2015 Bordeaux.....The 'Southwold' Tasting

Last week I had the pleasure of tasting over 260 Bordeaux wines from the 2015 vintage. The 'Southwold' tasting was hosted at Farr Vintners at their excellent, bright, naturally lit, spacious tasting room in Battersea, London. The cold and brown hued River Thames ebbed and flowed outside the windows, whilst we kept warm and concentrated on the task in hand. Two and a half days of serious tasting and evaluation.

I have been involved in this tasting group for the last few years, although the group has been running for 30 years. My main role, along with my colleague Bill Blatch, is to visit all the top Chateaux in Bordeaux and request samples. This takes a couple of weeks of logistics and planning as well as, once all the wines have been accounted for,  taking the wines in good condition from Bordeaux to London. There is also an element of diplomacy with some of the Chateau owners, as we are totally honest with our scores and opinions. ALL WINES ARE TASTED BLIND.
  Fortunately I have been offered a seat at this tasting and I write my notes and contribute my scores. It is always slightly nerve racking to give opinions and thoughts about wines within this group as we have some of the most respected palates in the UK wine trade in attendance. Jancis Robinson MW, Neal Martin and Steven Spurrier are the big journalistic presence. But there are at least a handful of MWs and the top buyers for Farr Vintners, Berry Bros & Rudd, Justerini & Brooks, Corney & Barrow, Goedhuis & Co, The Wine Society, Vinum, DBM Wines, Berkmann Wines and more.  The idea has always been to assess the Bordeaux vintage in bottle and on the market. Yes, the 2016 Bordeaux vintage was bottled in May and June last year and some critics have reviewed and re assessed the 2016s. But it is very difficult to assess a wine immediately after bottling. Some wines recoil into a bottle shock. But this debate is endless, as the 'Primeur' wines are tasted and assessed only a few months after alcoholic and malo lactic fermentation. Is that the perfect time?

Anyway back to the wines. We tasted over 260 wines in flights of 12. Over the last few years we have constantly improved the speed and efficiency of pouring, note taking and assessing. So everyone mucks in, but the team at Farr Vintners are second to none for keeping the momentum flowing. Stephen Browett, Tom Parker MW and Ben Browett are all totally dedicated to the smooth running of the tasting. Thank you.

Here are my general observations:

The Dry Whites
Haut Brion, La Mission Haut Brion and Smith Haut Lafitte seemed to be a step above the rest in this league. My personal top score was for Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc. A delicate and elegant style with very fine balance between semillon and sauvignon blanc. Whilst Haut Brion blanc was the top score for the group; I found the Haut Brion beguiling as it gradually developed and broadens on the palate. Again beautiful delicate balance, but slightly more evolved than La Mission Haut Brion. Smith Haut Lafitte 2015 had that classic purity and beauty. I found a youthful, fresh element with spring flowers and energy. The oak was evident, but perfectly balanced with the delightful fruit.
Malarctic Lagraviere and Bouscaut were also clean fresh styles with green capsicum (Malarctic) and green leaf tea (Bouscaut). Domaine de Chevalier is always a tricky wine to assess at this time of its evolution. I enjoyed the bold style with concentrated slightly green apple fruit character, however the oak is slightly masking the fruit at the moment. Pape Clemnt blanc 2015 was also a striking wine. It has a ripe lemon freshness with good balanced slight toasty oak.
Gazin Roquencourt and Larrivet Haut Brion also showed well. GR has zesty lemon freshness, whilst LHB has a hint of smokey gunflint. Carbonnieux has a saline element which will calm down, whilst La Louviere is delicate with an exuberant potential.

Generally the 2015 dry whites were very enjoyable with good acidity and balance. No crazy use of oak and some delicate pleasant flavours. The irony that our top two dry whites are by far the most expensive wines that we tasted, shows that we might know what we are doing, as all the wines are tasted blind.

The Sauternes
Within the 27 wines that we tasted there were some absolutely sensational quality wines on show.
My joint highest scores were for Climens, Doisy Daene, Rieussec and Yquem. But I felt that La Tour Blanche, Coutet, Fargues and Doisy Vedrine were only a shade behind.
It was great that we all felt that Yquem was the stand out wine (that does not always happen!!), Yquem is quite a lot more expensive than all the others.
For me the Yquem is a beautiful multi layered wine, with a pure citrus, fresh approach, excellent balance with a dusting of sherbert and a grand style that evolves in the palate. The tropical elements will evolve gradually but at the moment the wine expresses balance with pitch perfect acidity.
Climens 2015 was also a stand out wine for me (but not my fellow tasters). I adored the honey roast element and extra spice component, Great finesse too.
Doisy Daene was a smooth honeyed style, whilst being very clean without any quirks.
Rieussec 2015 is a little more evolved but the orange pith and zest added freshness.
Guiraud 2015 has a lovely apple and cinnamon spice character and freshness.
Coutet 2015 is a bold style of Coutet. I had to concentrate for the nose, as I initially found it synthetic and ugly. However I liked the lime zest and tension running through the wine....and great finish.
Fargues 2015 was also on the richer full style. there seemed to be a molasses and honey element which detracted from the definition.

