Mouton Rothschild unveils their 2009 label.

British artist Anish Kapoor has been added to the list of modern artists, including: Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud to be commissioned to produce a work for the Mouton Rothschild label. Mr Kapoor was born in Mumbai in 1954, but has resided in the UK since 1972. He won the Turner Prize in 1991, but is probably best known by Londoners for his 2002 commission, Marsyas, which filled the vast Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern.

Anish Kapoor is described as being ‘renowned for his enigmatic sculptural forms that permeate physical and psychological space. Kapoor's inventiveness and versatility have resulted in works ranging from powdered pigment sculptures and site-specific interventions on wall or floor, to gigantic installations both in and outdoors. Throughout, he has explored what he sees as deep-rooted metaphysical polarities: presence and absence, being and non-being, place and non-place and the solid and the intangible’. http://www.tate.org.uk/

The Chateau’s press release described the commission as, ‘at once austere and flamboyant, the gouache he has created for Mouton Rothschild 2009 expresses the fertile thrust of plant life, the result of an intense encounter between matter and light’.

Burgundy 2008 - Burgfest (cont): Clos Vougeot and Gevrey Chambertin

CLOS VOUGEOT

Two full flights of Clos Vougeot were tasted, 17 wines in total. What we saw was a little inconsistent with many falling short of their Grand Cru status. The easy winner on the day was the stellar Anne Gros example - masculine, broad shouldered packed with blueberry and bramble, real Grand Cru depth of fruit, densely textured with outstanding length and complexity . Other good Clos Vougeots were also from members of the Gros family, Micheal and Bernard and negocient Jadot.

GEVREY CHAMBERTIN

To cover the Premieres and Grand Crus of Gevrey ten flights were tasted. In no other village is the interpretation of the same terroirs so diverse. The modernist black coloured, high extract styles were still represented but with fewer extreme examples than in previous years. On the other hand, whole bunch ( with stalks ) fermentation is becoming widespread, throwing in another dimension for the tasting team to take into account.

The lower lying 1er Crus were covered in two flights. They as a group were not as exiting as those from further up the slopes but did include some outstandingly good wines. Amongst them were Corbeaux, Denis Bachelet; fresh, elegant yet with explosive sweet fruit tannins. Cherbaudes, Louis Boillot; refined, beautifully defined dark berry fruits yet powerful long finish. Clos du Fonteny, Bruno Clair; sweet spice and herbs, exquisitely poised with big structure and a great future ahead.

Two flights from the higher 1er crus showed off the qualities of the vintage to a consistently higher degree. The Clos St. Jacques' of Rousseau and Clair have sensual qualities yet density of fruit and supreme complex tannins. The Cazetier, Faiveley; restrained, elegant and all on pleasure and the Arnaud Mortet, Champeaux; bursting with blackberry and sloe. It packs quite a punch.

The next flight included Charmes, Mazoyeres, Chapelle, Griotte, Mazis and Ruchottes. Non of them hit the heights of the previous flight of the ariere Cote (Cazetiers + Clos St Jacques) with the best just falling short. Unsuprisingly the Charmes of Rousseau and Denis Bachelet were outstandingly good, taut, mineral with great purity and length of flavour. Also noteworthy was the Ruchottes of Christophe Roumier; silky textured with exquisite 'petit fruits 'that evolved beautifully on the palate.

The Latricieres flight was impressive, the ripeness of the vintage combining admirably with the mineral edgy style of the appellation. Drouhin Laroze has made a wonderfully seductive example, sweet fruits , mineral complexity - pure pleasure. Another fine wine from Faiveley endorsed the revival of this Domaine, dark berry fruits and fine tannins ensuring elegance.

A flight of 6 Clos de Beze and 8 Chambertin followed. The overall quality was brilliant, many receiving 92+ scores from me. The complexity of ripe fruits , intensity of flavours and exquisit fine firm tannins, when combined, make for superb Grand Crus. If anything the flight of Beze had the edge, showing rich textures and sweeter plush fruits compared with the more structured drier Chambertins. The most striking example being the fabulous Beze of Rousseau which received my top mark overshadowing the more tannic solid Chambertin. Indeed the Beze flight included excellent examples from Perot Minot, Bruno Clair, Faiveley, and Drouhin Laroze.

Burgundy 2010 - Small is Beautiful

Burgundy may still be thick with fog, but there is something crystal clear here - 2010 is an excellent vintage.

I write this with one more tasting to go early tomorrow (friday) morning having spent two weeks here seeing circa 45 Domaines and tasting over 200 wines. Thats alot, but the fatigue is not too bad, in fact I even feel a gentle spring in the step. These have simply been easy, joyous wines to taste, red and white, which is amazing considering their concentration and racy acidities.

It largely all began with frost (for some) and uneven flowering (for all.) The resulting crop was to be one of the smallest on record for many, equalling that of 2003. A good thing, too, in the end, as the small crop ripened brilliantly despite the gloomy summer. Harvest was a good three weeks later than in 2009, fine but cool weather permitted growers the patience to wait for the perfect picking date. That said, towards the end of the harvest, some Chardonnay growers had to hurry as a dry electric storm suddenly accelerating ripening rapidly. The Reds are concentrated, they exhibit great freshness and high acidities, which you barely notice so smothered are they in pure ripe fruit. The tannins are present and fortifying but are so smooth that they do not jar. These are seamless, almost weightless wines of sheer brilliance and balance. The vintage might not have the out and out concentration of 2005, but they should be long-lived nonetheless and despite being the polar opposite of the lovely 2009, it is every bit its equal (and, for some, better!) Cote d'or whites are concentrated, very concentrated. Their acidities are as racy as those of 2007 but with a great deal more richness and depth. In both colours 2010 should go down as an absolute classic.

Such was the consistency accross the region's (top) growers it is very hard to pick out highlights. Those that immediately come to mind are Cecile Tremblay, Marquis d'Angerville, Follin-Arbelet, Chevillon, Sauzet, Bachelet Monnot, Liger Belair, Grivot, Bruno Clair, Rousseau, Roumier, Mugnier and not least Denis Mortet - young Arnaud Mortet has made a magnificent range that firmly puts him in the top tier of Burgundy producers.

For Reds, there seems to be no particular pattern save that I tasted many excellent wines from Clos de Vougeot. There were many excellent whites, too, but Corton Charlemagnes really stood out for their brilliance and consistency.

Keep an eye on the blog over the coming month for the growers views on the vintage in "un mot," a video to be posted here soon.

Triple Zero, Jacky Blot - Jancis Robinson's Wine of the Week

We love Jacky Blot's wines. From his superb reds at Domaine de la Butte, to his stunningly good value whites at Domaine de le Taille aux Loups, his wines always seem to hit the spot. A  bottle of Remus Plus 2007 drunk just this Tuesday was stunningly good for a wine of that price and seemed, to all those that drank it, to have plenty of gas in the tank for future ageing.

Jancis' wine of the week this week is Jacky's Fizz, Triple Zero. It's a top drop and offers typically great value from this pillar of the Loire. We have stock in the warehouse ready for immediate delivery.

To read the full article on Jancis's site click here

Krug - quality obsessed and please don't mention the oak!

Last week's visit to Krug was an enlightening and inspiring trip.
I am very sensitive to the silver-tongued and often very skillfull marketing speak of many Grand Marque Champagne houses. Together with marketing smoke and mirrors, their skill lies also in blending and producing Champagnes that meet people's expectations with impressive consistency. Krug, however, are supposed to be a little different and, reassuringly, my trip confirmed exactly that. They may be owned by a giant of the luxury goods industry but it has been sensitively kept in family hands, with Olivier Krug at the helm. Talking passionately about the vineyards in the middle of a visit to Krug Clos du Mesnil, Olivier made the close connection of the Krug family to the vines and their terroirs very clear.

A tour of the cellars revealed the incredible parts that can make up Grand Cuvee. First stop in the winery is the barrel room, where all Krug undergoes the primary fermentation. These are old barrels so the aim is not to bring any direct oak flavour or "fat" to the wines, Olivier stressed, they are more a function of Krug's painstaking plot by plot approach to harvest and vinifcation. These smaller vessels also add complexity by allowing a certain limited amount of oxygen contact. This approach is further highlighted by the battery of micro steel tanks in the cuverie. The oldest single wine there being a 16 yo parcel of Grand Cru Bouzy, waiting for its call to the Grand Cuvee stage.

