So two days after I start this thread, JJBuckely has a huge sale on Bordeaux. All 06 of course, but 06 was a good if not great year. Prices are in many labels back to 01 pricing. Please note I am in NO WAY connected to any of these retail outlets. I just like to share some of these prices as data points.
2006 Angelus 750ml – $119.99 (reg. $186.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “A spectacular effort (what’s new?), this brilliant offering from proprietor Hubert de Bouard is another classic. A blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, it boasts an inky/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of creosote, blueberry pie, espresso roast, blackberries, and graphite. Extremely full-bodied and stunningly rich with a multi-layered texture, sweet tannin, and a 45-second finish, this exceptional 2006 is one of the great wines of St.-Emilion. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.”
2006 Ausone 1500ml – $1,799.99 (reg. $2499.99)
2006 Ausone 3000ml – $3,694.99 (reg. $5,037.99)
2006 Ausone 6000ml – $7,347.99 (reg. $10,279.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 98 points: “One of the handful of candidates for wine of the vintage is the 2006 Ausone. In fact, while tasting it, I was thinking, is there any estate in Bordeaux that, since 1998, has made as many legendary wines as proprietor Alain Vauthier has at his beloved Ausone? Boasting an inky/blue/purple color as well as an extraordinary, precise bouquet of minerals, flowers, blueberry liqueur, and black currants, this wine possesses fabulous fruit and great intensity, but what makes it so special is its precision, focus, and almost ethereal lightness despite substantial flavor intensity and depth. It is a ballerina with density and power. The abundant noticeable tannin is sweet and, not surprisingly, very finely grained. It should be cellared for a decade, and consumed over the following half century.Obsessive perfectionist proprietor Alain Vauthier’s extraordinary attention to detail in both the vineyard and cellar has resulted in virtually perfect wines in vintage after vintage. Ausone is a 50-year wine, and generations to come will regard them with almost mythical acclaim.”
2006 Bellevue Mondotte 750ml – $174.99 (reg. $289.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “This tiny, 5-acre vineyard with nearly 50-year old vines produces only 4,000 bottles from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The broodingly tannic, backward 2006 is remarkably concentrated, pure, and deep. It is an amazing tour de force in winemaking, but like nearly all the Perse 2006s, it is a massively built vin de garde with no compromises meant for serious connoisseurs and long-term cellaring. Forget it for 7-8 years, and drink it over the following 25-30.”
2006 Calon Segur 750ml – $40.99 (reg. $52.99)
Wine Spectator, May 2009, 92 points: “Focused and fresh, with violet and blackberry aromas and vanilla undertones. Full-bodied, with very pretty berry fruit character, fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Refined. Best after 2014. 14,445 cases made. JS”
2006 Cheval Blanc 750ml – $329.99 (reg. $598.99)
2006 Cheval Blanc 1500ml – $664.99 (reg. $1,542.99)
2006 Cheval Blanc 3000ml – $1355.99 (reg. $3,083.99)
2006 Cheval Blanc 6000ml – $2694.99 (reg. $6,155.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “The brilliant 2006 Cheval Blanc performed better from bottle than from barrel. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot grown in a superb vineyard site facing La Conseillante and l’Evangile at the very edge of the sandy, gravelly soils of St.-Emilion, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet perfume of menthol, charcoal, boysenberries, black currants, and hints of cocoa and caramel. Lush, textured, and opulent with superb purity, medium to full body, savory flavors, and sweet, sexy tannins, this stunning Cheval Blanc may be even better than the 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.”
2006 Cos d’Estournel 750ml – $74.99 (reg. $114.99)
2006 Cos d’Estournel 1500ml – $159.99 (reg. $252.99)
2006 Cos d’Estournel 3000ml – $324.99 (reg. $534.99)
2006 Cos d’Estournel 6000ml – $698.99 (reg. $1,075.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 94 points: “The exceptional 2006 Cos d’Estournel is composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, 55% of the production was utilized. Revealing superb intensity for a 2006 as well as an inky/blue/purple color, and a sweet bouquet of blue and black fruits, licorice, graphite, and charcoal, this full-bodied 2006 possesses high levels of sweet tannin. This wine is characterized by a freshness and precision that give it a 1996-like affinity. Enjoy this beautifully concentrated, exceptionally pure, statuesque Cos d’Estournel over the next 20-25 years. By the way, it was bottled without any fining or filtration.”
