Cheval Blanc Masterclass

Yesterday we were treated to a Cheval Blanc master-class with Pierre-Olivier Clouet and Arnaud de Laforcade. This young and talented Technical Director and Finance Director team gave us a wonderful tasting and shared their wine-making philosophy in our chilly St James’s Street Cellar.

We started with a flight of Quinault L’Enclos, the newest addition to the group. This small vineyard in the outskirts of Libourne was purchased in 2009 and has undergone a complete transformation in the vineyard and the winery. The gravelly vineyards have been ploughed and organic farming techniques have been adopted. In the chai, Pierre-Olivier is using a much lighter touch, allowing the vintage and the terroir to speak. The progress is evident just from the three vintages we tasted: 2010, 2011 and 2012. The 2012 is wonderfully aromatic, is packed with transparent fruit and is beautifully balanced. Texturally, this is so refined – the tannins are fruity and long with no sense of dryness. This is definitely an estate to add to the watch list. 

Pierre-Olivier then introduced the wines from Cheval Blanc. The first flight paired the 2010 Petit Cheval and the 2009 Grand Vin. It was extraordinary to re-taste these magnificent wines. At 14.5% alcohol, the 2010 Petit Cheval is a most impressive wine. It possesses all the hallmarks of this arresting vintage: power, alcohol, and the most intoxicating of bouquets, but everything is in perfect balance – this is so harmonious you want to drink it right now! Cheval 2009 is clearly a baby. It has the exoticism of the vintage with copious amounts of extract and regal, large scale tannins. It is a tour de force that requires and will reward patience. 

Our next flight was an opportunity to see the progress of the 2011s. You might expect 2011s to struggle after the 2010 and 2009, however, the 2011s equipped themselves admirably. Aromatically they are more reserved. The fruit is dark, brooding and mineral, although there is a nice clarity and precision here. Petit Cheval’s tannins are quite powdery at the moment, a common trait in 2011. The Grand Vin is noble and classy, finishing with pure refined fruit tannins – a noteworthy effort. 

The next brace came from the 2006 vintage – something of a forgotten year. Petit Cheval is already quite evolved displaying secondary aromas and gorgeous, mouth-coating iodine and mineral flavours. The Grand Vin is by contrast very primary. The fruit is pure and sexy and the firm tannins require a little more time to blend into the wine. This is a splendid wine which the Cheval team are quite rightly very proud of. 

The final flight only had just one wine, the magnificent 2000 Cheval Blanc. This is a wine that really deserves its own flight. It has been a 100 point wine and in our opinion is thoroughly deserving of the accolade. It is unctuous and rich, yet delicate and refined. There is no sense of heaviness; it just keeps giving wonderful perfumed nuanced fruit. This is a deeply complex wine that one can’t help to admire right now, but one senses this could be one of the all-time great Chevals, which will last well into the 21st century.

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to Pierre-Olivier and Arnaud for sharing their passion, time and above all, wonderful wines with us.

Tom Jenkins, Bordeaux Buyer

Southwold 2015 tasting (Bordeaux 2011)

Following the spectacular duo of 2009 and 2010, some questioned the pulling power of the 2011s. Whether it was the charm of this somewhat derided vintage or the lure of cooked breakfasts and sea air, the Southwold regulars nearly all made the trip to Suffolk.

The vintage got off to the very best of starts. While we were tasting the embryonic 2010s from barrel, we basked in warm sunshine and admired the precocious vines. This was one of the earliest flowerings in recent times. Summer had arrived early - but it didn't last. Seasons were getting muddled. July and August were decidedly spring-like and didn't help grape maturity. Thankfully a fine September (except for the hail in St Estephe) came to the rescue and provided relief for some very worried vignerons. 

My general perception of the vintage is quite positive. The wines have a soft ripe core that to my mind is reminiscent of the 2001s. They are charming and not at all aggressive or astringent. They don’t have the concentration or complexity of 2009 and 2010, but that is an unfair comparison. Having tasted two of the all-time great vintages, this was definitely a bump back down to earth. 

Wines that stood out included: Pichon Baron and Grand Puy Lacoste. Both displayed the hallmarks of elegant Pauillac and possess ample density. From St Julien, Leoville Poyferre was glossy and impressive, while Montrose and Cos d’Estournel stood out as the class acts of St Estephe. Chateau Palmer and Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge were both head and shoulders above their peers in their respective communes. On the right bank, star performers included Angelus, Tertre Roteboeuf, L’Eglise Clinet and Vieux Chateau Certan. 

As one would expect, the First Growths and top estates from the Right Bank are generally a notch up on the super seconds. However, Pichon Baron, Eglise Clinet and Chateau Palmer could more than hold their own, even in this company. 

Sauternes and Barsac are traditionally a bit of an afterthought in these reports. High costs of production and waning demand makes one wonder why anyone struggles to produce these wines. But struggle on they do and thank goodness they did in 2011. The wines are wonderfully sweet and beautifully balanced. They will be a joy to drink young and they should age gracefully for decades. Our old friend Doisy Vedrines was the pick of the bunch, as it was for our Buying Director when we tasted en primeur - good spot Giles! 