Apart from tasting a fascinating Grand Cuvee from bottle and magnum, which as of next year will have id codes on the back of each bottle from which you can tell disgorgement date, we were also introduced to the 2000 vintage of Krug and Clos Mesnil. The former was stylish, impressive, rich but composed and already very user friendly now but with the guts to suggest a good ageing potential, the latter was a sheer delight - the mineral, chalk and lemon-stuffed green olive character of Clos Mesnil is so strong and ever present in all of its wines. The 2000 has this in spades whilst showing the round, pliable character of the vintage. Another example of Krug's fastidious approach to quality was the 1999 Clos du Mesnil, having disgorged it they took a very late decision not to release it. Its a good drop but Krug just simply did not feel it had the requisite Clos du Mesnil character to warrant an official release.

The final piece de resistance was the Clos d'Ambonnay 1998, an excellent red fruited Champagne of great intensity and, no doubt, with a price tag to match!

A room full of primo uomos and divas (the wines, not the merchants...)

Yes, it is that time of year again when the Bordeaux UGC company rolls into London for a short residency at the Royal Opera House. This year was the turn of the magnificent 2009 vintage, now in bottle*. From barrel the now fabled 2009s seduced us with unerring, sumptuous textures, precision, decadence and dare we say it, sex appeal. Simply, they were like nothing else we had tasted from Bordeaux – so could they live up to our expectations?

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Burgundy 2008: Burgfest (cont) Corton & Nuits St Georges

CORTON

When tasting Corton at such events it’s worth remembering that the Hill of Corton lies several kilometres north of Beaune whereas Pommard and Volnay are equidistant south. In terms of Burgundy these terroirs are poles apart.  The two flights of Corton were a step up in both quality and uniformity. The slightly later harvesting had resulted in riper more concentrated wines.

Head of the pack of two flights was the Clos du Roi from Etienne de Montille; high toned bitter sweet red fruits and suave fruity tannins. Only a half point behind were the two Bressandes of Tollot Beaut; damson and bramble fruits and long fine grained tannins and Follin Arbelet; intense berry fruits, graceful, mineral and complex.  Also showing great improvement over previous years was the Corton Clos des Corton from Faiveley, youthful and showing slight reduction it nevertheless has potential.

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Harvest at Château Providence

Château Providence is one of the jewels in the J&B portfolio. This JP Moueix owned estate at the heart of the plateau in Pomerol hit the ground running in 2005 and has since cemented its place amongst the elite estates in the appellation. Edouard Moueix has kindly written a harvest report and his preliminary thoughts about the latest vintage.

'2011 has been the vintage of extremes, summer conditions in spring, two heat waves at the end of June and August, with a cool and overcast summer. It is actually the vines that suffered more than the fruit. We had to spend a lot of time in the vineyard to reduce the number of clusters and therefore the stress on the vines.

We harvested Providence in two days, the young vines and more gravelly parcels on September 10, and the older vines on September 13. The date of the harvest was of course decided according to analyses run from end of August on, but also by tasting the berries. This year even if the numbers were excellent on paper, we had to be extra patient for the fruit to gain a certain aromatic complexity. The normal date according to the calculations from the day of mid-flowering should have been August the 29th.

The weather on these two days was warm and sunny. Despite the good presentation of the fruit, we have used the new optical sorting table, allowing only the best berries to enter the cellars.

We let the fermentations start after two days of maceration, and kept the temperatures quite low because of the high level of potential alcohol. The tanks have now been drained and the wine is about to start its malolactic fermentation. The style is deep and muscular, with notes of dark fruit and cocoa.

I look forward to presenting the first samples in April'.

Merchant vs Journo

Or is it the power of red cords taking on the beige chino? Either way, think its pretty clear who was ahead in the Bordeaux 2010 EP Stamina Stakes...

Krug dinner

Last week, our very own Georgina Crawley and guests took over the exclusive Krug Room at the Dorchester for an evening of fine dining and plenty of slurping. Chef, Henry Brosi designed a menu around the four Krug cuvees on tasting: Grande Cuvee, Vintage 1998, Collection 1989 and Rose.

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Video: Clerico's shifting focus...

Not so long ago, Luciano Racca, from Domenico Clerico, came to see us. It was a short while before we started what has become our biggest and most successful  Italian En Primeur campaign to date.  Having tasted the whole gamut, it is now quite clear that the 2007s across Piedmont are nothing short of sublime. They combine intense fruit profiles with high-toned aromatics, sumptuous ripe tannic structures with fresh acidities. They really do have everything going for them, and anyone with a serious interest in fine wine to lay down, Barolo lover or not, should probably have at least one case in their cellar. (yes I know we are bound to say that, but in all honesty, it is true!)

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Burgfest 2008 Vintage: Beaune, Volnay & Pommard

In a secluded location in Beaune over the late August bank holiday the most recently bottled vintage of Pinot Noir was put under the microscope. The UK's top Burgundy buyers plus specialist Burgundy wine writers and publishers Clive Coates and Neil Beckett made up a select team of nine tasters. A high sense of high anticipation proceeded the blind tasting of the 2008 vintage (bottled some 6-10 months earlier), with a line up including over 300 Premiere and Grand Cru Pinot Noirs from the Cote d'Or's top Domaines and Negociants.

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2011 Harvest Report: Cédric Valade of Château La Grande Maye and Château Valade.

The growing season:

‘2011 will remain in the memories of winemakers as a tricky vintage. The season started very early with a warm and dry April that sped up the vegetative cycle of the vines. Disbudding tasks overlapped with the 2010 primeurs tastings. We have never seen such a quick start before! It was the beginning of a race that went on until the end of the trellising of the vines!

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HOT OFF THE PRESS

Beyond Bordeaux: J&B tips growth regions

This morning's article in the Drinks Business by Gabriel Savage featuring Justerini & Brook's buyer, Giles Burke-Gaffney:

As prices for top Bordeaux climb ever steeper, Justerini & Brooks buyer Giles Burke-Gaffney has predicted a surge in popularity for Barolo, Burgundy and the Southern Rhône.

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Domaine Weinbach : Praises sung on jancisrobinson.com

Following a recent visit to Domaine Weinbach, Richard Hemming, regular contributor to Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages (www.jancisrobinson.com), found much to praise about the wines of Domaine Weinbach. In fact, having visited the 10 most prestigious wineries in Alsace, he appears to have come back enamoured with Weinbach more than any other Domaine. Herewith his comments in full:

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Barolo 2007 - 27 out of the top 30 Parker Points

Here at J&B we like to think we buy what we rate and follow those producers we truly believe in.  We don't , and never have, slavishly followed Parker points, or those of any other critic for that matter. I think it's what makes our customers come back to us time and again.

But it is worth pointing out the recent dominance our Barolo list has in the top 30 scoring wines in 2007, as scored by Antonio Galloni on Robert Parkers website. And, with the exception of his ratings of Marengo's stunning 07's, Galloni is a critic who's praise we do generally agree with. He is a man who know's Piedmont in great detail.

No fewer than 7 out of the top 10, 15 out of the top 20, and 23 out of the top 30 are wines we list. And more to the point,  have listed for some time, most probably before the rise of Mr Galloni on Parker's site.

Of particular note, with a price v points hat on, are the wines from Azelia, Scavino and Clerico.

Burgfest 2008 Vintage

In a secluded location in Beaune over the late August bank holiday the most recently bottled vintage of Pinot Noir was put under the microscope. The UK's top Burgundy buyers plus specialist Burgundy wine writers and publishers Clive Coates and Neil Beckett made up a select team of nine tasters.

A high sense of high anticipation proceeded the blind tasting of the 2008 vintage (bottled some 6-10 months earlier), with a line up including over 300 Premiere and Grand Cru Pinot Noirs from the Cote d'Or's top Domaines and negociants . 

The wines were tasted in flights village by village over three days, 1er Crus followed by Grand Crus.

Earliest impressions of the 2008 vintage are one of consistent freshness and a pure expression of Pinot Noir.  Wines defined by a cooler vintage that had ample acidity, concentrated by cool north winds and bought to perfect ripeness by warm cloudless days and cool nights.   

Spain - Exciting times

I completed my annual 5 day 1000k+ road trip to Spain recently to taste the newly released wines, mostly 2008, with a sneak preview of what delights 2009 and 2010 have to offer, aswell. Apart from leaving me sick to the back teeth of my hire car, the trip made me feel incredibly upbeat about Spain's credentials as a source of high quality wine. The country is still suffering from terrible economic turmoil but its broad group of fine wine producers should be well placed to shift their emphasis from a faltering home market to export. It is incredibly rare for wine-producing countries to be known for producing both top quality and great value wines, usually a place is labelled as one or the other. Spain, however, carries off both to remarkably great effect. This is due to a generation of rigorous growers who are re-discovering their traditions, saving indigenous grape varieties and making wine with passion and attention to detail.

