From the Cellar
Henri Bourgeois 2003 Petit Bourgeois Rouge (France)
29 Sep 2016- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(February 8, 2016) ... I'm a lover of Cabernet Franc and this bottle from the Loire should have been right up my alley, but in truth I like what Ontario (Canada) is doing with Franc, and the French version just seems green and weedy to me ... Here is a thirteen year old bottle that I was not sure what to expect from. It started off smoky with licorice, burnt toast, and some herbal / savoury notes ... An hour plus later smoky remains but now it contains green peppers and dried black raspberry seasoned with anise seed; I could do without the green pepper but certainly was thrilled with the rest and how this bottle has stood the test of time. That it's not completely dead is testament enough for me.
On this night I actually opened three bottles, but two of them were spoiled - not necessarily because the wines were old but they were never given a chance because of their plastic cork ... damn you plastic cork! The offenders were two bottles of 2003 Laroche (as pictured below).