2006 D’Issan 750ml – $36.99 (reg. $42.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 94 points: “Now consistently one of the great wines of the appellation, d’Issan has produced a dense purple-colored wine with a beautiful set of aromatics offering a smorgasbord of aromas such as perfumed flowers, incense, graphite, licorice, blueberry, and black currant. The wine is seamlessly constructed, like a fine dress from a haute couture house. With fabulous concentration of fruit, the ethereal elegance and sublime character of this wine make it seem to almost float across the palate with substantial flavor penetration and laser-like focus. This is a gorgeous example of 2006 that can be drunk in 3-4 years or cellared for over two decades. Good value.”
2006 Ducru Beaucaillou 750ml – $85.99 (reg. $141.99)
2006 Ducru Beaucaillou 1500ml – $179.99 (reg. $258.99)
2006 Ducru Beaucaillou 3000ml – $364.99 (reg. $534.99)
2006 Ducru Beaucaillou 6000ml – $759.99 (reg. $1,100.99)
Wine Spectator, Mar 2009, 95 points: “Very perfumed and beautiful, showing blackberry and raspberry aromas, with hints of vanilla. Deep and complex. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, powerful finish. Excellent for the vintage. Best after 2015. -JS”
2006 Les Forts de Latour 750ml – $64.99 (reg. $122.99)
2006 Les Forts de Latour 6000ml – $598.99 (reg. $1,027.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 92 points: “The brilliant second wine, the 2006 Les Forts de Latour, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, possesses a dense ruby/purple color, a beautiful bouquet of asphalt, cassis, cedar, truffles, and earth, and a full-bodied, dense, beautiful style that is similar to a 1996 Pauillac. It will age effortlessly for 15 years.”
2006 Haut Brion 750ml – $299.99 (reg. $571.99)
2006 Haut Brion 1500ml – $599.99 (reg. $1,074.99)
2006 Haut Brion 3000ml – $1,269.99 (reg. $2,199.99)
2006 Haut Brion 6000ml – $2,495.99 (reg. $4,299.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 96 points: “The 2006 Haut-Brion performed even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Sixty-four percent of the production went into this wine, and while it displays the vintage’s powerful tannins and structure, it possesses superb concentration, and the minerality/scorched earth notes of a great Haut-Brion. Medium to full-bodied, with perhaps not quite the fleshiness of the 2005 or 2000, it is built more along the lines of the 1998 and 1996. It is a brilliant effort displaying sensational purity, texture, and length that should be exceptionally long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.”
2006 Lafite-Rothschild 750ml – $389.99 (reg. $593.99)
2006 Lafite-Rothschild 1500ml – $774.99 (reg. $1027.99)
2006 Lafite-Rothschild 3000ml – $1,595.99 (reg. $2055.99)
2006 Lafite-Rothschild 6000ml – $3198.99 (reg. $4215.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 97 points: “One of the fabulous surprises, although I had suggested last year that it could jump in quality, of my tastings, the 2006 Lafite Rothschild is a great, great wine made from a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. When I tasted it from barrel, it reminded me of their successful 1988, but it is dramatically superior to that vintage. Frankly, it may turn out to be as good as the 2005, which in all of Bordeaux is a far greater vintage than 2006. Lafite’s severe selection process (42% made it into the grand vin) resulted in a full-bodied wine boasting an extraordinary perfume of charcoal, truffles, lead pencil shavings, and sensationally sweet, ripe black currant and cedar notes. A wine of extraordinary intensity, texture, and depth with silky tannins as well as awesome concentration, this has turned out to be a remarkable Lafite Rothschild that should be drinkable much earlier than the 2005, but age for three decades. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2035+.”
2006 Latour 1500ml -$799.99 (reg. $1,299.99)
2006 Latour 3000ml – $1,599.99 (reg. $2,499.99)
2006 Latour 6000ml – $3,199.99 (reg. $5,999.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “The 2006 Latour performed even better from bottle than from barrel. Only 38% of the production (10,000 cases) made it into the grand vin, a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot and a small amount of Cabernet Franc. From barrel, I thought it was a modern day version of the 1996 or 1986, and certainly the 1996 comparison still holds. I thought it was somewhat austere from barrel, but that is no longer an issue. This is a beautifully rich Chateau Latour boasting a dense ruby/purple color, a sweet, smoky, charcoal, cassis, graphite, and forest floor-scented nose, full body, an attractive freshness, and sweet, noble tannins. This layered Latour is one of the vintage’s top dozen or so wines. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.”