Whilst producers within Rioja continue to raise their qualitative bar to even greater heights, with growers such as the Egurens of Sierra Cantabria focusing their efforts on single vineyards of the low-yielding Tempranillo Peludo clone, Spain can increasingly offer more than just Rioja - be it Garnacha and Carinena from Priorat; Tinta del Toro from Toro; Old vine Verdejo from southern Rueda; Tinto Fino from Ribera del Duero; or top notch Albarino or Godello from Rias Baixas. Additionally there are now an increasing number of re-envigorated wine regions offering great wines that offer as good a "bang for buck" as anywhere in the world, places such as Jumilla, Manchuela, Yecla and Campo de Borja. However for me the most interesting new place that my recent forays unearthed was a Catalan wine region an hour south of Priorat called Terra Alta. A high altitude of 400 metres above sea, proximity to the Mediterranean, wonderful chalk limestone and sand soils (a cross-section of which is pictured above) and some old vines, all make for first class wine. Even better it is still a relative unknown on export markets and in trying to carve itself a global reputation, Terra Alta offers excellent value, too. The only shame is that the region relies on a very small group of quality producers, most of the land still being dominated by small growers selling to the cooperative.

So to the Country's wine-producing merits of quality and value, you can add diversity. Vinously, at least, these are exciting times for Spain. It feels like there is still so much more to come.

Barolo 2007 - Summary

I had already tasted a few cuvees of 2007 last year, the quality seemed unbelievably good at the time almost too good, too easy. So I came out here with a degree of suspicion, wondering how the wines had evolved, were they too opulent or had they faded in any way? The answer, resoundingly, is no. This is a special vintage. The wines are so inviting and alluring. So easy to taste. There is plenty of tannin but it is a sweet sumptuous tannin. The wines are as effortless as Barolo can be at this early stage but more encouragingly they show every sign of ageing well. They have more freshness than I expected and very ripe clear fruit flavours. As well as enthralling Nebbiolo lovers, this vintage, I am sure, will bring the region many new friends. That mix of approachability and ageability is what makes this special. When asked, growers themselves struggle to come up with another vintage to compare it with, 07 is unique.

I have aslo relooked at several 2006s out here and I am every bit as confident in them, if not more so, as I was this time last year. Of course they were more rigid and classic to taste upon release, though they are already shaping up well and in time could well prove to be the equal of 2007. For the time being, though, we should revel in the 2007s, they are a delight.

The season started early, summer was sunny and dry but never hot and whilst this aided ripening, the cool nights extended the ripening period. So even after an early start, vintage took place at the usual time - during the first week of October. Growers say that long, gentle seasons like this are the best, certainly 07's ripening conditions have resulted in wines of smooth, shapely tannins without sacrificing any power.

In early September 2011 we will present 2007s from all of the growers mentioned in this blog, our greatest ever offering of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero, it should prove a fitting celebration to the Piedmont and its great wines.

Barolo 2007 - Castiglione, Serralunga, Monforte, Roero and one more La Morra

This trip is starting to get very expensive for me. I left La Morra not only with an appreciation of a delicious raw spiced beef sausage produced in the town of "Bra" but also with a fairly sizeable personal shopping list of wine. Tuesday's and Wednesday morning's tastings have seen this list swell even further.

I wondered whether the sumptuous textures of the wines i had been enjoying so far were purely a La Morra phenomenon but it is clear this a feature of the vintage accross the region.

Scavino are a benchmark; their 2007s are serious and polished wines, the bric del Fiasc wine is a fitting tribute to this top cru, one of the first single cru bottled up separately back in 1978. It was exciting to go to Vietti for the first time, also in Castiglione, their wines are hugely intense and complex. And the last of the Castiglione trio, Azelia, are now the equal of anyone in the region. Marginally longer fermentations and less new oak have, over the last few vintages, seen them jump to the top division of producers. Apart from a great Dolcetto, the best there is, i also fell for the San Rocco.

Clerico, I am glad to report, is fit and well. Since 05 / 06 vintages gentler extraction has been a feature of the wines, his new range from Dolcetto to Barolo Cru is, in my view, the best and most refined he has ever made.

My visit to this wonderful region came to a happy end on Wednesday morning, a tasting at Azienda Matteo Correggia and a simply glorious Roero Riserva Rocche d'Ampsej 2007 and finally back to La Morra, to Giuliano of Giovanni Corino. Silky bright and totally seductive Barolo Cru 2007s and a memorable old vines 2006 Giachini. Those who like Barolo with a bit of extra grunt will prefer the wines of his brother Renato, those who like finesse in their La Morra Barolos will be totally seduced by those of Giuliano.

Now accross the nowhere lands passed Piacenza and into the beautiful hills of Soave and Valpolicella

Barolo 2007 - Barbaresco and La Morra

Monday started with a bang. If Roberto Voerzio describes a vintage as "legendary" you sit up and take notice. These were the impressive dense but highly svelte wines I was expecting, and the even better news is there is a full complement of crus made this year.

In Barbaresco, Gaja made some extremely slick, serious 07s, whilst over the road in Neive Giacosa's new Barolo is as pure and elegant as ever, whilst bowing to that sweet generosity of the vintage.

Our very own J&B blogger, Silvia Altare of Elio Altare, was in typically effusive mood, not only do they have an exciting new cru from Serralunga, Cerretta, but also the range of 2007s is phenomenal, pure smooth but not too sluggish, they retain that wonderful flowery, high-toned scent good La Morra should have but also betray an extra edge and grip that mark them out as so special. They are some of the very best wines they have made.

Renato Corino of the gigantic hands (the biggest in the Barolo business) has made a gigantic Rocche. I will taste his brother's wines Giuliano of Giovanni Corino on Wednesday.

Even taking all of these highs into consideration, THE highlight for me so far has been tasting with Marco Marengo. His 2007s were easily the best he has made ( which is saying something) and rival the very best in the vintage. This seems at great odds with some recent ratings he has been given which were, in my view, a mistake. The wines have found an extra level of finesse, they are intense and haunting, high toned but sweet and alluring. Barolo has never come closer to Burgundy. I found them totally beguiling

More on Castiglione, Serralunga and Monforte tomorrow...

A glowing review for Aristos

Award winning Master of Wine Peter Richards knows a thing or two about Chile. Extensive travelling (and tasting) through Chile's vineyard regions instilled in him a burning passion for the wines produced there and so it was no surprise that he returned to pen the Andre Simon short-listed book, Wines of Chile.  He is the Decanter World Wine Awards Chilean Regional Chair and together with his wife, fellow MW Susie Barrie, was awarded IWSC Wine and Spirits Communicator of the year in 2010.  Not content with being a very talented writer and broadcaster, he is also, perhaps most importantly, an exceptional taster. And having tasted most of what Chile has to offer it's exciting to see him sing the praises of a wine we tasted and loved immediately.

Quoting verbatim from the August edition of Decanter Peter wrote:

"One of Chile's newest, most exciting names is the result of an international collaboration between some reputed names. Vosne-Romanee producer Vicomte Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, works with noted Chilean terroir specialist Pedro Parra and maverick winemaker Francois Massoc to make just two Cabernets and a Chardonnay. The first vintages were sourced from the Calyptra vineyard, high in the Andean foothills in Coya in the eastern Cachapoal Valley. The Cabernet is refreshing and easy drinking in the Chilean Context, but it's the elegantly savoury, nutty and grippy Chardonnay, very much in a  Burgundian mould, that is the star. Given Liger-Belair's origins you might expect a Pinot Noir to be on the cards. But according to Parra, the team 'haven't found any in Chile good enough. Yet."

Rhone 2010 - Greater than 2009?

I look forward to the Rhone buying trip with particular relish. The place is beautiful, the weather a welcome change from grey London and the diverse array of wines fantastic. Rhone can never be accused of being boring, from the divergent blends of Chateauneuf, the varying styles of the Northern Syrahs, not to mention Condrieu, Marsannes and Roussannes. What's more I know that when I get back home, there will be more than a few things on my wine shopping list that I will actually be able to afford.

This July's aim was to re-taste 2009s and take an extensive look at 2010s. The schedule in front of me was bursting at the seams, 22 growers in 4 days including Clos des Papes,Pegau, Vieux Telegraphe, Chave, Domaine du Coulet, Alain Graillot, Rostaing, Clusel Roch and Stephane Ogier to name a few. I am very much becoming a victim of the Rhone's success, it seems that every year we add a new grower to the portfolio. The trip left me quite exhausted, albeit in a thoroughly satisifed way.