2015 is an excellent and consistent year for Sauternes.

Saint Emilion 
We tasted 55 Saint Emilion wines (out of a total of 264 wines).
Perhaps the issue for Saint Emilion is that it is difficult to draw the line for who to accept and who to reject for when we gather the samples. It is important to taste the Premier Grand Cru Classe wines(18) and perhaps all the Grand Cru Classe(64) wines but that is immediately 82 wines.
The Saint Emilion appellation has so many variations in terroir and winemaking, so sometimes it is difficult to generalise about the quality. Saint Emilion is undoubtedly a beautiful village with sensational rolling countryside but it is also one of the most dynamic and transitional areas of Bordeaux. 25% of the 82 Grand Cru Classe Chateaux have changed ownership within the last 5 years. So new investment, new ideas and new styles are being produced.
The absolute peaks for the Saint Emilions were Chateau Ausone and Chateau Angelus.
Ausone 2015 is a very classy wine. It has a dark intense velvet core, great lift and elegance.
Angelus 2015 is slightly more intense with a touch of spice and herbaceousness. A silky smooth expression of quality fruit and winemaking.
But I also enjoyed Pavie 2015 very much. It was near opaque in the glass with evident viscosity and thickness on the glass. But the wine had some class as well as depth. The acidity and oak were in perfect harmony.
Valandraud, Canon and Figeac also exude class and style. The Canon 2015 in particular had a wonderful clean red fruit element and tension throughout.

We tasted a lot of good Saint Emilions from 2015. The class from the Premier Grand Cru Classe wines really shone through. Ausone was the top selection for many for the whole tasting.

Pomerol
Often Pomerol spars with Saint Julien for the most consistent appellation for quality in Bordeaux, so hopes were high for this selection of 26 Pomerol 2015 wines.
My top picks for the Pomerols were consistent with everyone else in the group, Chateau Lafleur and Petrus
Lafleur 2015 is deep, spicey and elegant. The tannins are firm and reassuringly assertive. This wine has excellent ageing potential.
Petrus 2015 has a delicate violet nose leading to dark plums and the wine evolves and builds significantly on the palate. Delicate use of oak balanced with perfect ripe fruit. Acidity offers freshness, but again in balance. A truly delicious wine.
Very close behind Lafleur and Petrus I rated La Conseillante, Vieux Chateau Certan, L'Eglise Clinet, Gazin and Trotanoy all at the same score.
La Conseillante 2015 has a very clean element of sweet ripe fruit initially. The ripeness has a beguiling allure. The palate has great freshness and balance. Tannins are youthful but balanced, as they should be. A perfumed elegant style of La Conseillante.
Vieux Chateau Certan 2015 is a more plummy rounded style than previous with excellent freshness.
L'Eglise Clinet 2015 has excellent ripeness and a touch of cassis concentration. The wine has intense berry fruit and firmness.
Gazin 2015 is a velvet smooth expression of Pomerol. A hint of ferruginous iron rich earthy character. A wine of great balance and polish.
Trotanoy 2015 has an intense iodine concentration with floral violets, damsons and veneer.

Graves 
Chateau Haut Brion 2015 was my top selection for the Graves and Pessac Leognan wines. The Haut Brion has a great concentration of dark fruit, whilst also having an etheral earthy charm. I found a mineral generosity with good layers of soft, delicate silky fruit. The wine has extraordinary length.
My tasting colleagues slightly prefered the La Mission Haut Brion which has a slightly tighter dark spice concentration and more evident fresh acidity. LMHB has very fine oak and will last a long time.
I rated Domaine de Chevalier, Pape Clement and interestingly Larrivet Haut Brion just below the top two wines, with Haut Bailly and Les Carmes Haut Brion very close behind.
Domaine de Chevalier 2015 is so elegenat and precise. It is not 'over the top' with structure. A great potential.
Pape Clement 2015 has an elegant attack and stylish feminine elegance. The wine is multi layered and the new oak is evident without being over powering. A showy wine. (I thought this was Smith Haut Lafitte!).
Larrivet Haut Brion 2015 has an excellent delicate freshness. The wine has an intense savoury character and clean, elegant finish. (I thought this was Haut Bailly....the next door neighbour)
Les Carmes Haut Brion is slightly more muscular in style with good deep spicey cabernet franc core. A really smooth wine.
Haut Bailly 2015 has a plummy soft intense attack. It is a wonderfully elegant wine without being opulent. It has class, grace and elegance, but is a subtle expression at the moment.
Interestingly the group rated Smith Haut Lafitte slightly higher than my score as I found the SHL a little bit tarry with heavy oak style. Although I liked the dark spice very ripe cabernet character I felt it was too dry afterwards and lacked freshness.
But the difference between the top Graves 2015 red wines was very small.

