Bordeaux 2011: First growths 'will be half price' of 2010, other chateaux set release date

4月啱啱開始就已經有咁多新一年波爾多酒花既消息，睇嚟今年各個酒莊都希望收回舊年既失地，都係睇定啲再算！

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Bordeaux approves official Chinese names

好多個名都好核突啊 XP
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2010 Bordeaux

剛收到2010波爾多酒花的消息，應該已經是非常的克制了!
有興趣的朋友可以看看各大酒行比較一下!

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2010 Bordeaux: Lafite Rothschild 98-100 Points Robert Parker


The world's most sought after wine, Lafite Rothschild, available at a special parcel price of £6,150 per 6 bottle case, together with a 12 bottle case of its sister property Rieussec.

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Bordeaux Wine Tasting

(click the image for larger view)

主觀地覺得值得一試，有時間去一看無妨。
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Subjectively, I think this tasting worth a try.

Aile d’Argent 1994, AC Bordeaux

友人從法國遊樂歸來，帶來此瓶住釀，完全出乎我意料之外。

說實的，除了Cadet blanc外我從未喝過「武當(Mouton)」的白酒，所以當接觸此酒時我實在有點招架不住。酒色金黃，酒腳流動速度十分緩慢。香氣濃郁，當中竟滿是乾果(葡萄乾、杏脯乾等)，另有明顯的橡木及煙燻，有酒友形她簡直像「波特酒(port)」。入口果味強橫，當中以菠蘿、李子及桃子為主，酒體豐厚，可是酸度稍稍不足，多喝相信會有點膩的感覺，而且有點已經步入黃昏的感覺。

酒友們，大家有喝過較新年份的嗎？
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My friend came back from France with this nice wine, which was totally out of my expectation.

Actually, I have never tasted this wine before, and I almost lost under this lady’s first attack. Golden yellow colour when slow clawing legs. Very intense aroma with dried fruits (such as raisin, dried apricot, etc.), also with notable oak barrel and smokiness. Some wine-mates said the nose of her was just like Port. On palate, the powerful fruit favour of pineapple, peach and pear was first noted. Totally full body but acidity was a bit too low, which may create a sense of full. Also, it seems that she was passing through her peak and started downhill, should drink her if you have one now.

Dear friends, any comments on newer vintages?

Life Expectance of Wine

跟酒友們吃晚飯，本沒甚麼特別，但倒有一瓶酒引起了我想談談一個題目：葡萄酒的壽命。

是次晚飯大部分酒友都是帶來波爾多左、右岸的葡萄酒。其中一位朋友(剛巧是我同事)的酒是Sarget de Gruaud-Larose 2000。由於他之前曾被委派往外地工作，調回香港時他刻意運回大批葡萄酒，可惜運送途中似乎因運輸公司的失誤而熱壞了不了他的收藏品，這瓶酒是其中之一。

可能先入為主，因聽過他的事故，加上開瓶時發覺有點滲漏，所以對該酒可說沒期望。原瓶呼吸了約一小時後倒進杯中，木桶、咖啡及枝梗比較明顯，果味十分隱晦。入口單寧仍然實在，輕至中等酸度卻叫人摸不著果實的味道，心裡不禁跳到結論：壞掉了。

但及後「白襯衣」酒友提出這瓶酒其實仍是給人青青綠綠的感覺，其實是仍有發展及成熟的空間。於是我再倒酒到杯中，細心留意她之後的演變，的確她漸漸浮現出青椒、蘑菇香氣，入口紅果類的酸度亦漸見明顯，但之後便停了下來，再沒甚麼變化。

「白襯衣」酒友指有質素的葡萄酒在受傷過後，其實可通過慢慢的療養回復表現。對於此觀點，我想要留待時間及我的品酒經驗才可印證到，但這瓶「受過傷」的葡萄酒提醒了我一個重點：酒海無涯，任何事也有可能發生，所以千萬不要太快對葡萄酒下結論。

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Tasted a bottle of Sarget de Gruaud-Larose 2000 recently which was originally certified to be dead due to extreme heat during transportation. She expressed oak barrel, coffee and branches after a hour of breathing in the original bottle, but later she showed green pepper, mushroom and red fruit, which was indeed improvement in overall performance.

Tata suggested that quality wine can be “recovered” even after man-made damage. I think I will focus on this to prove whether this theory is correct or not. But this experience clearly gave me a lesson – never jump to conclusion on wine.