Wine Spectator, Mar 2009, 95 points: “Offers a pure nose of currant and blackberry, with crushed fruit. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and very polished, refined tannins. Long and classy. Best after 2016. -JS”
Stephen Tanzer, Jun 2009, 95 points: “Bright full ruby. Slightly stern aromas of cassis, graphite, licorice, incense and flowers. Then dense and penetrating, with terrific energy to the subtle dark fruit, licorice and mineral flavors. There’s a coolness to the fruit that makes this wine dramatically different from the Forts de Latour. Finishes with big, building tannins and a powerful sense of structure. A fairly large-scaled Latour but not particularly sweet in the early going. In fact, this went into a shell with 24 hours in the recorked bottle. 95 points”
2006 Leoville-Barton 750ml – $49.99 (reg. $59.99)
2006 Leoville-Barton 1500ml- $104.99 (reg. $132.99)
2006 Leoville-Barton 3000ml – $215.99 (reg. $288.99)
2006 Leoville-Barton 6000ml – $489.99 (reg. $629.99)
Wine Spectator, Feb 2009, 94 points: “There’s a great dark color to this, with intense aromas of cedar, wood, new leather and crushed blackberry. Full-bodied, with loads of fruit and a firm, powerful palate. Long and mouthpuckering. A muscular baby. Best after 2015. 18,750 cases made”
2006 Leoville-Las Cases 750ml – $129.99 (reg. $219.99)
2006 Leoville-Las Cases 1500ml – $264.99 (reg. $384.99)
2006 Leoville-Las Cases 3000ml – $529.99 (reg. $797.99)
2006 Leoville-Las Cases 6000ml – $1,107.99 (reg. $1,644.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “Not surprisingly, Leoville Las Cases has produced another classic, potentially long-lived wine in 2006. Among the St.-Juliens, it, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Leoville Barton possess the potential for the greatest longevity. Interestingly, when I visited this chateau in January, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon offered me two samples, one where the cork had been pulled immediately prior to tasting, and another that had been decanted four hours earlier. Both were superb, but the wine that had had extended aeration was clearly the finer offering. The opaque purple-hued 2006- only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend- exhibits a personality that mimics the superb 1996. Classic aromas of sweet black raspberries, kirsch, cassis, and subtle toasty oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine displaying moderately high tannin. This cuvee can often resemble a Pauillac wrapped in the St.-Julien appellation, and the 2006 is no exception. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it will require significant cellaring before consumption. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2035+.”
2006 Lynch Bages 750ml – $45.99 (reg. $64.99)
2006 Lynch Bages 1500ml – $95.99 (reg. $134.99)
2006 Lynch Bages 3000ml – $199.99 (reg. $288.99)
2006 Lynch Bages 6000ml – $439.99 (reg. $606.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 92 points: “1988 or 1995-ish in style, rather than 1996, which seems to be the vintage several 2006s recall, this dense purple-colored wine displays sweet notes of creme de cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice, and some cedar and graphite. The wine has plenty of structure a la 1995 and a backward, muscular personality, but beautiful fruit on the attack and alluring purity and a nicely textured mouthfeel. The finish suggests cellaring for 3-5 years and drinking over the following two decades.”
2006 Chateau Margaux 1500ml – $649.99 (reg. $1,079.99)
2006 Chateau Margaux 3000ml – $1324.99 (reg. $2153.99)
2006 Chateau Margaux 6000ml – $2699.99 (reg. $4369.99)
Wine Spectator, Mar 2009, 95 points: “This has a wonderful nose of perfume, sandalwood, ripe plum and berries. Full-bodied, with seamless tannins and a long finish. Gorgeous. Best after 2015. -JS”
2006 La Mission Haut Brion 750ml -$299.99 (reg. $593.99)
2006 La Mission Haut Brion 6000ml -$2499.99 (reg. $4503.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “One of the vintage’s top wines is the 2006 La Mission-Haut-Brion. From bottle, it reminds me of the 1998, given its structure and backward style. Dense ruby/purple-colored, it possesses a boatload of tannin, but with coaxing, tobacco leaf, sweet black currant, burning ember, and blue fruit characteristics emerge. While thick and full-bodied, the tannins seem more elevated than I remember from barrel. It is going to be a beauty, but like many of the top 2006s, considerable patience is required. Only 55% of the production made it into the grand vin as Jean-Philippe Delmas made a severe selection. The final blend was 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2006 has one of the highest natural alcohols ever achieved at La Mission, averaging around 14.3%, which is astonishingly high for a Graves. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035.”