Saint Estephe
Generally I scored these wines a fraction below the top Graves wines.
However the top terroir and winemakers were evident with the result for these wines.
My top rated wine was Chateau Calon Segur. I found this to have a dark intense core of autumnal fruit. There was a crunchy classy intensity to the fruit on the palate. Freshness afterwards exuding class.
But the fractions between the top wines were very small. Montrose, Meyney, Calon Segur, Cos d'Estournel and Lafon Rochet were all excellent.
Chateau Meyney always astounds our tasting group. Although only being a humble 'Cru Bourgois' it consistently outperforms wines with much higher reputations. This must be one of the best bargains in Bordeaux. Meyney 2015 has a deep cassis character with a touch of salinity. There is an intense weight of fruit that builds and fills out the palate. The oak is a litklle youthful and dry at the moment, but the fruit is well balanced.
I was intrigued to taste the Chateau Lafon Rochet 2015. This was the first wine made in the amazing new cellars at the Chateau. The old stainless steel cellars had been ripped out and new double lined stainless steel and cement tanks had been installed. Would this change the character of the wine? Or would the wine stay in a simnilar vein?
The 2015 Lafon Rochet is an excellent wine. In my view it has an excellent classic cedar spice cabernet style and a broad mid palate. The wine has a richness which balances well with the oak. It will age very well.
The group consistently felt that Montrose 2015 was the top wine. This is a stunning wine with deep spice and a hard core of ripe cabernet fruit. The wine has lurking power and elegance.

Pauillac 
This appellation can be an iron fist in a velvet glove. Often the most power packed styles of cabernet sauvignons with the best ageing potential.
The twin peaks were the Pichons in this area. However I rated Lafite Rothschild a fraction higher.
My rankings were:
Lafite Rothschild

Latour
Pichon Baron
Pichon Comtesse

Mouton Rothschild
Pontet Canet

Lynch Bages
Grand Puy Lacoste


This is almost identical to the (original) 1855 classification!!!
The 2015 Pauillacs are very good at the top end, but slightly more patchy at the lower end.
Lafite Rothschild 2015 has a graphite dark spicey fruit element, whilst not being overpowering. I liked the elegance and finish.
Latour 2015 has an elegant attack, but quite a heavy rich pruney mouthfeel with dark spice and ripeness. Latour is a rich style of wine and defeinitely a wine for the long haul.
Pichon Baron 2015 is near opaque in colour. The wine has a creamy smooth texture with a boldness of beefy structures. Great classy potential. A wine to follow.
Pichon Comtesse 2015 has a wonderful vibrancy. The cedar spicey cabernet notes are classic Pauillac. A wine with a solid backbone.
Mouton Rothschild 2015 has a delicate attack (sometimes Mouton can be very obvious on the nose). There is some classy integrated oak lurking behind the fruit and a youthful vibrancy. But the Mouton is a little closed at the moment.
It was great to taste Pontet Canet 2015 and realise that this wine has a very perfumed floral elegance. It was a very classy elegant style (that I thought was Grand Puy Lacoste). The ripe tannins were in balance and will age well. Pontet Canet is back on track.
Lynch Bages 2015 is all seductive, intense fruit.
Grand Puy Lacoste 2015 is very elegant with a ferrous core of intense fruit. A charming wine with great heart and potential.

Saint Julien 
The three Leoville Chateaux were closely joined by Ducru Beaucaillou for this most consistent quality appellation.
Beychevelle seems to be on a continuous upgrade in quality too.
But Langoa Barton, Branaire Ducru, Gloria and Gruaud Larose are not far behind.
Leoville Barton 2015 is a very pure style of wine with deep spice. It is a powerful wine with sweet ripe cassis and a great finesse whilst still being very elegant.
Leoville Poyferre 2015 has its distinct classic dark mocca intensity and a very rich broad mouthfeel. A bold polished style.
Leoville Lascases 2015 has more delicacy and elegance than normal. The oak is evident at the moment, but this will age well.
Ducru Beaucaillou 2015 has a bright fresh youthful charm. There is an intense mouthfilling dark spicey character with subtle brambles. A very fine style. (I thought this was Leoville Barton!)
Beychevelle 2015 has a deep, dark cassis core with multi layered intensity. Red and autumn fruits in harmony.

Generally the Saint Julien wines were exceptional in 2015. Consistent across the board.