2009s are showing just as well as a year ago if not better, it is a rich vintage north and south, a show stopper, a vintage of opulence and seduction. For me the wines of the year, north or south, were those of Rene Rostaing, though the fabulous Chave 09s (to be released next year) will be snapping at Rostaing's heals.

As for 2010, well all I can say is that, taken as a whole, Rhone 2010 is greater than 2009. In the south, thanks to coulure, it is a very small vintage but the quality is excellent. The wines have the ripeness of 2009, the concentration, but more freshness and balance. Indeed they approach the 2007s in depth and will supercede them for drinkability. I thought Versino/ Bois de Boursan was particularly successful, as was Pegau, Vieux Telegraphe and le Bois Pointu (now made by Domaine Etienne Gonnet)

In the North, 2010 is a truely great year, whether greater than 09 depends on the individual producer. It is a very close call between the two in Cote Rotie particularly, whereas in Hermitage and Cornas I almost unanimously preferred the crisp, more defined and elegant structures of the 2010s. Rene Rostaing again came up trumps with an outstanding range, Francois Villard I think has made his best ever vintage, red and white, whilst the lovable Clusel Rochs have pulled a very special vintage out of the bag. Faurie and Domaine du Colombier (whose freshly ripened apricots were out of this world!) performed brilliantly and one of my very favourite growers Mathieu Barret of Domaine du Coulet, has yet again made stunning Cornas, far better than many Hermitages. For me Cornas is one France's most underrated appellations.

So there we have it, a great vintage and, hopefully, probably, maybe.... reasonable prices. Our full offer of 2010s will be launched in November.

Next stop Spain in a week's time, follow the action on twitter @gilesbg

Loire 2010 - Unmissable Value

Arriving at Angers train station on Monday 13th to find that even rental car companies in France take off the obligatory "jour ferrier", despite having accepted my reservation, was an inauspicious start to the trip. Well, thankfully it was as bad as my week got, it was smooth roads and 5th gear from then on.

2010 in the Loire, like many of France's wine regions, was not always easy. Poor flowering, a gloomy summer and even some late summer rains tested the mettle of the region's best growers. And this is exactly the point. The days of turning but a glancing eye to all non Sauvignon Loire wines in only the hottest and "easiest" of vintages must be consigned to history. The quality of many 2010 Chenins, Pinots and Cab Francs is excellent. This was obviously helped by the late season drying wind and bright sunshine, together with a very small potential crop owing to coulure, but I feel it is just as much testament to the effort the growers are making in their vines - be it de-budding, de-leafing or overall excellent management of soils and vine canopy.

Chinon and Bourgueil were particular successful appellations, the 2010s from Joguet, Amirault and Domaine de la Butte were outstanding and for their poise and balance I prefer them to 2009. Pinot Noirs from Sancerre chez Pinard look remarkable, it could be their best red vintage yet, great ripeness and intensity without surrendering Pinot delicacy and Loire freshness. They really would not look out of place in a blind tasting of the Cote d'Or's finest.

In Coteaux de Layon it is an exceptional vintage, very concentrated and distinctly zesty. Sweet wines of that quality and price are virtually impossible to find anywhere else. In Vouvray and Montlouis vintage conditions were more challenging, but, again, the startling quality of Jacky Blot's Domaine de la Taille aux Loups wines really show how far the Loire has come in the last 10-15 years. Difficult conditions no longer means difficult wine.

Sancerres and Pouilly Fumes are much more classic than in 2009, no doubt some of the more commercial entities have made lean and aggressive wines but for top growers beautiful, ripe, intense and classically vibrant wines are very much the norm.

Overall its a very impressive but small vintage, with losses being up to 40% on the average. There may be quality in 2010 and a shortage of it, but so far there is no indication of heinous price increases, it should prove the value region of 2010.

photo - Valerie Dagueneau of Domaine Serge Dagueneau gets stuck into to some ploughing.

Bordeaux 2010 - Domaine de Chevalier, Malescot St Exupery, Fonbel and Monbousquet

Olivier Bernard's extensive project at Domaine de Chevalier has really come to fruition. After a bold and not to mention expensive re-planting program throughout the `80s and then a decade and a half of patience for the vines to gain maturity, we can really see the benefits. 2005, 2008, 2009 and now 2010 rank amongst the very best wines produced in this sprawling commune. Powerful but graceful, true to their terroir, and just so enjoyable to drink; this has become one of our 'must buy' estates. Olivier's wines offer 'super second' class at relatively affordable prices.
`Tasted three times, the Domaine de Chevalier has great precision on the nose with pure dark blackberry, dark plum, black olive compote and crushed flowers. The palate is just superb, mainly because of the crispness and tension in the tannic structure, framing a very precise, very focused Domaine de Chevalier that should age beautifully. It is almost understated but with great mineralité on the finish and superb persistency. Watch it blossom in bottle. 93-95/100`. – Neal Martin, Wine Journal
Chateau Malescot St Exupery casts an imposing shadow over the village of Margaux.There is something rather rustic and charming about the estate; however, the wines are anything but bucolic. Malescot is back on top form producing muscular, modern, sexy Margaux, which delight the critics (and us). The turn-around has been spectacular at this property; not long ago they were treading water, now this is one of the most sought after estates in the Medoc.
` This estate, which has been on a qualitative crescendo for over ten years, has made a prodigious 2010 that ranks alongside their 2009, 2005 and 2000. A gorgeous fragrance of spring flowers, cedarwood, black and red currants and hints of spice box and subtle oak is followed by a generously endowed, full-bodied, opulent wine with layers of concentration, a restrained yet exuberant personality, superb fruit purity and a long finish. There is plenty of tannin, no doubt elevated alcohol and wonderful freshness as well as delicacy. This beauty should drink well for 25 or more years. 94-96/100`. – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194
We can also offer the wonderful Chateau Fonbel. This is Alain Vauthier's little baby and always represents terrific value for money. With the same team as Ausone at the helm it is hardly surprising that wines from this St Emilion property are stylish, pure and very seductive. The 2010 completes our list of best 'Value Buys'. Please follow the link below for the comprehensive list.
To complete our round-up, we have a Gerard Perse wine to offer, Monbousquet. From exceptionally low yields, this is big, modern; a testament to the Perse style of winemaking. It is well received by Robert Parker (91-93) and obviously appeals to the British palate too with 92-94 points from Neal Martin.
NEWSFLASH – We have a handful of cases of yesterday's hot ticket, Leoville Poyferre left at £1075 per case. This exceptional 2nd Growth has a mighty 95-98 points from Robert Parker and is set to join the likes of the 1990 and 2009 in the Poyferre hall of fame. A tremendous wine, so hurry...
` One of the prodigious wines of the vintage, the Cuvelier family has produced an outstanding 2010 that must tip the scales at 14.5+% alcohol. It boasts an opaque purple color in addition to a sweet perfume of spring flowers, black raspberries, creme de cassis and a hint of spicy oak. This seamlessly constructed St.-Julien possesses massive concentration, moderately high tannins, abundant glycerin, an unctuous texture, remarkably fresh acids and wonderful precision. It will benefit from 5-6 years of cellaring and last 30-35 years. 95-98/100`. – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Kirwan

Chateau Kirwan's illustrious history can be traced back to the early 18th century, but it wasn't until Sir John Collingwood's daughter married the eponymous Mark Kirwan that the estate inherited its Gaelic name.
In 1855, it was classified as a 3rd growth although its vineyards on the Cantenac plateau can hardly be called top terroir. The estate's fortunes suffered with phylloxera, World Wars and depression, but now under the ownership of Schroder & Schyler, things are turning around. The 2009 was very impressive and the 2010 shows plenty of potential.

Bordeaux 2010 - Leoville Barton and Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge

Leoville Barton is a by-word for top quality Claret. Anthony has fashioned many outstanding wines from his 2nd Growth St Julien estate and he always prices his wines fairly. The 2010 is a monumental effort, receiving 96-98 and 97-98 from Neal Martin and James Suckling respectively. This is a splendid 'super second' and we thoroughly endorse it at £845 per case – a great wine!
Also new to our list is the magnificent Smith Haut Lafitte. Daniel and Florence Cathiard have taken this Pessac estate to the next level. The wines here outshine many of the top names from the more fashionable communes and are challenging the likes of Haut Bailly, La Mission and even Haut Brion for supremacy in the Graves. 2010 receives a spectacular 95-97 points from Robert Parker, and it is well deserved, we were blown away by the seductive fruit, silky texture and sheer class here. At £865 per case, it is a little dearer than last year, but the quality is so exceptional, it more than warrants the price...