2006 Montrose 750ml – $60.99 (reg. $90.99)
2006 Montrose 1500ml – $129.99 (reg. $174.99)
2006 Montrose 3000ml – $324.99 (reg. $269.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 94 points: “The first vintage under new owner Martin Bouygues,who convinced Jean-Bernard Delmas to come out of retirement to produce this wine, the 2006 Montrose is an undeniable success. A blend of approximately two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, one-third Merlot, and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, the most dramatic difference between the 2006, and wines made by the previous administration is that Jean Delmas produces wines with sweeter, silkier tannins, although analytically, they are as high as those found in the great Montrose vintages of the past. The 2006 is extraordinarily elegant and finesse-styled, but it exhibits stunningly concentrated, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit with hints of flowers and minerals. Full-bodied with a savory, expansive mid-palate as well as sweet, noble tannins, this beauty will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 20-25+ years.”
2006 Pape Clement 750ml – $72.99 (reg. $123.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “More accolades are due proprietor Bernard Magrez, Bordeaux’s leading visionary, for what he is accomplishing at his flagship estate as well as at myriad other properties. Pape-Clement’s harvest took place between September 21 and October 10. Yields were only 40 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend was 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. While the 2006 will not make anyone overlook the immortal 2005, it is a brilliant, blue/purple-tinged effort exhibiting aromas of lead pencil shavings interwoven with blueberries, raspberries, black currants, and background wood. Medium to full-bodied, pure, textured, and structured, this beauty is one of the appellation’s finest wines. It should put on even more weight with some bottle age. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.”
2006 Petrus Bordeaux Blend 1500ml – $2145.99 (reg. $4,405.99)
2006 Petrus Bordeaux Blend 3000ml – $4395.99 (reg. $8,810.99)
2006 Petrus Bordeaux Blend 6000ml – $8795.99 (reg. $21,537.99)
Wine Advocate, Jan 2007, 94 – 96 points: “The most backward, tannic, and powerful wine of the appellation, the 2006 Petrus reveals classic herb-tinged, caramel, and sweet black cherry notes intermixed with mocha and spice box. With impressive density, high tannin, full body, and an unyielding style, it will be at its finest between 2020-2050+. This is certainly among the longest-lived wines of the vintage.”
Wine Spectator, Apr 2007, 95 – 100 points: “Displays a solid core of fruit, with spice and cherry. Builds on the palate, with silky-textured tannins and a long finish. Seamless. This was picked before the rain. -J.S.”
2006 Pontet-Canet 750ml -$57.99 (reg. $67.99)
2006 Pontet-Canet 1500ml – $119.99 (reg. $144.99)
2006 Pontet-Canet 6000ml – $544.99 (reg. $644.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 95 points: “The 2006 is a wine to stockpile, especially for those in their thirties and forties as it needs another decade to reach maturity, after which it should keep for 30+ years. This vineyard, just south of Mouton Rothschild, has produced an opaque bluish/purple-colored 2006 with an extraordinarily pure nose of graphite, charcoal, sweet creme de cassis, and a hint of scorched earth. Incredible concentration, stunning richness, and a 60-second finish result in a wine that transcends the vintage as well as this estate’s 1855 classification. This enormously endowed, modern day classic is a legend in the making. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050+.”
2006 Talbot 6000ml – $359.99 (reg. $424.99)
Wine Advocate, Feb 2009, 89 points: “This fruity, soft, somewhat commercial, mid-weight St.-Julien offers sweet black cherry and currant fruit intermixed with subtle herb, spice box, and smoke characteristics. While not particularly concentrated, it is a round, aromatic, soft, sensual 2006 to enjoy over the next 10-13 years.”