Margaux
By the time we came around to tasting the wines from the Margaux appellation our expectations were very high. Chateau Margaux created a special black label, only for the 2015 vintage, to pay hommage to Paul Pontallier,(managing director) who passed away in March 2016. Subsequently Chateau Margaux was rated 100 points by a few wine critics and the price has leapt up to £12000 per case (12).
However the expected peaks were not achieved.
Chateau Margaux 2015 has a warm, rich style with fresh acidity. The wine has a medium weight of fruit rather than being a blockbuster. there is a hint of green youthfulness. My score was the same as Pichon Baron, Pichon Comtesse and Leoville Barton.

However I adored Pavillon Rouge, Palmer, Rauzan Segla and Brane Cantenac.
In fact Brane Cantenac shone for most people in the group.
I found the Rauzan Segla 2015 to be incredibly elegant, with ripe sweet fruit and perfect balance.
Palmer 2015 has a darker plummy intensity and is very ripe. There is a good fleshy balance afterwards.
Brane Cantenac 2015 is pure class. Cedar spice, classic cabernet with a good dry mid palate and a core of dark cherry and spice. A wine with a refreshing lift after. A true classic.

So, the Margaux fared OK. Similar to the variations of Saint Emilion the Margaux appellation has the good, the bad and the ugly. There are certainly excellent wines in Margaux in 2015, but I do not think it is the best appellation.  For me, the Saint Julien appellation just surpasses Margaux.

Overall thoughts on Bordeaux 2015

Chateau Ausone 2015 is sensational
Saint Julien is a fantastically consistent quality appelation.
Although the talk has been for a Margaux and Left bank style, the top rated wines were from the Right bank.
The 2015 is a fantastic good quality vintage. It is certainly better than 2011, 2012 and 2013 and slightly better than 2014. It probably sits just below 2010 and 2009 in quality.
If I could compare the vintage to prvious years it would probably be 1985. This vintage was consistent across Left and Right bank and had some outstanding wines.

Wine to buy:
Ausone
Haut Brion
Lafite Rothschild
Brane Cantenac
Leoville Barton
La Mission Haut Brion
Petrus
Pichon Baron
Pichon Comtesse
Montrose
Meyney
Canon
La Conseillante
Vieux Chateau Certan

Bordeaux Primeurs 2014: Right Bank (Monday and Tuesday)

Monday 30th March
The weather can play an enormous role when tasting wines. When it is sunny and bright personal spirits are happier and ....brighter. When it is bleak, wet, damp, overcast and cold a similar frame of mind can interfere with the wines. The wines themselves can close up on dreary days and hide their charms.
So I set off to taste the 2014 in the rain!

The bleak view across Saint Emilion on Monday 30th March, aptly described by Victoria Moore @PlanetVictoria as 'Dreich'.

 I arrived early in Saint Emilion at 8am to start the week with eager anticipation.
The first tasting was at the beautiful Salle des Dominicains.

This is a great way to start the Primeur tastings as there are an enormous amount of wines on show from all around the Right Bank.....various appellations are covered such as Fronsac, Castillon, Lalande de Pomerol, Montagne Saint Emilion, Puisseguin Saint Emilion, Saint Georges Saint Emilion, Lussac Saint Emilion, Saint Emilion, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe. By tasting a variety of these wines it gives an overview of how the 2014 vintage unraveled in this area. There are too many wines to taste and be definitive, but I chose 55 wines to taste across the range.
Wines which stood out were:
Mayne Viel, Fronsac.
Mazeris, Canon Fronsac
Cassagne Haut Canon La Truffiere, Fronsac
des Landes, Lussac Saint Emilion
La Paillette Villemaurine, Saint Emilion
Royal Saint Emilion
Bellisle Mondotte, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
Candale, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
Guillemin la Gaffeliere, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
La Chapelle Lescours, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
de Pressac, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe
Jean Faure, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe
Clos la Madeleine, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe
Couvent des Jacobins, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe

The over riding feeling and immediate conclusion from this initial tasting was that the wines with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon had more charm, vitality and elegance. Chateau de Pressac has Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. Malbec and Carmenere which adds more complexity. Chateau Jean Faure has 43% merlot, 50% cabernet franc and 7% cabernet sauvignon. Couvent des Jacobins has 83% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and (an unusual) 5% petit verdot.
For me the most charming (and probably very well priced) wine was Chateau Cassagne Haut Canon 'La Truffiere with a balanced 60% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 20% cabernet sauvignon. A wine that has a deep dark spicey core, but also elegance and a vibrancy from the cabernets.

Once I gathered my international group of tasters (UK, US and Holland) we set off for our first appointment at Chateau La Conseillante in Pomerol.
This Chateau has been making some outstanding wines in previous years, so expectations were high.
The 2014 is a rich ripe style with a searing backbone of acidity, which reminded me of the 2006. A good wine, that I would like to try again in the coming months.

