Deep dark red nearly opaque. Lots of thin legs showing dark impressive coloration. A retiscent nose that eventually opens up to display lots of bacon fat, plum, black fruits, and black olives. Quite intense. On the palate, the wine is very plush with cascading tannins and a finish that lasts over a minute. Really an impressive wine on the palate. Quite an achievement for 1999. bacon fat and black fruits continue on the palate. Tannins are substantial but fairly well shrouded by the fruit of the wine. A very impressve wine. I don't know how Perse pulled this off. 95 points and a serious buy in my book at $55. Balanced. Can age and improve for 10 to 12 years.

(Parker rated the wine as a 94)

Impressive, especially at that price. Can you compare favorably to the '98?

Is that a WOW?

The 98 is slightly better. I have both in my cellar. Given the price difference in the wines, the 99 is probaly the wine to buy if you only purchase one vintage. Monbousquet since Perset took over has really improved. I very much enjoy the 96 and 97 as well.

It wasn't a WOW because it was not unxpected. However, it outclassed the Henschke that came before it and Henschke is a very fine wine. Regardless, the wine performed better than I thought it would when I opened it.

jones-i paid $55 for my 98's. but can't find the 99 under $65. i'm waiting for the price to come down. where did you find the 99 at that price?

I think I paid right at $60 for my four bottles, sounds like I got somethin' to look forward too. Kudos on the notes Jones.

I believe I saw that the Wine House in San Francisco and the Wine Club has (or more properly had) the wine for that price. I bought my 99s as a future through the wholesaler for $40 give or take a few dollars.

[ 05-18-2002, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: JonesWineNo1 ]

jones:

this is heartening news indeed. i just bought the 99 this week. unfortunately i paid $70 for it. but considering how well you consider it's tasting, i don't feel bad at all. there's more, but i'm hoping the price will descend a bit. (famous liquors for the chicago clientele)

jones or any other bordeaux cognescenti: do you recommend letting this one age or is it best consumed young. RMP put it out to 2016. like other bordeaux i have read about, will this one hit a "dumb" phase as well?

Not all wines have dumb phases. Absent historical trends in a certain wine (for example Montelena has typically had a dumb phase starting usually about 6 years post vintage (although that has decreased somewhat since the stylistic change in Montelena that started with the 90 vintage)), forecasting if and when a wine will go dumb is very difficult. This wine is drinking very well at present. I don't see any reason why the wine can't last for another 10 to 15 years however. I left a glass of the Monbousquet out over night and the wine's nose was still strong and on the palate it was still enjoyable this morning.

My suggestion is you try a bottle now and then follow the wine's evolution by periodically consuming one bottle. Laying down a wine that you have never tasted for a long period of time is fraught with risk. Further, even when you do drink the wine you don't know what it tasted like earlier in its life. As a result, your palate remains uneducated as to how a wine presents throughout its life cycle. In short, there is no substitute for experience.

M. Perse has done many impressive changes with all the properties he owns. I believe he just bought Petit Village also. Pavie and Pavie Decesse are bigger wines than under Jean Paul Valette, and bigger prices! Under Valette, Pavie and Decesse were variable, but he did make some very beautiful and classic St. Emilion, plus he was a very nice man. Had dinner with a wine group at the Chateau with Jean Paul and his wife. I had to sit next to Mme. Valette due to the fact I was the only one who spoke French. And I don't speak it THAT well! Great night and great memories.

They are also better wines thus the increase in price.

Here's an interesting post on the Squires site re: Monbousquet. Parker responds with a vengence! Check it out . . .http://www.erobertparker.com/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005883

Jones, I would say that they are different wines, not necessarily better. M. Valette made some wonderful wines, ie. 1988, and 1990 Pavie. These are in the classic St. Emilion tradition. The '98 Pavies' are more "California" in style. I like my California Cabs in this style, but there is something classic about the "old" Bordeaux style. This is nothing new.....there is much debate about the "new world" Bordeaux style versus the classic Bordeaux style. I for one, don't like my Bordeaux like my California Cab style, they are two different animals. I hope they can be what they are, for what they are, different.

It's a matter of comparing Monbousquet "before" vs. "after." There is nothing "classic" about marginal wine.

Perse's Monbousquets still taste like St. Emilion to me - just from a spectacular vintage.

Pavie's terroir is one of the best in St. Emilion but Valette during his ownership came up with very few great wines. Since Perse has taken over Pavie is producing much better wines. They remind me of Pavies pre Valette's ownership from great low production vintages such as 61.

Perse certainly gets my vote of confidence.

picked up a bottle for $57 tonight. opened up 2 hours prior to drinking. jones is correct. this is an outstanding wine. unbelievable extraction, but still a st.emilion. reminded me of barde-haut, but much bigger. i think this may be better than the 98. you california winos will love this wine. as good or better than anything i tasted at the wine library california tasting on monday night. this is a keeper.

Just popped the cork 10 minutes ago on my extra I picked up in SoCal, poured an ounce into the Palais, rest into the decanter. Couldn't resist any longer, thank god my Quilceda's are in off-site storage. This is serious stuff, wo-hoo, the filet is a thawin'!!! Full report later.

I also found this wine to be outstanding. Opaque, very deep red/black, but not purple, with, as JonesWineNo1, indicated very impressively colored thin legs, the wine just coats the glass. Every drop stained the decanter, every leg stained the glass. I found a very pretty nose of cedar, black pepper, black fruits with coffee and tobacco notes, the tobacco notes, becoming beautifully sweet, became more prominent as time went on. Shares a wonderful balance between fruit and earth uncommon for the vintage. On the palate, I found it suprisingly delicate for its color and nose, but still mouth coating and very long. Tannin very much evident but cloaked in an elegance I find quite unusual for a wine this young and this fruity. Not a '99 Cal Cab or Bordeaux out there IMHO that competes in this price range. Just a beautiful, sexy wine. 95 points as well.

ojeffso-
Just a reminder. Thank you on this one.

DrT

I bought the '98 Monbousquet for $45 + tax last year. I think the prices are going up, in part, due to the huge positive press that these wines have been getting over the past couple of years. The detractors whine about over-extraction, but they are few and fading.

EDJ

This is a late response to Jones & "Closed wines"

Had the 1995 Moon Biscuit about 6 months ago & it was hard as nails. Maybe Perse's wines will be different.

The 95 Monbousquet was made by Perse IIRC. I believe his first vintage was 93.

Notes were not taken on this wine. Had it at a restaurant with a filet mignon about twoo weeks ago (byob) of course. The wine took time to open up. About on half hour to start, and in an hour was wonderful. A fantastic nose of earth, oak, ripe blackberries and forest. Sweet thick, unctuous, flavors. The way I like wine, very complex. There is earth, black fruit, flowers, cherry liquer, A great long finish. A full bodied wine with a dark black color. I bought 2 at 56.00. After having this, I tried to find more at that price and it was all gone! I waited to late to try this wine. I only hope it will be available somewhere at this price. Thanks for the advice. I wish I had bought more.

It used to be beer, the old lady, & TV. Now it's wine, American Express, & this stupid forum!