Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the area of wines and have a few questions regarding
Bordeaux reds.

I had read somewhere last year that 2000 could be one of the best years
for Bordeaux reds. I hadn't given them much thought since I new they were
fairly expensive and would require some time to age.

One day while walking through Costco (massive general warehouse type store
for those not in the United States), I was surprised to see that they has
a small selection of 2000 Bordeaux available from 20 USD to 40 USD.

I chose one bottle marked as "Carruades de Lafite" S.C. De Chateau Lafite
Rothschild for about 25 USD.

From what I've read about Bordeaux reds they are fairly €œharsh, tight,
tough, rigid€� due to the tannins when "young". After 5 to 6 years they
start to "soften up a bit". Then they remain mostly unchanged for the
next 3 to 4 years after which they start to "blossom".

I've noticed another store locally has some other highly regarded Pauillac
Bordeaux from 2000 for 25 USD to 45 USD (and one from 1999 but I dont
know anything about that years quality).

So here's the main question: When is the best time to try one of these
2000 wines? I'd hate to open a $25 wine and be disappointed that I hadn't
waited long enough for it to be enjoyable but at the same time I'm dying
to try a good Bordeaux... Any insight on Bordeaux reds in general?

Unfortunately, I don't have a very controlled environment to store the
wine (house temperatures).

Thanks!
Scott