Not the best of weather conditions to taste such young wines - no, they don't make us taste them outside (!) - but there are those who believe air pressure, too high or too low, plays a great part in 'dumbing' down or 'troubling' young wines, therefore not allowing them to show at their best ......
It might indeed explain a few of the glaring disappointments from today's tastings which I will not name (yet) in deference to the weather.
However, the majority of the wines I've tasted today have been a real joy and a real pleasure. Seriously classy claret, great definition of individual appellations and Chateaux themselves, worth the hype.
We started right up in Pauillac at Chateau Batailley which hosted this year's Pauillac, St Julien and St Estephes's UGC tasting. No real surprises in the 'stand-out' wines, in no particular order: Gruaud Larose, Lagrange, Langoa Barton, Leoville Baeton (oh so seriously classy!), Leoville Poyferre, Talbot (major crowd-pleaser this year), Clerc Milon, d'Armailhac, Lynch Bages (fabulous), the two Pichons, Lafon Rochet and Phelan Segur ...
Not much there I didn't like actually!
Blown on down to Margaux where as usual there were a few more 'gaps' in quality but also some absolute beauties: Durfort Vivens (not that we're biased), Brane Cantenac, Cantenac Brown, Desmirail, Giscours, Marquis de Terme, and Abi's and my favourite, the wonderfully exuberant and super appealing Kirwan.
The Listrac, Medoc, Moulis tasting, held at Chateau Cantemerle was most definitely a step down however. I was surprisingly hard pushed to get excited over these (hard to believe I know) although Poujeaux, Cantemerle, La Tour Carnet and La Tour de By saved the day.
And finally the unctuously sweet sweeties of Sauternes..... Rieussec is outstanding, truly seriously outstanding, Suduiraut refreshingly classy with hints of apricot and honey, La Tour Blanche ridiculously sweet and Doisy Daene quirkily different.
We have made individual Chateau appointments and are being ushered in to the the cellars of the First Growths and 'Super Seconds' tomorrow - irreverently known as the 'too posh to pour brigade' as they do not show their wines at the general tastings preferring to make their customers trek right up to the cellar door to taste ....
Actually, I can't wait. If today's anything to go by, tomorrow will be a real treat.
Clare Tooley
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
The week we’ve all been waiting for. Bordeaux 2009 En Primeur tastings have begun
The team from the UK are coming out to join me tomorrow, flying in the face of BA strikers, pens and palates at the ready.
I couldn’t wait, so visited Chateau Teyssier this afternoon to taste Jonathan Maltus’ striking range of Saint Emilion Grand Cru wines. Jonathan has cannily acquired over the years, parcels of Grand Cru vineyards from all over the appellation, which he brings back to vinify at Chateau Teyssier near Vignonet. He crafts them separately, creating and bottling single vineyard wines. In true Burgundian rather than Bordelais fashion, Jonathan majors on terroir, definition and expression.
I found his 2009s serious; seriously good, seriously concentrated, seriously elegant, seriously grown up.
With a predominance of Merlot in all of them apart from his Cabernet Franc rich Le Dome, the wines are deeply coloured and appealingly aromatic. They are remarkably fresh on the palate, succulent but not sweet, structured but not tough. The finish is long and very pure.
There is a distance of only 100 metres between his Grand Cru vineyard parcels Le Carre and Les Asteries. Same tiny volume production, same winemaker, same barrels, same cellar. But the taste sensation is miles apart! The soil structure in each parcel of vines is very different, the layer of clay over limestone being much deeper in the former than the latter. As a result Le Carre is gentler, more generous now, floral and very smooth. Les Asteries shows much more minerality, structure and backbone.
Le Dome, 80% Cabernet Franc, is a show stopper this year; super ripe without a hint of sweetness, velvety textured, extremely smooth.
Jonathan also produces a small volume of Bordeaux blanc, his Clos Nardian, which is refreshingly elegant and lightly polished.