We then headed over to the small Mairie de Pomerol to taste a wide selection of Pomerol wines. This small tasting can usually show up some gems. Unfortunately this year it was disappointing. The merlot generally seemed quite awkward, rather than its plush silky smooth norm. There were a couple of the 30 wines that were decidedly weird. But La Fleur du Roy 2014 showed very well as did Feytit-Clinet and Clos du Clocher (70% merlot and 30% cab franc). There were some wines that lacked heart and seemed rather hollow.

We then headed back to Chateau La Gaffeliere to taste the wines made by the top consultant Stephane Derenoncourt. This is a large and varied tasting from all around the world, so we tried to focus on Bordeaux!
Wines that stood out from this tasting were:
La Gaffeliere, Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe......the 20% cabernt franc is all from young vines planted since 2001 and blends very well with the 80% merlot. Perhaps the young vines add the vitality?
Poujeaux, moulis.....it was striking to taste the first left bank wine amidst the Saint Emilions. Poujeaux really shone...a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot
Clos Fourtet, Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe....85% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc.

We enjoyed lunch at L'Envers du Decor in Saint Emilion and then headed back to taste more wines.
A light afternoon of tasting and re tasting at different venues as we have a busy week ahead.

Tuesday 31st March

We started Tuesday at the fabulous Chateau Canon, Premier Grand Cru Classe Saint Emilion. The 2014 is a good wine, but nowhere near the depth and richness of the 2009 or 2010. There was a richness on the mid palate and a pleasing dark cherry character. The wine had a good lift and vibe. Out of curiosity we also tasted the 2013 barrel sample. This was fascinating to taste. It was very light in colour and almost seems to have faded. The wine was incredibly soft and juicy and certainly not a wine for long ageing. Interesting to see that the Chateau recommend 'Cellaring Potential of 20 years'. I would be surprised if the 2013 Canon lasted 10 years. But this puts the outstanding 2009 and 2010 Chateau Canon into context. We were lucky to taste, enjoy and buy these astonishing wines that will last 30 years plus.

Next stop the palace of Chateau Pavie, or as Jamie descibed....a nice 'New Build'. Gerard Perse has worked enormously hard to improve his wines and invested his life and soul into Saint Emilion. The magnificence of the reception hall and entry at Chateau Pavie are incredibly stately.

We tasted the following wines:
Angelique de Monbousquet (second wine)...very pretty and perfumed, elegant ripeness and violets, an easy style
Aromes de Pavie (second wine)....a meatier richer style but with very elegant spice and firm style.
Chateau Lusseau, Saint Emilion Grand Cru....ripe damsons and kirsch, a deep complex wine.
Chateau Monbousquet, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe...intense spice, but lifted floral tones too. Very good balance.
Clos Lunelles, Castillon-Cotes de Bordeaux...smokey flinty character and unusual intense nose. Very good mouthfeel and structure. Powerful all the way.
Chateau Pavie Decesse, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe....plummy dark intensity, big bold extracted style. A dense wine for the long term.
Chateau Bellevue Mondotte, Saint Emilion Grand Cru...rich full on power and glycerol glass, intense dark fruit, more austere than Pavie Decesse. Will be interesting to see how these two wines evolve.
Chateau Pavie, Premier Grand Cru Classe 'Class A'....bold as usual, but very fine as well with dark cherry notes. This was truly the first multi layered wine that I had tasted so far. The blend is 60% merlot, 22% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon. Perhaps that healthy weight of cabernet sauvignon is giving the wine a tremendous lift and elegance. This is undoubtedly a broad shouldered Chateau Pavie, but also not too overt the top. This is quite clearly a wine for long term cellaring.
Chateau Monbousquet, Bordeaux Blanc (60% sauvignon blanc, 30% sauvignon gris, 5%semillon and 5% muscadelle.....an astonishing and unusual taste of candied lemon slices with searing racy acidity. The intensity was almost like pear drops. The palate felt medium sweet with the richness of flavour. This was a good wine, but really not my style and too 'in your face'.

Now we entered the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting at Clos Fourtet. Here we could taste most of the Grand Cru Classe and Premier Grand Cru Classe wines.
Wines that stood out at this tasting were:
Chateau La Cosupaude.....medium richness but elegant
Chateau La Dominique.....broad structure and classy
Clos Fourtet......very polished style, good vibrancy, deep spice.
La Gaffeliere.....as previous a charming wine.
Troplong Mondot.....powerful (13.8%alc) and a very deep dark style, but effective.

Then we headed on to our next appointment at the most famous Chateau in Saint Emilion.....Chateau Cheval Blanc, Premier Grand Cru Classe 'Class A'.

