Bordeaux Collection, Establissement Duclot--Vintage 2000 Both lots with eight of nine bottles in branded cartons contained within a beautiful presentation wooden case complete with metal closure Parcel: lots 195-196 Château Lafite-Rothschild(1) "Well, well, well - Lafite Rothschild does it again. Ever since manager Charles Chevalier was transferred from his beloved Sauternes property of Rieussec (also owned by the Rothschilds) to Lafite in 1994, there has been a succession of profound wines to emerge from this noble estate. The 2000 Lafite Rothschild, a blend of 93.3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.7 Merlot (only 36 of the crop made the grade) has an opaque ruby/purple color, followed by an extraordinary aromatic expression of liquid minerals/stones interwoven with the tell-tale graphite notes, mulberry, black currants, caramel, and tobacco. In the mouth, it is remarkably light on its feet, but somehow seems to pack intense flavors into layer upon layer of fruit and richness that cascade over the palate. A compelling wine, with extraordinary precision, great intensity, and a seamlessness in spite of what are obviously elevated levels of tannin, this wine was provocatively open and beautiful when tasted in January and February, but I am sure it will soon close down. The finish lasted a whopping 72 seconds! This is utterly fascinating stuff." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003) Château Mouton-Rothschild Not in individual carton(1) "The 2000 Mouton Rothschild is at its best with about 24-48 hours of decanting. A blend of 86 Cabernet Sauvignon and 14 Merlot, the wine offers a saturated ruby/purple color in addition to reticent but promising aromas of toast, coffee, licorice, créme de cassis, and roasted nuts. Dense, chewy, and backward, with tremendous purity and density in addition to obvious toasty oak, it is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and backward. Twenty-four to 48 hours of aeration only hints at its ultimate potential. This blockbuster will be exceptionally long-lived. It is not as expressive as the other first-growth Medocs, but give it time. As I predicted in my first report on the millennium vintage (April 2001), Philippine de Rothschild could be expected to do something special with her presentation of 2000. She has exceeded everyones expectations with a work of art. Those who have seen the extraordinary packaging of the 2000 Mouton Rothschild must certainly realize this is a brilliant achievement. The bottle is extraordinary, and likely to have nearly as much value empty as full! Her genius is obvious, but its whats inside that counts!" Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003) Château Latour(1) "Only 48 of the crop made it into the prodigious 2000 Latour. The wine's saturated ruby/purple color is accompanied by sumptuous aromas of jammy black fruits intermixed with earth, vanilla, grilled nuts, and minerals. It is remarkably seamless for a young Latour, but as the wine sits in the glass, its acid and unevolved high tannin level begin to make an impact. This is an unctuously-styled effort where tasters may not discern the tannin until the finish. A fascinating offering, it will flirt with perfection when fully mature." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #139 (Feb 2002) Château Margaux(1) "Only 40 of the crop made it into this 2000 Margaux, a blend of 90 Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 Merlot. Stylistically, it is somewhat of a hybrid between the succulent, opulent, fleshy 1990, and the more delineated, structured, cooler climate-tasting 1996. The 2000 possesses a saturated ruby/purple color to the rim as well as an extraordinarily promising nose of créme de cassis intermixed with white flowers, licorice, and hints of espresso and toasty oak. There is great intensity, compelling purity, a multi-layered, full-bodied palate, and a finish that goes on for nearly 70+ seconds. Bottled naturally, with no filtration, it is a monumental example of the elegance and power that symbolize this extraordinary vineyard. A tour de force in winemaking, many of my colleagues predicted, far earlier than me, that it would be the "wine of the vintage." It is certainly one of the wines of the vintage, but there is plenty of competition, even at this lofty level of quality. Absolutely awesome! Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003) Château Haut-Brion(1) "...it is a wine of intensity, authority, and measured restraint. A supremely elegant offering, its dense ruby/purple color, and burgeoning perfume of scorched earth, liquid minerals, plums, black currants, cherries, lead pencil, and subtle spicy oak are followed by a delicate yet powerfully flavorful, multi-layered, highly nuanced, and extraordinarily pure and seamless wine... it is certainly a prodigious wine of dazzling persistence, length, and complexity. A blend of 51 Merlot, 42 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7 Cabernet Franc, it should prove to be uncommonly long-lived, even by the standards of Haut-Brion. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2040." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 146 (Apr 2003) Château Cheval Blanc(1) "This closed, backward blend of 53 Merlot and 47 Cabernet Franc boasts a saturated purple color along with a reticent but striking bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, truffles, and mocha. In spite of its tightness, aeration reveals scents of licorice, menthol, and saddle leather. Opulent and full-bodied, with low acidity, sweet tannin, and a 60-second finish, it is unquestionably as profound as the 1990 and 1982. I still believe the 2000 has the potential to be the most compelling Cheval Blanc since the mythical 1947 and 1949, but patience is required. It should merit a three digit score in 7-10 years, but it is closed at present." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003) Château Pétrus(1) "A magical effort from Pétrus, the 2000 has continued to gain weight and stature. From the bottle, it is a perfect wine, much like the 1998. The color is inky plum/purple to the rim and the nose, which starts slowly, begins to roar after several minutes, offering up scents of smoke, blackberries, cherries, licorice, and an unmistakable truffle underbrush element. On the palate, this enormous effort is reminiscent of dry vintage port, with fabulous ripeness, a huge, unctuous texture, enormous body, and a colossal 65-second finish..." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003) Château Ausone(1) "Proprietor Alain Vauthier has produced a prodigious wine that captures the essence of Ausone's terroir. A saturated black/purple color is followed by sensational aromas of ink, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and that wet stones/liquid minerality characteristic. The wine has phenomenal presence on the palate as well as astonishing richness and purity. Despite its extract, power, and richness, it is remarkably light, with a surreal delicacy. It is a tour de force in winemaking and a compelling expression of this magical terroir. It should prove to be legendary, but sadly, anyone over the age of 50 will probably not live to see it come close to maturity." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003) Château La Mission-Haut-Brion(1) "While still tight from bottling, its inky purple color is accompanied by extravagantly sweet aromas of blackberries, blueberries, toast, scorched earth, coffee, asphalt, graphite, and smoke. Super-intense and unctuously-textured, with a sumptuous mid-palate and finish, this is an explosively rich, layered effort that possesses everything I could ever want from a terroir that has given me as much hedonistic and intellectual pleasure as any other wine in the world. It is an amazing achievement for administrator Jean-Bernard Delmas, his son, Jean-Phillipe, and the entire winemaking team. The phenomenal aftertaste goes on for over a minute. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2045." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #146 (Apr 2003)