A classy way to start the week.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
I couldn’t wait, so visited Chateau Teyssier this afternoon to taste Jonathan Maltus’ striking range of Saint Emilion Grand Cru wines. Jonathan has cannily acquired over the years, parcels of Grand Cru vineyards from all over the appellation, which he brings back to vinify at Chateau Teyssier near Vignonet. He crafts them separately, creating and bottling single vineyard wines. In true Burgundian rather than Bordelais fashion, Jonathan majors on terroir, definition and expression.
I found his 2009s serious; seriously good, seriously concentrated, seriously elegant, seriously grown up.
With a predominance of Merlot in all of them apart from his Cabernet Franc rich Le Dome, the wines are deeply coloured and appealingly aromatic. They are remarkably fresh on the palate, succulent but not sweet, structured but not tough. The finish is long and very pure.
There is a distance of only 100 metres between his Grand Cru vineyard parcels Le Carre and Les Asteries. Same tiny volume production, same winemaker, same barrels, same cellar. But the taste sensation is miles apart! The soil structure in each parcel of vines is very different, the layer of clay over limestone being much deeper in the former than the latter. As a result Le Carre is gentler, more generous now, floral and very smooth. Les Asteries shows much more minerality, structure and backbone.
Le Dome, 80% Cabernet Franc, is a show stopper this year; super ripe without a hint of sweetness, velvety textured, extremely smooth.
Jonathan also produces a small volume of Bordeaux blanc, his Clos Nardian, which is refreshingly elegant and lightly polished.
A classy way to start the week.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
One week to go before the Bordeaux UGC opens its doors to the world’s wine trade. Countdown has begun.
It’s 21 degrees here this afternoon, the spring sun is shining and the air is already heavily scented with the mimosa blossom which is now out in full golden glory.
It’s going to be an extraordinary week; I can’t remember EVER feeling this excited about the Primeurs tasting week in the two decades I’ve played this game. Perhaps it’s because I live here now. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had a chance to taste some wonderful 2009 vintage wines already. Perhaps it’s because I know how proud the Bordelais are of their region and their wines and receiving the world and its wife this coming week is a real highlight for them. Whatever the reason, I know we’re in for an absolute treat.
This will be a campaign for the fittest and toughest only mind you. Allocations will be squeezed, prices will climb, some Chateaux will panic and may end up doing ‘n’importe quoi’, others will be wise and shrewd and play a long-term game. Nail-biting and strategy aside, the wines themselves will THRILL us.
Here’s one I prepared earlier … and am really proud to be able to bring exclusively to LW customers. You may remember last year we created a special Cuvee with St Emilion Grand Cru Chateau Tertre Daugay. We called it ‘L’Epiphanie’ to mark what a gratifying moment we had working with them on something so unique. Well, I’ve been over to the other side of the river, the Left Bank, to find its perfect partner and can now announce the birth of ‘L’Epiphanie de Durfort Vivens’ from the 2nd Grand Crus Classes Margaux Chateau Durfort Vivens.
The property overlooks Chateau Margaux itself and was actually the 2nd wine of Chateau Margaux in the 1960s. Its vines are intermingled with Chateau Margaux’s own vines. Its other prestigious neighbours are Chateaux Palmer and Rauzan Segla. When I visited the property back at harvest time, I was immediately struck by the quality:
I went to the Medoc and Margaux this morning to spy on the Cabernets. Gonzague Lurton of Durfort Vivens - one of my most trusted Left Bank Crus Classes producers for his honesty, twinkle and intelligence - is also all smiles and black teeth. His Merlot is in, 15 degrees alcohol in some Cuves, and he has started his young Cabernet.
His tasting room overlooks Chateaux Margaux, Palmer and Rauzan Segla vineyards so a perfect window on what his neighbours are doing this year - and it appears everyone is enjoying their own rhythm, setting their own pace, there are no weather constraints and the fruit is healthy. Leoville Barton finished last week; others are just beginning. The vigneron is master of his own harvest this year ..... rare here.
