Thursday 26 January 2012

Then & Now - Château Plince

Thursday evening, and having the day of work tomorrow, calls for taking the corkscrew in a firm grip and open not one, but two bottles! :-)
I love making the comparison between a mature and a young version of the same wine. This time it is Château Plince, a 8,8 ha Pomerol estate that concist of 72% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. They make 50.000 bottle a year. For more info, check out their website - http://www.chateauplince.fr/ (only in french).


Popped and poured:
1979 Château Plince
I just love the scents of an old Bordeaux! This has the intoxicating nose of not overly fresh stables, ripe black plums, dry fudge, wet dog, old leather and autumn leaves. Not that deep, not that complex, but just lovely all the same! This is, at least on the nose, perfectly mature.
The taste is soft, polished and rather light, with soft tannins and notes of plums, raisins, red currants and cigarett ashes. The finish is on the dry side and have the mark of old wood. But with some food in all simplicity, a spagetti carbonara, this is great. Since it just 40 minutes since I done the deed, I have to get back with a final verdict, but for know, in the range 84-87p.

2007 Château Plince
This is a different breed. And sorry to say, a tell tale specimen of the modern problem with Bordeaux. It has a sweet, modern, open nose with notes of red and black fruit - maybe cherries and blueberries - and vanilla oak flavours with new leather and tobacco. But where in the world does it come from? Ok, its rather cool in the structure, not overly warm, so Europe? If I got this blind, I would, on the nose, have guessed Tuscany. Or maybe Bordeaux. Or maybe...
The taste is young, fresh and good with soft red and black fruit, young but friendly tannins and a medium long, good finish. Nothing sticks out, it has been polished beoynd character. Nothing wrong but it hasn´t got any soul. Objectively this is a 83-85p wine, but I want some character, so I will get back with my final verdict. The bottles will be open for the weekend to see what happens.

And to add the whole picture - I bought the -07 just the other day for 36 Euro at the State monopoly. I bought the -79 a couple of months ago for 17 Euro...

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