FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - TN: nice cheap '01 St-Emilion, Strub; ok Mondavi, NZ, etc.

In message >
amnspam (Dale Williams) wrote:

.....
>
> I had brought the 2001 Rocher Bellevue Figeac (St.Émilion), and luckily they
> were serving roast lamb. Man, why did I only get 3 bottles of this in a mixed
> case? I think I thought "how good could this be for $12.99?" Pretty damn good,
> actually. Some flowers and leather riding a wave of dark fruit on the nose,
> black cherry-meets-kirsch fruit, tannins apparent but fine enough to be
> inobtrusive. I think this will age well on the short to mid term, but a fine
> accompaniment to meat right now. Nicely balanced oak, fruit, tannins, and
> acidity. B+/A-, with a solid A for QPR.
>

The 2001 St. Emilions are under-rated in my view. This GC is often a supple one
in youth & drinks well comparatively soon, with good red fruits apparent among its more
obvious nuances. I would not keep it too long although it will be good for
another three or four years at least, though it may sleep at some time during
that period. The structure is notone of a real keeper. The tannins are soft and
pleasant now but not such as to indicate really long life.

I know how the OP feels - it's always the ones you do not buy a lot of that you
regret.

Timothy Hartley

St. Emilion - Alleluia