The knowledgeable Dutch fellow who explained the 2014 Cheval Blanc and the amazing old vines at the Chateau.
Chateau Cheval Blanc 2014 is an excellent wine. There are 75000 bottles produced for the Grand Vin and 25000 bottles for the second wine (Petit Cheval). The blend is 55% merlot and 45% cabernet franc. The wine has excellent spice, depth and polish, but it develops gradually without being a blockbuster. The spicey richness carries through the palate and the wine has an astonishing length held together with perfect balance. The comparison here was clearly the 2001 Cheval Blanc. The only issue with Cheval Blanc is that the recent pricing has elevated the wine beyond any sense of reality. However this is an incredible wine.

We then popped in to the UGC Pomerol tasting at Chateau Petit Village and immediately slid across the Glastonbury style car park.
A brief tasting of the Pomerol wines showed that Chateau Clinet is making tremendous wines. The blend of 90% merlot, 9% cabernet sauvignon and the all important 1% cabernet franc has a rich elegance. I will definitely try and get an appointment at Chateau Clinet to re taste this wine in the coming weeks.

After a brief lunch it was time to continue Chateau hopping starting with Chateau L'Evangile, the Rothschild owned property next door to Petrus. I found this wine to be very good with an almost baked richness.

Then on to one of my favourite visits at Vieux Chateau Certan. Here Alexandre Thienpoint greeted us in his normal shy, slightly reserved manner. The confidence comes from his beautiful wines. The VCC 2014 has a dark rich core of cabernet franc (19%) and merlot 80% and cabernet sauvignon (1%). The cabernet franc here certainly was of excellent quality. This will be a long aged wine. A charming vigneron and a charming wine.

Next stop at Chateau Figeac, where we were treated to another cabernet franc expression. The 2014 Figeac has a classy stamp which will last for ever.

Then an eagerly anticpated visit to the master vigneron Denis Durantou at Chateau L'Eglise Clinet in Pomerol. We tasted across Denis' range of Saint Emilion, Castillon and Lalande de Pomerol. I adored 'La Chenade' from Lalande de Pomerol. A very good 'house wine'. Also 'Les Cruzelles' was a very sophisticated wine with tension.
Chateau L'Eglise Clinet is a dark plummy rich wine, which has great length, but I honestly prefered the lesser wines in the Durantou stable.

Our final visit was to another remarkable temple to excess at Chateau Angelus. This recently promoted Chateau has decided to stick an enormous Bell Tower on top of a building in the middle of the Saint Emilion countryside. There was a broad and quality selection of wines on show, which Hubert de Bouard de Laforest consults on the winemaking. Many of these wines also appear at other tastings.
Chateau Angelus 2014 is a blend of 50% merlot and 50% cabernt franc. The wine has deep dark spicey fruit and a bright freshness from the cabernet. It was an incredible silky smooth and almost exotic fruit style. Perhaps not my style and too exuberant.

Quite a day of tasting and that wrapped up the Right Bank. Onward to deliver a customer to his room at Chateau de Sours in the Entre deux Mers and a cleansing beer, before heading home to Bordeaux.
Looking forward to tasting on the Left Bank and hopefully no April 1st surprises........





 

Saint Emilion Re Classification

The Saint Emilion classification was established in 1955 in order to differentiate between the quality levels for better wines produced in the Saint Emilion Appellation and give the consumer a clearer indication of quality. The classification would be re assessed every 10 years and Chateaux, which might be under performing would be downgraded and Chateaux that were making exceptional wine would be elevated to a higher status. The first classification was in 1955, then it was re assessed in 1969, 1986, 1996 and 2006.

The current classification in 2010 is:

Premier Grand Cru Classé

Class A: Chateau Ausone and Chateau Cheval Blanc

Class B: Angelus, Beausejour Becot, Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse, Belair (Monange), Canon, Figeac, Clos Fourtet, La Gaffeliere, Magdalaine, Pavie, Pavie Macquin(Upgraded in 2006), Troplong Mondot(Upgraded in 2006), Trottevieille

Grand Cru Classé

L'Arrosée, Balestard-La-Tonnelle, Bellefont-Belcier, Bellevue, Bergat, Berliquet, Cadet-Bon, Cadet-Piola, Canon-la-Gaffeliere, Cap-de-Mourlin, Chauvin, La Clotte, Corbin, Corbin-Michotte, La Couspaude, Couvent des Jacobins, Dassault, Destieux, La Dominique, Faurie-de-Souchard, Fleur-Cardinale, Fonplégade, Fonroque, Franc-Mayne, Grand-Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne, Grand Mayne, Grand-Pontet, Les Grandes-Murailles, Guadet St-Julien, Haut-Corbin, Haut Sarpe, Clos des Jacobins, Laniote, Larcis-Ducasse, Larmande, Laroque, Laroze, La Marzelle, Matras, Monbousquet, Moulin-du-Cadet,Clos de l'Oratoire, Pavie-Decesse, Petit-Faurie-de-Soutard, Le Prieuré, Ripeau, St-Georges-Côte-Pavie, Clos St-Martin, La Serre, Soutard, Tertre-Daugay, La Tour-du-Pin, La Tour-du-Pin-Figeac (Moueix), La Tour Figeac, Villemaurine, Yon-Figeac.