Bordeaux 2010 - Durfort Vivens and La Lagune

Another barmy day on the Place. We can't help but feel that ego is getting in the way of business with the velocity of releases, or maybe Chateaux owners don't like us very much... It should be common sense that smaller Chateau can't compete with the big boys when it comes to stealing the limelight. Yesterday was dominated by Pontet Canet and Calon Segur, today has been dominated by the splendid 2nd Growth, Leoville Poyferre, so fromage à pâte dure for all the less glamorous wines. We would echo the sentiments of negociants, merchants and probably the paying public – please stagger the releases, we don't need to do the campaign in a fortnight!
The final releases of the day are Gonzague Lurton's second growth Margaux property, Durfort Vivens and the massively impressive La Lagune. Durfort was one of our picks of the vintage in 2009 and the 2010 is a worthy successor. Bravo Gonzague. It will be the cheapest 2nd growth of the campaign, but at £375/cs, this is something of a repositioning act by Durfort... La Lagune (£465/cs) is typically immense. Modern vintages of this Haut Medoc estate are commended by Bibby P. This effort gets a whopping 93-96 points!
'Is this 2005 deja vu "all over again"? Proprietress Caroline Frey has elevated the quality at La Lagune since acquiring this estate, and the 2010 is another superb effort as well as one of the better values in Bordeaux. An opaque purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of black raspberries, black currants, licorice and subtle smoke and graphite. While uber-concentrated, full-bodied and pure, it retains both elegance and precision as well as a sensational 45-second finish. The suppleness of the tannins and stunning opulence suggest it will drink beautifully for 25+ years. 93-96/100`. – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194

Bordeaux 2010 - Round-up

As France enjoys a non-compulsory 'Pentecost' bank holiday (let's hope the Bordelaise are filled with the spirit of reasonable pricing), it gives us some time to pause and reflect on the madness of last week. After a month of complaining about the trickle of releases, the floodgates were opened. We were deluged with big name Chateaux such as Pontet Canet, Leoville Poyferre and Calon Segur. Amid the chaos, it would be easy to miss the likes of Langoa Barton, Talbot, Malescot St Exupery, Domaine de Chevalier, Cantenac Brown, Durfort Vivens, La Lagune, Giscours, Kirwan, Certan de May, Le Dome and Fonbel, many of which are amongst the best wines ever produced at these estates.
Please find a round-up of the releases from last week, plus a second tranche of Pontet Canet below. Particular mention should got to: Langoa Barton (the best wine made to date at this 3rd growth estate), Malescot St Exupery (a spectacular and exotic Margaux with 94-96 points from RP), another splendid Domaine de Chevalier, our surprise package Balestard La Tonnelle and two big scorers in Cantenac Brown (92-94+ RP) and La Lagune (93-96 RP).
It is also worth pointing out that our 'Top Ten Value Buys` have all been released, and not a single one will set you back more than £160 per case. We believe that these would stack up against anything at a comparable price from any wine producing region in the world. Proof it were needed that Bordeaux still offers value.

Burgundy 2011 - The view from the vines at Domaine Grivot

The photos below were taken by Hubert Grivot on the 7th June in balmy 25C weather and blue skies. If you haven't yet heard, things are galloping along at pace down on the Cote d'Or, with many growers reporting a whole months advance in the usual cycle of their vines. Yet, despite the precocious nature of the vintage thus far, vine and berry development is reported to be healthy and harmonious.

The last couple of days have been cooler, no bad thing, with temperatures hovering around 17C. Growers are hoping this might slow things down a little...

Thanks to Mathilde Grivot for sending these photos through and keeping us up to date with life as a winemaker in Vosne Romanee.

Bordeaux 2010 - Château Balestard La Tonnelle

The St Emilion UGC is not the place one expects to find anything but nasty surprises. Yes, the Nicolas Thienpont wines always shine, but many of the others are, well, dross! Nevertheless, we boldly step into the fray each year, just in case... Our persistence was rewarded (thankfully). The very first wine, one Château Balestard La Tonnelle, Grand Cru Classé, bowled us over. What a wine. Great concentration, beautiful, precise flavours, well managed tannins and lots of freshness and lift. What more could one want? At £295 per case, this along with Tour du Pin (£300) and Moulin St Georges (not yet released) make up our hot trio from St Emilion.

Bordeaux 2010 - Talbot, Langoa, Reserve de Comtesse and more...

First up, we have Anthony Barton's 3rd Growth St Julien Estate, Langoa Barton. We have been extolling the virtues of Langoa for many years. There has been a gradual transition from gentle, slightly old fashioned wines to a much more muscular, impressive style. Tasting the 2009 and the 2010, you would have to say that Langoa has arrived at its destination. This brace exemplify everything good about modern St Julien. Both are enormously impressive wines, but the 2010 possibly has the greater aging potential. Kudos to Mon. B.
Travelling a little further inland and a little further down the 1855 classification, Chateau Talbot has joined the party. It is perhaps fair to say we liked rather than loved Talbot this year, but it nevertheless is a concentrated age worthy effort built in a classical style. And compared to some it has only a modest increase on last year's price.
Reserve de la Comtesse has, in our opinion, hit the nail on the head this year. Beautifully styled and refined with a textbook Pauillac nose and wonderfully fine tannins this is a very good and handsome second wine, with another modest rise on 2009 (though still a rise we hear you say).
Also out today, Jonathan Maltus' St. Emilion garagiste property Le Dome. Quite possibly unique in Bordeaux in that it is now made up of 80% Cabernet Franc, it received a laudable 94-96 from Parker, and was also tasted very well by the J&B team.
From the Moueix stable we have Certan de May, whose vineyards sit next to Lafleur, VCC and Petrus. At £840 it is a flamboyant effort that will no doubt be considerably cheaper than its neighbours.
*Stop Press* One final release, just out Cantenac Brown at £430 cs ib. Controversial in that its power and concentration that belie its appellation, it is nonetheless a very impressive wine.

Bordeaux 2010 - Haut Bergey

Haut Bergey 2010 has achieved unanimous praise; so much so that cynics might question the proximity of scores from all the major critics... 92-94 from Robert Parker and Neal Martin, 92-93 from James Suckling and 92-95 from The Wine Spectator. This property situated near to the excellent Haut Bailly, produces charming, good value Pessac, and offers lots of QRP.

Bordeaux 2010 - Giscours, Echo de Lynch Bages, Pagodes

Giscours have made a very good 2010 indeed with plenty of Margaux typicity but also a wonderful depth of fruit. It is has been awarded its highest ever marks from Big Bob (92-95) and should cellar beautifully for two decades or more.
Echo de Lynch Bages represents something of a relative steal this vintage. Crafted very much in the mould of Lynch Bages, without such enormous power but with added accessibility and juiciness and a beautiful vivacity. Lovers of the Cazes style will not be disappointed.
Pagodes, what can we say about Pagodes? As modern and sleek as its brand new winery, it is a tour de force of winemaking craft and once again sits stylistically and recognisably beside its bigger sibling.
'Possibly the finest Pagodes the estate has produced, as Jean-Guillaume Prats said, this 2010 is better than many vintages of Cos d'Estournel produced in the sixties and seventies. Forty-five percent of the production made it into this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot that achieved 14.1% alcohol naturally. Plump and fat with an abundant concentration of black fruits as well as outstanding intensity, purity and texture, this beauty should drink well for 10-15 years. 90-93/100'. - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194

Latour sale kicks off Christie's Hong Kong Spring Sales Series with 100% sell-through rate

Friday's hotly anticipated HK sale of Ex-Chateau Latour saw no fewer than 14 lots selling for over HK $1 million and 95% of lots selling over the high estimate. Could this signal the beginnings of a Chateau rivalling Lafite's dominance in the East? To quote directly from Christie's...

"The Hong Kong Spring sales began on a high note with the sale of ‘Rarities from the Cellar of Château Latour’ on May 28^th, 2011 which achieved a 100% sell-through rate over an eight-hour long session.   Offering 392 lots direct from Château Latour, the sale totalled  HK$ 59,718,000/US$ 7,673,763/ £ 4,675,919/ € 5,416,423,  with 95% of sold lots over the high estimate and 14 lots over HK$1 million.  The top three lots were all Vintage 1961, 6 magnums, which sold for HK$1.8 million/ US$ 231,300/£ 140,940/€ 163,260 each.

Mr. David Elswood, International Head of Wine for Christie’s, said: “The sale marks a triumphant result for Château Latour in Hong Kong. Vintage 1961 reigned supreme, achieving a new record price of HK$1.8 million for the 6 magnum lots, while the 1961 impériale sold for HK$1.68 million.  With 100% sold and 14 lots selling over HK$1 million, the sale once again demonstrates the tremendous appeal of Château Latour and the strong demand for wines of the highest quality and rarity.”

