and concentrate on those that just simply weren't worth the expense or hype.



I don't have a lot of experience, but for me, I'd have to say that it was 2001 Chateau Margaux. Perhaps I drank it too young (about 3 weeks ago), but this just didn't do it for me. Nice perfumed nose, but nothing that stood above other Bordeaux for 1/6th the price. Wine was surprisingly light-medium bodied, maybe a little backwards despite the hour+ of decanting. I understand when winemakers go for elegance over power, but on both fronts, I really expected a lot more from a 1st growth. Finish was medium-length, fairly pleasant, but again, nothing special. I was rather disappointed, especially as this was my first 1st.



What about the rest of you?


- Chris


Without doubt, a bottle of 2001 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia. After all the hype - and the price tag - I was expecting so much more.

1997 Screaming Eagle. With all of the hype and a $1,500 price tag I was expecting stars to explode, dancing girls to appear and new levels of pleasure with each sip. Instead I had a nice glass of fairly decent California cab on par with but no better than Hillside Select. FWIW, I think the Margaux needs a few more years but don't expect it to be a bruiser.
1997 Screaming Eagle. With all of the hype and a $1,500 price tag I was expecting stars to explode, dancing girls to appear and new levels of pleasure with each sip. Instead I had a nice glass of fairly decent California cab on par with but no better than Hillside Select. FWIW, I think the Margaux needs a few more years but don't expect it to be a bruiser.

82 Lascases has never been as good as its reviews IMHO A 100 pointer and not as good as Pichon Lalande, ( see last week TN)

I will be trying next month and will post notes

JT

"Exploding stars and dancing girls" ... dang, I GOTTA go drinking wine with this guy sometime!

I was going to say that for $1,500 I was expecting a "BJ" too but I thought it might offend some folks here.

1986 Chateau Margaux. Expensive bottle that was a present from a friend. Very uninteresting wine and don't even get me started about QPR. Any Insignia I have been served. Screaming Eagle, overextracted expensive crap.

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