Grapes coming in to the winery in October 2009 at Chateau Troplong Mondot. This Chateau ultimately benefitted from the classification, as it is now a Premier Grand Cru Classe

-

The contentious issues in 2006 centred around 11 properties that were demoted from Grand Cru Classe: Bellevue, Cadet-Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet St Julien, La Marzelle, Petit Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, La Tour du Pin Figeac, Villemaurine and Yon Figeac. A group of 4 of the demoted Chateaux challenged the classification. They complained that the panel of tasters and decision makers from the INAO were not impartial. The legal wrangles lasted three years until 2009. During this time there was consternation from all sides, especially the promoted Chateaux (Pavie Macquin and Troplong Mondot), who really did not know what label to put on their bottles.

Although Chateau Tertre Daugay was initially downgraded in the 2006 classification, they ultimately retained their status as Grand Cru Classe. Since then they have had a major overhaul of the winery. The picture on the left shows the new fermentation tanks. They are investing in the vines and the Chateau in order to retain their status in the next classification. The proof is in the exceptional wines produced in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

-

The Premier Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru Classé Chateaux account for 72 Chateaux covering 880 hectares approximately 17% of Saint Emilion's 5,500 hectares under vine. This also shows how small the properties are on the Right Bank. Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet in Pauillac are 80-100 hectares each!

The current classification will be fully reviewed in 2011.....so we might start legal debates again, which will do nothing for the reputation of this beautiful place. The classification is very sensible, when you consider that the 1855 classification of the Medoc (and Haut Brion) has only had one significant change in the last 155 years....when Chateau Mouton Rothschild was elevated to 1st growth in 1973.

In Saint Emilion there have been examples when Chateau such as Beausejour Becot have been demoted in 1986...(they expanded their vineyard area by buying another neighbouring Chateau) and then re instated in the classification of 1996. This is an efficient 'check and balance' for a classification system and if everything works out well it is a good system. We will just have to wait and see.

En Primeur Bordeaux

What is 'en primeur? How does it work? Why?

What?
The 'en primeur' or 'futures' are a method of buying wines, when they are not yet in bottle.

How?
The wines are judged and assessed by tasting from barrels in the Spring following the vintage. The trade buyers and journalists taste, assess and critique the wines and then they either promote the wines to their customers or they write glowing reports.

Why?
The Primeurs started in the early 1980's. It serves two purposes.
1. For the Chateau owner it is a great opportunity to improve cash flow. Money will be received within the year after the harvest, as they still have to pay for barrels, storage and bottling over the next 18 months.
2.For the purchaser it is a great way to make sure that we get hold of the best wines direct from the Chateaux in the best condition. Many of the top wines are only made in very small quantities, therefore the Primeur offering may be the best way to secure stock. Eg Chateau Ausone in Saint Emilion produces about 2000 cases every year and Le Pin in Pomerol produce about 500 cases.
Many of the top wines of Bordeaux do not enter the secondary trading market due to small quanties produced, therefore if stock does appear it is usually at a premium...ie Chateau Petrus or Le Pin.
The majestic Chateau Haut Brion...I'll be tasting there next week.

The 2009 Bordeaux vintage will be tasted next week at the Union de Grands Crus tastings throughout the Bordeaux region. I will be there tasting at various Chateaux and seeing whether the undoubted hype for this vintage is real. Comparisons have already been made to the legendary 1947 vintage, but I treat this with caution as I am not sure how many of us have tasted extensively from 1947!! From everything I hear it is looking very good. The down side will be the quantities available....as there will be severe allocations of the top wines. And also inevitably the prices. It will be difficult for the UK and US market with the unfavorable exchange rate. But it will be an opportunity for French buyers and also the Far East.
If you are interested in buying en primeurs or hearing more about wines available please email me directly: hamish@bellawines.co.uk

Chateau La Gaffeliere 2004

I recently tasted the 2004 (not the 2006 pictured above)Chateau La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion and then back in the UK at a trade tasting. Some wines really stay in your head! This one was an absolutely fantastic wine. The nose was intense, dark, brooding and seemed to have layers of spice and cedar. The merlot style was ripe and concentrated with silky smooth deep harmonious velvet textured oak. The wine just went on and on and on and on and on .......it was so well balanced and just coming into the drinking stage. However with the concentration of fruit and the depth of oak ageing this wine will benefit from another 10 years storing.
I am tempted to buy some myself just to keep for another while. I can get hold of some stock from the Chateau and the price would be +/- £50 per bottle.

