2001 Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil Chevalerie - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (11/1/2012)
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --

NOSE: strawberry; pickles; strong mineral note; prunes; Christmas Yankee candle – pine and cinnamon; green olive; moderate+ expressiveness; largely died-away approximately 4 hours after uncorking.

BODY: lots of fine particulate matter present; ruby core with tawny at the edges; color is of medium depth; medium bodied.

TASTE: light concentration of fruit – somewhat watery; light leather note; some pencil lead/graphite; fine tannins are just barely hanging around; thin; sewer water; low acid; past prime; 12.5% alc. not noticeable; finish is short and of light intensity; needs food to not be totally worthless at this point.

B: 50, 4, 10, 10, 4 = 78 (78 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Brashley, that 78 sounds pretty generous!

Had a Bourgeil at a retailer tasting over the summer, thought it was nice and bought one. Drank it several months later and thought it was terrible. Oh well.

It had a somewhat enjoyable Nose, and it didn't come across as technically flawed or head-damaged --- just past its prime, so it managed to eek-out the 78. No outward signs of prior bad storage, either, although it is a possibility, as I just recently acquired this from a local retailer.