Mr. Charles Curtis MW, Head of Wine for Christie’s Asia, added, “The Château Latour sale was a great success, totaling close to HK$60 million/US$7.67million/GBP 4.68 million with a 100% sell-through rate.   It was gratifying to see collectors sitting through an eight-hour long session to bid for the very best vintages, including 1961, 1959 and 1945, leading to over 95% of sold lots selling over the high estimate.  Asian buyers came out particularly strong, dominating our top tens of the sale.  We also saw our highest average lot value to date at HK$152,342/US$19,576/GBP11,928, reflecting a true appreciation of quality and the pursuit of perfection among wine connoisseurs around the world.”

Burgundy 2010 - An update from Domaine Grivot

Following what could be called a genuine winter with frost and rain and especially the night of 19th December with a temperature of -20 degree Celsius; not only did many vines perish but the same fate befell a large number of fruit-bearing buds.

Growth started at the usual time and was consistent thanks to summer temperatures in late April. But 2010 was one of the rainiest years ever recorded during the vines’ growing period.
During the summer, the weather was very cool and vines and fruits growth up normal. These conditions played a predominant role in ensuring that the vines remained healthy.

At Domaine Grivot, we took the decision to use only organic products for vines in 2010 and we are very happy; for the first time, we saw how the plant was able to cope with all of these weather challenges without external assistance. The foliage stayed a glorious deep green, the skin of the fruit had incredible thickness and all the different elements ripened in perfect harmony. Very good news for the future!

We started grape-picking on 23th September in cool weather with a light northerly wind. We record 40% less production compared to a normal year. However, given the weather experienced during the vintage, this also explains the marvellous quality of the harvest. The vintage is promising.

The wines produced are superbly balanced, in the spirit of the 2000 vintage but with greater density. Colours are dense and luminous. A generous palate with an incredibly delicate finish. Tannins are silky and sophisticated. Without any doubt a great success and a tribute to all the hard work in the vineyards over the last few years.

I have a liking for the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellations this year. They are superb and have a great elegance, freshness, harmony, fineness and structure.

Concerning the 2011 vintage? Very early to ask about it!

But the high temperature, at the beginning of spring, gives the premonition of a precocious vintage. The vines are crazy!!
The third week of April, we recorded, in Vosne-Romanee, 22 days earlier than 2009…
At the middle of May, flowering was blooming. Just one week was required to pass this stage.

If we count like the ancients, one hundred days, we should harvest around of the 20th August in Vosne-Romanee and Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Hopefully the weather will be cool this summer.

Germany 2010 - a potential legend

Like everyone else, I suppose, all I remembered about the 2010 German vintage were reports of doom and gloom that had already started to surface by September 2010, before the main harvest had even begun. People had all but written it off. So I came out to Germany in April 2011 with much scepticism after hearing reports from producers of "great things"

Difficult conditions throughout the 2010 summer were fortunately complimented by two factors: A bad flowering that meant potential yields were low, a good thing considering the poor summer that lay waiting, as fewer grapes mean easier ripening. The second factor was sunny, cool weather at the end of September through October, when the main harvest took place.

Early summer conditions and cool temperatures did mean that vintage was late, many growers were still picking into November. As Klaus Peter Keller put it "you had to not lose your nerve and wait until the grapes were ripe"

It is clear there are two sides to this vintage, commercial production and mediocre producers have meant lean, acidic wine. However totally on the contrary, top producers from top sites have made some stunning grosse gewachs and late harvest wines.

The crop is small but the wines are fabulously intense and concentrated, so much so that the extract covers the high acidities amply. It is also a vintage where the different soils and climates sing gloriously through each wine. This is a classic and should be a great one to lay down. As an example Zilliken has recorded the lowest crop for 30 years, but the highest ever average must weights.

So never has there been such a wide qualitative gap between the top and bottom wines in one vintage, but Riesling fans will not want to miss out on top growers' wines, at their best they could be something close to legendary

(pictured is the mightly Maximin Grunhaus Abtsberg of Carl von Schubert)

Bordeaux 2010 value survey

QPR, seems to be a commonplace initialism amongst tweeters, bloggers and those on the wine forums. I suppose it’s a sign of the times. Everyone has embraced austerity and we all demand a little more for our hard earned dollar. Although Bordeaux is dominated by stories of record auctions in Hong Kong and stratospheric prices for First Growths, there is lots of value to be found, if you look in the right places...

After the UGC tastings, we ask our team to list their top ten wines from various categories including ‘best value’. Value is subjective of course. A Wall Street Banker’s concept of value may not be very well aligned to that of a St James’s Street wine merchant, but with hands on hearts we compile a list of what we think are the best buys from the vintage. If proof were needed, after we have removed our hands from our chests, we put them in our pockets (or handbags...). The likes of Petit Bocq, Valade, Clos des Quatre Soeurs and Capbern Gasqueton all feature in our own cellars.

For the complete list and for more 'top tens', please follow this link http://bit.ly/jN5y0X

Bordeaux 2010 - Capbern Gasqueton

The formidable Madame Gasqueton of Calon Segur also owns this excellent estate situated south of the town of St Estephe, between the vineyards of Montrose and Phelan Segur. Tipped as one of the best value buys of the 2009 campaign, the team here have managed a repeat performance.
Sadly the yield has been influenced by some hail damage in May, but the quality is unaffected. The J&B team were mighty impressed by the cool, sophisticated style here. Whilst it doesn't have the class of the mighty Calon, it was by no means overshadowed. This is another glorious St Estephe, which offers lots of intensity and refinement for the price tag.

Bordeaux 2010 - Clos des Quatre Vents

Luc Thienpont's Clos des Quatre Vents is one of the jewels in the J&B portfolio. We have been following the estate since the 2000 vintage and it just keeps getting better and better. Luc's side of the Thienpont family are 'garagistes'. His brother Jacques owns Le Pin (1.6Ha) in Pomerol. Clos des Quatre Vents occupies an even smaller 1.2Ha of superb deep gravel terroir on the croups of Margaux. Annual production is similar to that of Le Pin, so this is a rare bottle of wine (approx 600 cases are produced per annum). Major cru classes surround the Clos on all sides, yet Luc has not followed the garagistes' pricing strategy – this still offers lots of value for money.
Luc is a pragmatic man; he loves to be out in the vineyards. His devotion to his vines almost cost him an arm earlier this year when he had an accident with a pruning machine. Thankfully he has recovered well and he is back in his beloved vineyards. This is the essence of Clos des Quatre Vents. Lots of work in the vineyard ensures that the 80 year old vines produce healthy fruit, which in turn is gently vinified by Jacques Boissenot (consultant to all of the First Growths) to ensure an elegant wine with intensity, charm, and reflects its great terroir.
We are delighted that Neal Martin shares our enthusiasm for this wine and has awarded the 2010 92-94 points, the same score as Chateau Palmer (which the J&B team thought was the best Palmer in yonks...).
'Courtesy of Luc Thienpont, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the Clos des Quatre Vents is broody and introspective on the nose at first with liquorice-tinged dark berried fruits. The palate has a rounded, supple entry with crisp raspberry and wild strawberry, very harmonious and focused towards the caressing finish. This is a lovely Margaux...just a shame the production is so tiny. 92-94/100'. – Neal Martin, Wine Journal

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Rieussec

Rieussec has enjoyed a great resurgence over the past decade. With the financial backing and technical know-how of Domaines Barons Rothschild behind them, the estate has flourished into one of the top names in the appellation. Situated on one of the highest points in Sauternes, close to the hallowed vineyards of Chateau Yquem, Rieussec has produced a string of excellent vintages under the stewardship of Charles Chevalier. The style has certainly improved since the Lafite team took over. We have noticed that the wines possess more intensity and finesse and have slimmed down somewhat, although they certainly haven't lost any of their concentration and sweetness. The 2010 is another wonderful example and is sure to delight those who admire great sweet wines.
If you're only going to buy one Sauternes this campaign - make sure it's Chateau Rieussec. If you would like to order a case, please register your interest by calling 00 44 (0)20 7484 6400 or emailing justorders@justerinis.com

