Last week the great and the good of the wine trade (and
yours truly) descended upon the picturesque seaside town of Southwold to
re-examine the 2010 Bordeaux vintage. It resembled something of an MW
convention – if anyone knows the collective noun for a group of Masters of
Wine, send your answers on postcards… As ever, it was an honour indeed to taste
in such illustrious company.
There was an enormous sense of anticipation; after all, this
is the British wine trade’s favourite vintage, so expectations were
exceptionally high. With this sort of reputation, it is unsurprising that the
wines didn’t quite live up to their billing, but that is by no means a put down
or for that matter a reason to quell our enthusiasm.
Tasting these wines from barrel was a revelation. Tasting
them straight after bottling affirmed everything we thought and added to their
repute. Tasting them again last spring and summer was mind-blowing. However, it
appears that they have put themselves into hibernation since our last glimpse
at this wonder-vintage. In general most wines are displaying their muscularity
and structure at this time and appear to have concealed the grace, charm and
prodigious sexy appeal on which they have built their reputation. The wines are
still remarkable, if not quite as pleasurable to taste. But hey, we never said
these were going to be forward, easy drinkers. To quote a member of the UK
trade (and Nigel Tufnel), these have all been turned up to eleven (apologies to
those not au fait with the philosophy of Spinal Tap!). These are wines of
outrageous proportions. They will require long term cellaring, so if you are
after immediate thrills, stick to the 2009s. If you are looking for something
that will reward patience, stick some of these away…
At this early stage, the Firsts Growths and the big names
from the Right Bank are perhaps the least closed. They still have flamboyance
and provoke a sense of awe. Scores at Southwold are treated like state secrets,
but, for those still reading, I’m allowed to reveal my own scores - WikiLeaks,
eat your heart out… La Mission Haut Brion (20), Haut Brion (20), Latour (20),
Petrus (19.5), Le Pin (18), Margaux (19), Cheval Blanc (19), Ausone (19), Lafleur
(19), Lafite (18), Mouton (18.5). In truth, on another day, any of these wines
could have taken top honours. These all display a sense of breed and exquisite
exoticism that make them almost unique in my experience.
Other stand out performances came in the shape of Troplong
Mondot (19), Angelus (18), Tertre Roteboeuf (18), VCC (18.5), Eglise Clinet
(18), La Conseillante (18.5), Evangile (18), Leoville Poyferre (18), St Pierre
(17.5), Montrose (18), Dame de Montrose (17), Pichon Baron (19), Fort de Latour
(19), Domaine de Chevalier (17.5), Haut Bailly (17.5), Rieussec (18.5) and
Coutet (18).
The Petit Chateaux and lesser cru Classes will in time offer
extraordinary drinking and value. On the evidence of last week, don’t go near
these for some time, ideally five, maybe ten years and give the best wines even
longer.
