In honor of the recent international Champagne day and the Halloween yet to come, we’re doing a double feature of sorts; giving you our two cents on two “bargain” Champagne bottles and two “reputable” Bordeaux at vastly different price points.
Since us Tannic Panic bros were in the same place for once, we decided to pool our measly life savings and throw down on a “100 point” Bordeaux (Vinous & Decanter) to see how it compares to another high quality Bordeaux at 1/3 the price, and ask ourselves one of the hardest questions in life: Did I just waste me last few coppers?
Blend: 56% Pinot Noir, 26% Meunier, 18% Chardonnay Profile: Melon, pear, baked apple, nectarine, wet stone, hint of almond croissant Profile: Dry, high acid, medium body, long finish
A fresh and simple “entry level” Champagne that could have used livelier bubbles and more complexity, but had a fairly long finish and was enjoyable cold. This is a great example of where grabbing your favorite Cava could save you some bones and deliver a comparable (or better) experience. For us, this is not a repeat buy.
Awesome bargain for a Champagne of such quality (*we got it ~$40, many retailers sell for $50-60). Very layered with notes of pastry, baked apple, almond, citrus and refreshing minerality. Incredibly well balanced and super long on the finish.
Blend: 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon Profile: Blueberry, black plum, black cherry, blackberry, cassis, slate, graphite, bay leaf, violets, dark chocolate, vanilla, espresso foam Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, high tannin, full body, long finish
This highly esteemed wine from the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Appellation is known for its rich and concentrated style. Deep purple with a striking black core (LIKE MY SOUL), intense aromas of dark fruits, mineral-driven backbone and well-integrated oak spices (chocolate, vanilla, espresso) thanks to aging in 50% new French oak barriques. The obnoxiously good concentration and richness in this wine provide a viscous mouthfeel and firm tannins. About 1/3 the cost of the Haut-Carmes (reviewed below), and thus a monstrously better value. This wine is killer now and will likely show even better with another 10 or more years of aging as it develops tertiary “complexities” (LIKE TODAY’S YOUTH).
Blend: 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot Profile: Cedar, graphite, blackberry, black cherry, plum, strawberry, lavender, milk chocolate, jalapeño, christmas spice, licorice, petrichor, Elmer's glue Palate: Dry, high acid, high tannin, medium+ body, long finish
This wine — an unusual blend for a Left Banker starring Cab Franc — got a perfect 100 pts from both Vinous (Antonio Galloni) and Decanter, and a litany of near 100 point ratings from the rest of them (98 JS, 98 JD, 97 RP). We wanted a 100 pointer to feature in anticipation of our 100th Tannic Panic issue because we have rarely (if ever) tasted wines that received a perfect 100 points from “reputable” wine critics.
Considering the young age of this Bordeaux (2020), we approached it with a “healthy dose” of skepticism about whether it could truly express itself at a 100-point level at this stage and whether we just flushed a year’s salary down the toilet for educational and “entertainment” purposes. Well SURPRISE SURPRISE, our instincts were 100% spot on. While this wine is undoubtedly very good, at this early point in its “development,” someone could have told us we were tasting an outstanding $20 red and we wouldn’t have had any trouble believing them.
We’ll revisit in 20 years and let you know if this holds true — if we were scoring it as a projection of where it will be when it peaks, then we could very well be in agreement with the critics, but for us scores should reflect where the wine is now, and… 100 points? Nope.