Bordeaux 2010 - Beychevelle and Cantemerle

Today has proved to be the most exciting morning of the campaign so far. Chateau Beychevelle, one of the most sought after brands in China, and also a firm favourite in the UK has released at £675 per case. This is quite an increase on the opening 2009 price, but the 2009 is now trading at over £700 per case and will continue to head north, so it looks like a shrewd buy. Hopefully, this won't be seen as a green light to other Chateaux to put their prices up too – Beychevelle is a bit of a special case...
Soon after Beychevelle came Cantemerle. This elegant 5eme Cru Classé has been producing exceptional wines for the last decade. The 2009 was sumptuous, seductive stuff – the 2010 is equally alluring; a wine of great class and finesse. We were really impressed by the purity, concentration and the gentle tannic structure here – it is thoroughly deserving of its 91-93 points from Robert Parker.
'A quintessentially elegant style of Bordeaux, the opaque ruby/purple-tinged 2010 Cantemerle possesses elegant floral notes intermixed with hints of blueberries, raspberries, sweet red cherries and currants. Medium-bodied with impressive purity, concentration and texture, it is not a heavyweight, but rather a well-proportioned, stylish red that should drink nicely for 15-20 years`. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194

Bordeaux 2010 - The 'best value' buys of 2010

Have you ever wondered what the J&B team buy from primeur campaigns? It's not Le Pin and Ausone as you may expect, we are a pretty tough team to please – we're some of the most demanding customers we have. We expect exceptional quality and we don't want to pay through the roof for it. There are two wines that always meet the criteria. Paul and Cedric Valade's Chateau Valade from St Emilion and Luc Thienpont's Villa des Quatre Soeurs from Margaux.
Let's tackle Luc's Margaux first. This is produced from 60-80 year old vines situated between the villages of Soussans and Tayac. The plot itself is a minute 1.5Ha based on deep Garonne gravels. Luc's oenologist is none other than Jacques Boissenot, consultant to all of the First Growths, and aging takes place in French Oak barrels for 18-20 months. As you can see, Luc takes this project very seriously, and all the hard work shows. We all fell head over heels for this little beauty.
Over on the other side of the river, Paul and Cedric Valade, the eponymous owners of our 'best value' wine of the vintage, are clearly delighted with their acquisition. This is only the fourth vintage, but it looks set to be a real hit. The 2009 was incredible, but sadly hail accounted for about half of the crop. 2010, despite small berries and uneven flowering has produced a healthier yield. Great news for those demanding, price conscious Claret drinkers (like the staff here...). Hurry to buy a case before the Chairman buys it all.

Bordeaux 2010 - Ormes de Pez and Puygueraud

This afternoon sees the release of Jean-Michel Cazes' St Estephe property Ormes de Pez. We were amazed by the improvements achieved in 2009 and we are pleased to report that the 2010 continues the fine form. Some have deemed it a 'baby Lynch', such is the quality and the unmistakable Lynch style. In truth, this is no baby, this is a large scale, impressive St Estephe.

The vineyards are situated in two plots, one north and one south of St Estephe town. Both are based on gravel and sand and are planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Lynch Bages' wine making team, led by Daniel Llose are making qualitative leaps here. We firmly believe that this Cru Bourgeois will be one of the outstanding values from the 2010 campaign.

Also new to the latest releases list is Château Puygueraud. This Thienpont estate in the Côtes de Francs has made a sensational 2010 and could be an estate to watch in the future. A Merlot dominated blend with a shot of Malbec, this exhibits a plush core of soft ripe fruit and complex notes of sweet earth and forest floor. All the critics have given the thumbs up, with James Suckling awarding a staggering 92-93 points. A lot of bang for the buck!

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Gazin

UGC Pomerol is usually something of a roller-coaster; some good, some bad and some slightly scary. The elite Pomerols produced by the Thienponts, Moueixs, Guinaudeaus, Rothschilds and Monsieur Durantou do not show, but there are still several exalted names such as Clinet, Conseillante and Gazin amongst the exhibitors. In what is probably the smallest Union tasting, there is a diverse array of styles and expressions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, from the sandy soils near Libourne to the clay and gravel terroirs of the Plateau.

Chateau Gazin is situated on the most westerly corner of the plateau next to the vineyards of Petrus and Evangile. Recent vintages have been impressive. The style has been big, powerful and tannic, so in this vintage of record concentration, record alcohols and record tannins, we braced ourselves to taste... What we found was one of the most graceful and elegant wines from the right bank. Extractions appear to be lighter and whilst this is still dense, with immense fruit content, it is also very detailed and framed with sumptuous tannins. Along with La Conseillante, one of the peeks.

We have also seen the release of AXAs Sauternes property, Chateau Suduiraut. We sampled this at Pichon Baron and at the Sauternes UGC and it was one of the top performing sweeties that we tasted. At almost £100 less than the 2009 and with 94-96 points from Neal Martin, this should appeal to those with a penchant for stickies.

Bordeaux 2010 - Video: Jean-Guillaume Prats, Cos d'Estournel

Bordeaux 2010 - Jean-Guillaume Prats, Director of Cos d'Estournel on what makes his 2010 so compelling and the differences between it and his majestic 2009.

The wines of François Mitjavile

François Mitjavile is one of the most philosophical characters in Bordeaux and is usually one of the most verbose too, so we were astonished when he retorted to our 'un mot' question with consummate ease... If you haven't already seen it, there is a link to 'un mot' below.

Arriving at his tranquil estate in the commune of St.Laurent-des-Combes on a beautiful, hot, spring evening in April, the J&B team descended into the pitch black vaults to taste. It was only when we were groping around for a banister that we realised sun glasses were no longer necessary. François' cellar is like being teleported to the Cote d'Or. There's nothing futuristic or glitzy, just cold stone walls and a gutter to spit in (reluctantly). It is always one of our favourite tastings as the wines are as colourful as the man himself. Roc de Cambes 2010 is the finest effort to date in our opinion. It is decadent, opulent, hedonistic, sumptuous, yet possesses classical freshness, velvety tannins and impeccable balance.

The Tertre is something of an orgy of flavours in a glass. To use a Parkerism (a man not too popular in this particular corner of St Emilion...), this is a `prodigious` effort. An utterly intoxicating, exotic, flamboyant Tertre Roteboeuf, but as with the sister property, one is not overwhelmed; balance is the key. Some merchants are linking François' wines on a 2:1 basis (2 Roc with 1 Tertre). We don't think that this is necessary as the Roc de Cambes sells itself. You can buy a case of Tertre Roteboeuf on its own, but you'd be mad to miss out on the Roc de Cambes!

On another calm day on the Place, we have only seen two other releases of note. Olivier Casteja's wonderful Doisy Vedrines; always one of the best value Barsacs and Lafaurie Peyraguey, a 1er Cru Classé Sauternes. The 2010 sweeties will almost certainly be overlooked as it is the reds that will capture all the headlines, however, there are some really attractive dessert wines and at £245 per case, you can't go wrong with the Doisy Vedrines.

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Providence

Right at the heart of the plateau in Pomerol lies Providence, a beautifully restored, elegant Chateau surrounded by ten acres of vines. Neighbours include exalted names such as Hosanna and Certan de May. Although a relative newcomer, Providence has been heaped with praise by Robert Parker, James Suckling, Jancis Robinson et al and is quickly establishing itself as one of the leading properties in the commune.

For many years the estate was owned and managed by the Dupuy family, who tended the vines with devotion, but lacked a little technical savoir faire. JP Moueix, ever alert to a good opportunity, spotted the potential and purchased the estate in time for the 2005 vintage. Since then the cellar and tank rooms have been rebuilt, the chateau has been blasted until it gleams and the Moueix team have implemented several changes in the vineyards. The results are staggering. Now that the Moueix team are achieving the full potential from the vineyard, the wines are consistently amongst the best performers in this star studded commune. The cépage is typically 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, grown on the well suited clay and gravel soils of the plateau.

The 2010 is a sensational wine with wonderful tension and minerality. We found it even more stylish than the flamboyant 2009; a truly seductive, harmonious and aristocratic Pomerol. Bravo.

'Resurrected by Christian Moueix, Providence is made in a muscular, macho style with considerable minerality as well as dense plum, blackberry and black currant fruit, a formidable quantity of tannin and stunning depth and richness. The classic 2010 is similar in style and personality to that of the great Moueix estate of Chateau Trotanoy. Forget it for 5-6 years and drink it over the following 25-30 years. 92-94+/100`. - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194.

Bordeaux 2010 Video: Charles Chevallier, Chateau Lafite

The director of the hottest Chateau in Bordeaux talks to Hew Blair and gives a very interesting, succinct comparison between 2009 and 2010. If you wanted to describe the differences between the two vintages in a single sentence you'd be hard pushed to do it better than this...

Bordeaux 2010 - Un Mot

We asked some of the greatest names in Bordeaux the impossible question, namely to sum up their 2010 vintage in a single word. Never normally a set of winemakers to be short of words, this simple question provoked some thought provoking answers, and no shortage of umms and errs..