Chateau Cheval Blanc

Recently I was fortunate enough to fly in a helicopter over Saint Emilion. We hovered over the village and then went to explore various Chateaux. This picture is the fabulous Premier Grand Cru Classe Chateau Cheval Blanc. It is an un assuming Chateau, but it produces some of the finest wines of the World. It is interesting the sight from the air, where we could see the earth and the patchwork of exploratory works in the replanted vineyard.
One of the best wines that I have ever tasted was the Chateau Cheval Blanc 1983. I enjoyed this wine at the Jockey Club in Newmarket, whilst celebrating my 30th birthday (10 years ago). I remember the wine. My wife organised a surprise birthday party so I was surrounded by friends and family and enjoying very fine wines. What a treat. And the memories of the wine and the fabulous evening are still vivid 10 years later.

Chateau Troplong Mondot

This is one of the slightly more bizarre named Chateau in Bordeaux. The property is in the tiny hamlet of Mondot just to the south east of the village of Saint Emilion. The vineyards belonged to the Abbe Raymond de Seze in the 17th Century and the size of the vineyard area (33 hectares) has not greatly changed in the last 300 years. Raymond Troplong,owned the Chateau from 1850 and his nephew and succesor at the Chateau Edouard Troplong added the name Troplong to the estate before he sold it.
The Valette family bought the estate in 1936. Alexandre Valette was a Parisian wine merchant who already owned Chateau La France in Fronsac and he later bought Chateau Pavie very close by in Saint Emilion.
The most notable point is that the vineyards are the highest vines of the Saint Emilion area (over 100 metres above sea level)...there is a large water tower next to the Chateau(hidden by the trees in the pic) which is a bit of a landmark. Also the size of the property is significant when many of the Right Bank Chateaux are less than 10 hectares.
The Chateau is currently operated by the delightful Christine Valette and her husband Xavier Pariente.
I wanted to visit the Chateau as the wines have recently been elevated from Grand Cru Classe to Premier Grand Cru Classe status in the controversial 2006 re classification of the Saint Emilion AOC system. Also the prices for Troplong Mondot wines have leapt upwards recently on the back of some extremely high Parker notes.

The impressive barrel store.

I was met by the elegant Stephanie Libreau who gave me a guided tour of the estate. The harvest was in full swing and the gypsies seemed to be all over the place. I noticed some of these grapes ready to be sorted. You can see the slight damage and inconsistency of ripening in these tubs in the picture below. These are actually grapes from a block of vines that was effected by a hailstorm during the early summer. The estate was very lucky as only 20% of the grapes were effected. Essentially a cold funnel of air rose up from the river Dordogne and dropped some large hail stones mainly on the neigbouring property. Hail is a nightmare for a vigneron, but it can be very isolated.

Some slightly iffy grapes.

The resultant wine from these grapes will not go in to the main Chateau wine, but their second label which is called Mondot. The normal production is 60-90,000 bottles of the 1st wine and 10-30,000 bottles of the 2nd wine.
The 33 hectares are planted mainly with Merlot (90%) with Cabernet Franc (5%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).
After a tour of the vines and the winery I tasted the following:

Chateau Troplong Mondot 2007, Premier Grand Cru Classe Saint Emilion
Excellent dark concentration of deep spicy autumn fruits. A note of dark chocolate and mocha intensity. Very tight and ripe tannins with an elegant finish. A good wine for the 2007 vintage.

Mondot 2004
This was a slightly hollow and aggressive style. The Cabernet character and harshness did not seem to be nearly as harmonious as the main wine. It was robust drinking!

I was then invited to lunch with Christine Valette and Xavier Pariente. It was a great fun harvest lunch with the many gypsy families who pick the grapes. It was a fun and informal lunch and we opened a couple of interesting wines:

Chateau Troplong Mondot 2001, Grand Cru Classe Saint Emilion
Again a very concentrated rich style. Not showing massive ageing at the rim. Power packed and silky smooth tannin/fruit balance.

Chateau Troplong Mondot 1995, Grand Cru Classe Saint Emilion
Showing major development in colour and very mature meaty secondary fruit aromas. Less powerful than the 2007 or 2001 in alcohol and punch. Tannins smooth but not in the same league as the other two.

Overall it was a fascinating visit and enhanced by Madame Valette's hospitailty to invite me to lunch!
The more recent wines were excellent. They certainly have the 'stamp' of their consultant winemaker Michel Rolland. Powerful, full on wines with quite high alcohols but very smooth tannins. Certainly a Chateau to follow.