Gonzague Lurton generously opened his doors last week and invited me to select our own wine from the Chateaux’s barrels and create our own premium cuvee. Our Cuvee will be treated in exactly the same way as the Chateaux’s own first wine, the same ageing in the same types of barrels, the same lavished care by the Chateaux winemaker with our own Mark Hoddy’s presence, in the same cellar.
The Chateaux’s own blend by the way is outstanding. I’m privileged to be amongst the first to taste it.
I wouldn’t dream of pretending ours is better, just different. Our Margaux ‘Epiphanie de Durfort Vivens’ is compellingly aromatic, lusciously fruit-filled and creamily tannic. I hope you’ll enjoy drinking it in time as much as I’ve enjoyed working on it. Watch out for our release.
7 days to go, and counting, before the world starts tasting …..
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
It’s going to be an extraordinary week; I can’t remember EVER feeling this excited about the Primeurs tasting week in the two decades I’ve played this game. Perhaps it’s because I live here now. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had a chance to taste some wonderful 2009 vintage wines already. Perhaps it’s because I know how proud the Bordelais are of their region and their wines and receiving the world and its wife this coming week is a real highlight for them. Whatever the reason, I know we’re in for an absolute treat.
This will be a campaign for the fittest and toughest only mind you. Allocations will be squeezed, prices will climb, some Chateaux will panic and may end up doing ‘n’importe quoi’, others will be wise and shrewd and play a long-term game. Nail-biting and strategy aside, the wines themselves will THRILL us.
Here’s one I prepared earlier … and am really proud to be able to bring exclusively to LW customers. You may remember last year we created a special Cuvee with St Emilion Grand Cru Chateau Tertre Daugay. We called it ‘L’Epiphanie’ to mark what a gratifying moment we had working with them on something so unique. Well, I’ve been over to the other side of the river, the Left Bank, to find its perfect partner and can now announce the birth of ‘L’Epiphanie de Durfort Vivens’ from the 2nd Grand Crus Classes Margaux Chateau Durfort Vivens.
The property overlooks Chateau Margaux itself and was actually the 2nd wine of Chateau Margaux in the 1960s. Its vines are intermingled with Chateau Margaux’s own vines. Its other prestigious neighbours are Chateaux Palmer and Rauzan Segla. When I visited the property back at harvest time, I was immediately struck by the quality:
I went to the Medoc and Margaux this morning to spy on the Cabernets. Gonzague Lurton of Durfort Vivens - one of my most trusted Left Bank Crus Classes producers for his honesty, twinkle and intelligence - is also all smiles and black teeth. His Merlot is in, 15 degrees alcohol in some Cuves, and he has started his young Cabernet.
His tasting room overlooks Chateaux Margaux, Palmer and Rauzan Segla vineyards so a perfect window on what his neighbours are doing this year - and it appears everyone is enjoying their own rhythm, setting their own pace, there are no weather constraints and the fruit is healthy. Leoville Barton finished last week; others are just beginning. The vigneron is master of his own harvest this year ..... rare here.
Gonzague Lurton generously opened his doors last week and invited me to select our own wine from the Chateaux’s barrels and create our own premium cuvee. Our Cuvee will be treated in exactly the same way as the Chateaux’s own first wine, the same ageing in the same types of barrels, the same lavished care by the Chateaux winemaker with our own Mark Hoddy’s presence, in the same cellar.
The Chateaux’s own blend by the way is outstanding. I’m privileged to be amongst the first to taste it.
I wouldn’t dream of pretending ours is better, just different. Our Margaux ‘Epiphanie de Durfort Vivens’ is compellingly aromatic, lusciously fruit-filled and creamily tannic. I hope you’ll enjoy drinking it in time as much as I’ve enjoyed working on it. Watch out for our release.
7 days to go, and counting, before the world starts tasting …..
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
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