Featuring the men and women behind: Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Yquem, Ausone, Calon Segur, Montrose, Ducru Beaucaillou, Grand Puy Lacoste, Evangile, Conseillante, Le Pin, Petrus, Tertre Roteboeuf, Providence, Lynch Bages, and many more...

p.s. It is quite a large file so you might want to give it a minute or so to load up.

Reading between the lines...

So, Big Bob’s scores are out. 2010, as we all expected has been hailed as another exceptional vintage by the world’s most influential wine critic. There are plenty of potential hundred pointers to get consumers very excited, but as virtually no wines have been released we will focus on the reassessment of the 2008s.

Parker’s initial appraisal breathed life into a subdued market, battered by financial uncertainty and seemingly disinterested with Bordeaux 2008. The campaign was going nowhere until issue 182 of the Wine Advocate started landing on peoples’ doorsteps. High scores and high praise for the wines turned the campaign around and many customers bagged themselves a bargain. Unfortunately, Mr P wasn’t aware of what was to come (in 2009 and 2010).

So with hindsight we can say that he over egged the `08s a little, and as such most scores have been re-evaluated to the lower end of their initial range. Some have been downgraded a little further still, but those who read the notes will see that he is still a huge fan of these wines. The headline grabbers are Lafite and Ausone, both with 98/100. Praise and high points are heaped particularly on the wines from Pomerol and Graves and there are many 90+ point wines that won’t break the bank including the exceptional Chateau Poujeaux.

Bordeaux 2010 - Hew's Views, Margaux & The Haut Medoc

In which Hew opines on his favourite Margaux properties in 2010, and his top value bargains from the Haut-Medoc...

Bordeaux 2010 - Hew's Views, The Medoc

The road trip continues...Hew discloses his top picks from the Medoc and muses on the new popularity for having horses do the work that tractors would otherwise have been employed for...

Join the great `09/`10 debate

Call us sceptics, but we left for Bordeaux confident that 2009 was the greatest vintage we have ever tasted from barrel, and sure that 2010 would not live up to its distinguished predecessor. After a week of at times gruelling tastings, it is clear the 2010 rivals and could even surpass 2009. This is perplexing to say the least. 2009 enjoyed a near perfect growing season, 2010 did not. Poor flowering dramatically reduced yields; there was no talk of green harvests this year... In fact this was a bit of good fortune as the vines could not have coped through one of the most severe droughts in living memory with a full crop. This is a vintage characterised by a shortage of water, lots of sunshine and little extreme heat.

It wasn’t until the harvest started in perfect conditions that vignerons realised what potential the 2010s possessed. Analysis revealed that the tiny berries were super-concentrated, have huge tannin levels, wonderful acidity and big potential alcohols. One member of the team called the wines Neo-Classical; i.e. they are classically balanced but in an altogether new, bigger style. You could argue that they are Post Neo-Classical as vintages such as 2000 and 2005 are Neo-Classical and 2010 offers something altogether different. These are immense wines from top to bottom. In fact we were impressed by the consistency and quality of many petit chateaux. Words such as ‘monumental’ and ‘aristocratic’ have been used to describe the 2010s. They don’t possess the flamboyant character of the 2009s; they are at times reserved and brooding, but always powerful, intense, balanced and will no doubt last for many years.

In truth, it is impossible to favour one vintage; both are exceptional. Opinions are divided now and they will continue to be split for the next thirty or more years as these wines evolve. We stand by our comments last year – 2009 was and still is exceptional; at the time the greatest primeur tastings in living memory. We didn’t have the benefit of foresight... Now that we have tasted the 2010s there could be a new contender, but only time will tell. Much as the `28s and `29s have and continue to arouse discourse, the `09s and `10s have started a new debate.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Masterclass – Monday, 18 April

A celebration of Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

Justerini & Brooks are excited to host a tasting featuring Châteauneuf-du-Pape in all its glory at the fabulous French restaurant, Boundary, in Shoreditch. On offer will be an exquisite range of wines from Château Mont Redon, Domaine Jean Paul Versino/ Bois du Boursan, Vieux Télégraphe and Château de Beaucastel. The tasting will explore the varying styles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and will investigate the complexities of this historic appellation accross different vintages, all this around a selection of great Charcuteries and Canapés. Visit http://www.theboundary.co.uk/news/chateau-boundary/chateauneuf-du-pape-masterclass-monday-18-april-2011/index.php for further details and booking.

Voyager Estate - The Final Harvest Update April 2011

The final instalment of Voyager Estate’s harvest report.

"Similar to last year - we had just finished tipping our last bin of Cabernet Sauvignon into the de-stemmer and the rain started to fall. The harvest which commenced on the 9th of Feb and concluded on the 6th of April will be remembered for the warm and humid February and the perfect March weather which finished the reds off beautifully.

It was a season where patience was rewarded, as it was important to wait for the Cabernet Sauvignon and give it some hang time to ensure the tannins were fully ripe. Those who waited will make outstanding wines, with great concentration and fine, ripe, silky tannins.

The condition of the vine canopies at harvest was the best I have ever seen, with no sign of yellow leaves due to some timely midsummer rain. However, the fruit still showed evidence of the dry growing season, with small, deeply coloured berries and thick skins. Consequently the yields were quite low and came in just under our targeted range at around one and a half tonnes per acre.

The excellent quality of the grapes will see the fruit from most of our best vineyards spend a couple of weeks left on skins after fermentation which contributes great complexity and tannin structure to the wine.
Most of the Shiraz vineyards have completed fermentation and are looking fantastic with rich dark and red berry fruit and fine, complex layered tannins.

We have just started blending our Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon which looks great and the Chardonnay is potentially exceptional. The consistency of this region never ceases to amaze me and it really does fit the description as a "viticulturist’s paradise".

Cheers, Steve James"

Bordeaux 2010 - Video Interview with J-M Laporte, La Conseillante

As the debate rages as to whether 2010 is better than 2009 all we can say is that we would dearly love to have both in our cellar. Jean-Michel gives us a clue as to why that might be...

Bordeaux 2010 - Hew's Views, Pomerol

The inimitable Hew Blair on the highlights from Pomerol in this most extraordinary of vintages...

Bordeaux 2010 - Hew's Views, St Emilion

Bordeaux 2010 - Video Interview with Edouard Moueix

Edouard Moueix, one of Bordeaux's most charming characters, talks 2010, 2009, 1990, 1989....

Bordeaux UGC Week - Days Two & Three

There are some incredibly impressive wines this year. Embarrassingly impressive if you're Bordelais.

Our second day on the right bank gave us beauties such as Tertre Roteboeuf, Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Evangile, Gazin, Pavie Macquin, Troplong Mondot and Figeac. There were plenty of others, as there always are that side of the Gironde, too ripe, too extracted, too chewy, who shall remain nameless.

At the lower, shall we say more value end there are nevertheless some definite finds. Tour du Pin, Fleur de Bouard, Teyssier, La Chenade, Petite Eglise, Fonbel, Moulin St Georges and Valade all hit the spot and would be excellent additions to any cellar.

Heading west the highlights thus far have blown us away. The obvious stars of Lafite, Cos d'Estournel, Montrose, Las Cases, Ducru Beaucaillou, Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages and Pichon Lalande have all shone brightly, so brightly they will no doubt burn a hole in many a pocket. But for those with less firepower there are some supremely intense and precise wines that will provide serious enjoyment for many years to come. Both Grand Puy Lacoste and Haut Batailley took our collective breath away. Branaire-Ducru, Gruaud Larose, Haut Marbuzet, both Bartons and Sainte Pierre were all terrific. The best of these wines possess such enormous detail, freshness and refinement as to have left us at times rendered speechless. Could there be a better complimentary vintage to 2009?

And now for something completely different...

It wasn’t all work work work yesterday. We enjoyed a splendid lunch as Chateau Conseillante where we were lucky enough to taste some magnificent back vintages including a magnum of the '45. Most of us assumed that this would be the oldest wine of the day or even the week, but the accolade didn’t last long...

In the evening we had dinner with the superstar winemaker, negociant and general human dynamo, Denis Durantou. Denis is always extraordinarily generous, but last night’s feast was something to behold. Between cabaret from the eccentric but charming Rene Gabriel we enjoyed a fabulous vertical of Eglise Clinet. We started with the '29 (which we are quite confident will be the oldest wine we taste this week and for many weeks...). This was still brimming with life, a wonderfully vibrant example and one with a lovely story as this was the wine that inspired a young (9yo) Denis to become a winemaker; the rest as they say is history. Then followed the '54, '64, '55 and '85. It is hard to pick one vintage out as all were thrilling, however, perhaps particular mention should go to the '55, which was the baby of the flight and received 20/20 from this humble writer. Many thanks Denis for a splendid evening and congratulations on an outstanding 2010.