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.

Bordeaux UGC Week - Day one

The question on everyone's lips this year is, can 2010 be better than 2009? Whilst it is almost certainly too early to say with any real conviction (though many seem convinced otherwise), our first day here on the right bank has thrown up some very interesting comparisons. At La Conseillante we were treated to a wonderful vertical that began with the 2010 and 2009 side by side. If the 2009, having taken on plenty of weight over the past 12 months, is gorgeous in its exuberance, the 2010 is a model of muscled, polished intensity.

At Tertre Roteboeuf we were again allowed to taste these two twin vintages side by side and the comparison split the group over its preference. Both were magnificent, opulent and hedonistic. Could one be called better than the other? Very hard to say...

At Eglise Clinet we tasted a 2010 that might well have had the edge over 2009, at Ausone we almost certainly did, and at Clos l'Eglise I think we were almost unanimous. But at our other appointments it was perhaps just too close to call.

2010 is undoubtedly a firmer more powerful vintage than 2009. The wines we have tasted do not have the opulence, voluptuousness or succulence of their 2009 siblings but they do have increased acidity and with it freshness, more prominent tannic spines, and in some cases increased aromatics. These huge raw materials have created in the right hands, wines of real significance and importance.

Some of yesterdays most exciting wines:

Lafleur

Eglise Clinet

Providence

VCC

Conseillante

Clos l'Eglise

Angelus

Le Pin

Ausone

Tertre Rotebeuf

And for value:

Ch la Grande Maye

Ch Valade, St Emilion

Ch La Chenade

Ch Fonbel