Natty Light

Just kidding. Banquet beer. Duh.

Just mix them all together. They're going to the same place

What do you have against brisket & ribs at Christmas? Sure beats lame assed turkey.

Wine is for women folk/slicer

First growth wines go with everything. It was a trick question.

Like your style!

quote:

---

What do you have against brisket & ribs at Christmas? Sure beats lame assed turkey.

---

I'm just talking smack. Brisket and ribs are a whole helluva lot better than turkey.

As far as wine goes I have no opinion. An IPa would go great with yor meat though.

Had beef short ribs stroganoff from here Tuesday night.

http://www.thepalisadesrestaurant.com/menu.html

quote:

---

Beer or bourbon

---

This

I love a good red wine but it doesn't go with brisket. As I quoted above, beer or bourbon are the only choices.

Bourbon is best served before and/or after dinner not with.

quote:

---

Bourbon is best served before and/or after dinner not with.

---

True. Only the proletariat drink bourbon with a meal.

Wow, nobody said "your mom". What's happening to GB ?

quote:

---

Wow, nobody said "your mom". What's happening to GB ?

---

That would have made zero sense given the question

quote:

---

quote:

---

Wow, nobody said "your mom". What's happening to GB ?

---

That would have made zero sense given the question

---

Sense ? I must be in the wrong forum....

quote:

---

quote:

---

Bourbon is best served before and/or after dinner not with.

---

True. Only the proletariat drink bourbon with a meal.

---

Whut th' f*** did ewe jes' call me, old guy?

A spicy spanish wine.

A big, rich cab

I'm not familiar with those wines, but a zin will pair well. I'd take wine over beer or bourbon every time unless I'm eating something spicy.

Drink them all before your eat, then it won't make a damn bit of difference what you pair with the meat.

A vintage Boone's. Shall I unscrew it for you?

If that first if that first bottle on left, the Ste Estephe is a 2005, I'd decant and go with that

Otherwise, that '08 Margaux

I think I would go with a 2015 Thunderbird.

quote:

---

I think I would go with a 2015 Thunderbird.

---

Fresh wine.

quote:

---

First growth wines go with everything. It was a trick question.

---

Cross-posted to Food and Spirits Board "What's in your wine cellar"

Thanks for posting this! The OP's use of the term "First Growth" is a common but inaccurate description. However, I doubt you would/did go wrong drinking any of these, or as one poster put it, to "drink them all!" At first blush, my pick was the Pontet-Canet for a couple of reasons: 2006 was a good year and it's from Pauillac, which arguably has the greatest concentration of top Bordeaux. No attack intended on the OP or anyone else whatsoever, but since I am currently buying some recent Bordeaux vintages this thread encouraged me to take a deeper dive on the subject and to challenge myself to share what little knowledge I may have.


BORDEAUX OVERVIEW

Today there are officially only 5 First Growth Bordeaux and all come from the "Left Bank" (meaning West side of the Gironde Estuary) near the city of Bordeaux, France: of the Northwestern villages of Bordeaux known as "Medoc" are Pauillac's 1) Chateau Lafite, 2) Chateau Latour and 3) Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which was later added in 1973, and Margaux's 4) Chateau Margaux; of the Southwestern villages known as "Graves" are Pessac-Leognan's 5) Chateau Haut-Brion.

Commonly included in discussions today on First Growth wines (since the 1855 list only included the Left Bank wines of Medoc and Graves), which make up the unofficial "Club of 9" are the following:

6) Chateau d'Yquem - a white wine from the Graves village of Sauternes and one of the original 5 First Growth wines in 1855

and the "Right Bank" wines....
7) Chateau Cheval Blanc - Bordeaux from St. Emilion (Eastern region) village of St. Emilion
8) Chateau Ausone - same as Cheval Blanc
9) Chateau Petrus - Bordeaux from the Pomerol village near St. Emilion


CLASSIFICATION

Bordeaux is classified among some 50+ appellations covered by six different classifications. In other words, labels are confusing if not misleading. So there are different rating systems depending upon where the Bordeaux was produced. Here are some decent resources I have come across:

Bordeaux Classification primer http://www.world-food-and-wine.com/wine-classification-in-bordeaux

Medoc and Graves Chateaus producing since 1855 http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/1855-bordeaux-classification/

Medoc Chateaus not included in the 1855 guide http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/list-of-crus-bourgeois-classification/

Graves Chateaus not included the 1855 guide http://www.wine-searcher.com/graves-classification.lml

Saint Emilion Chateaus http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/list-of-current-st-emilion-classifications/


THE LINE-UP

So back to the OP's selections from Left to Right (Chateau/Year/appellation/classification/auction price at Wine Searcher/average rating at Cellar Tracker):

• Calon Segur 2005 St. Estephe "Grand Cru," Third Growth, $85, 92 points
• Beychevelle 2012 St. Julien "Grand Vin," Fourth Growth, $65, 89 points
• Brane-Cantenac 2008 Margaux "Grand Cru," Second Growth, $65, 89 points
• Pavie MacQuinn 2011 St. Emilion (different classification) "Premier Grand Cru," Class B, $60, 92 points
• Pontet-Canet 2006 Pauillac "Grand Cru," Fifth Growth, $89, 92 points

As you can see, the lowly Fifth Growth "Pontet-Canet" sells for more and rates higher than the once esteemed Second Growth Brane-Cantenac (yes, I get that they are different vintages but really the point stands) while the only Chateau not rated in the 1855 guide AND from the Right Bank of St. Emilion, Pavie, ties for the highest score while at the lowest cost. In all, not bad for left bank Bordeaux on a budget. Personally, I would probably avoid the Beychevelle St. Julien and the Brane-Cantenac Margaux after some light research, but I would be interested in drinking the 2006 Pontet-Canet right now and may look for some 2010-2012 Pavie to add to my cellar. My latest addition is a 2011 Lynch Bages, another lowly Fifth Growth that is outselling and outscoring most Second Growth Bordeauxs!

and by comparison...

• Lafite Rothschilde - 2010 Pauillac, First Growth, $1100, 98 points
• Latour - 2008 Pauillac, First Growth, $625, 95 points
• Petrus - 2011 Pomerol, First Growth, $2072, 95 points
• d'Yquem - 2005 Sauternes, First Growth, $596, 97 points
• Haut-Brion - 2012 St. Emilion, First Growth, $398, 96 points

THE TAKEAWAY

True First Growth Bordeaux are expensive and rare. The Second-Fifth Growth classification system is junk.too much has changed in 160 years! The use of Premier Gran Cru, Grand Cru Classe, Grand Cru and the like do not necessarily speak to the quality of the wine IN THAT PARTICULAR BOTTLE but rather the potential of that wine to be of a superior quality based on the terroir/winemaker/history of the Chateau. There are both great values and tremendous rip-offs when purchasing Bordeaux; it pays to do your homework!

The 2005 Calon Segur was pretty good.

It's a Medoc.

Remind me to never drink wine with you.