Commercially the 2011s are not that interesting at the moment. This is often a problem with vintages preceded by a great crop (or two in this case). Prices don’t fall fast enough. Bordeaux was certainly guilty of over-inflating prices on release. Subsequently, market conditions deteriorated making prices look even less attractive today. I felt that a general despondency about pricing probably unfairly influenced peoples’ impression of the wines. I believe that this is a superior vintage to 2007 at this stage. Bordeaux’s euphemistic phrase, ‘classical’, springs to mind when tasting the 2011s. Because of the lack of heat in August, these are not fruit bombs. Californian Cabernet they are not; this is an orthodox Bordeaux vintage, which, given a few more years in bottle, should blossom into something quite interesting.

Tom Jenkins, Bordeaux Buyer

Château Margaux and Justerini & Brooks in Jakarta

We organise many dinners and tastings all over the world, but last week we hosted a particularly memorable event in Jakarta with Paul Pontallier of Château Margaux. It was the first time that Paul had been to Indonesia, so Justerini & Brooks put on a gala evening at the Grand Hyatt hotel for our Indonesian customers, and arranged to have vintages of Château Margaux, back to 1966. The evening began with a chilled glass of Dom Pérignon 2004 to cleanse our palates and get us in the mood for a sensational flight of Margaux that would follow. Once our guests were seated, we started with Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux 2010. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc cuvee, which is from a 12 hectare site just outside the Margaux commune, was rich, youthful, and utterly delicious, and was a fabulous match with baked lobster. It was followed by Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux and Château Margaux both from the legendary 2005 vintage. The Pavillon Rouge was delightful, and much more approachable than the Château Margaux at this precocious stage. The Grand Vin was an extraordinary powerful wine, full of promise. Its beguiling bouquet slowly unravelled with aeration to reveal a deeply seductive wine, packed with dark fruits, and silky ripe tannins. This will no doubt be stunning in time, but patience will be required. In fact, Paul Pontallier believes that this may well be his best vintage yet (and he started with the estate in 1983.)

 

After the 2005 we moved on to Margaux 1996. This proved to be the star vintage on the night – a sensational wine that showed everyone how sublimely seductive Margaux can be. It had everything in the glass: rich, gloriously perfumed aromas, and a depth of cool, ripe fruits that were covered in the silkiest of tannins. This is a truly gorgeous wine that is drinking perfectly at the moment; the epitome of 1st growth quality, and it worked so perfectly with Wagyu beef.

This was followed by Château Margaux 1986, a more savoury vintage, and one filled with nuance. The tannins on this structured vintage have slowly softened and mellowed over time to show highly refined, elegant fruits and a wine that has a beautiful lengthy persistence on the palate. 

The 1983 and 1982 Margaux were then served side-by-side. These two vintages of Margaux always form a fascinating conversation when placed together, and usually divide opinion. This again was the case last week, where there was much debate. The 1983 Margaux had a superb definition and balance, but for me the ripe weight and silky fruits of the ’82 made it even more enjoyable. With wines of this age, it is always about individual bottles, and there have often been times where I’ve preferred the 1983. 

The evening finished with 1966 Margaux. This fully mature wine was a delight to end with. The Château has come a long way since the 1960s and although the wines from this era are not well reviewed, they are still fascinating and drinking well – proof that great terroir always shines through… This was soft, with luscious fruits that caressed the mouth as one slowly sipped it; a fitting end to a great and highly memorable evening. 

- Chadwick Delaney, Managing Director

Bordeaux 2014: Harvest report from the Guinaudeau

Bonjour,

The 2014 vintage is providing us with so much pleasure… As we told you in the last email on 17th September, we were in a sunny disposition, and we still are. We finished the harvest with the Cabernets Franc plots from Grand Village on the 8th October in excellent conditions…

We worked hard throughout the summer to keep the grapes healthy. We must say that the weather in September and in October has been exceptional. Optimum ripeness was reached in all the different terroirs.

We have to harvest at just the right moment when the grapes are very ripe. It is a key success factor to harvest each parcel at the right time. If the harvest is done too early, phenolic maturity would not be reached, however with a late harvest the result would be too heavy, without enough freshness and precision.

Concerning Lafleur, we harvested:

- The Merlots from the lot A on Friday 26th September

- The Merlots from the lot B on Monday 29th September

- The Cabernets Francs from the successful lot D on Sunday 5th October

- The Cabernets Francs from the lot E and F on Monday 6th October

We have just started the running-off (lot A and B from Lafleur). The Merlots combine power and delicacy, with a mind-blowing balance and freshness. Cabernets Francs from the lot D, are macerating, but we have already achieved a complexity and aromatic intensity we associate with the great millésimes…

The maceration is done for the white; they are now digesting the lees which are particularly rich this year, and we are doing a batonnage every two days. The framework is getting there, the tasting from the barrels confirms our first impressions. The white should be on another level for the 2014 vintage…

We will share our impressions about the vintage very soon.

Bien Cordialement,

Les Guinaudeau

Bordeaux 2012: The Usual Suspects

The annual Bordeaux tasting at the Royal Opera House was rather less busy than normal, but those who did attend were in up-beat mood. Our friends from Aquitaine arrived fresh from an Indian summer that has lifted spirits and hopes for the 2014s. And it would appear that the worst of the ‘Bordeaux Bashing’ may be over. Clients are beginning to re-visit this once darling region and re-discover their love affair with Claret.

2012 was far from an ideal growing season and the harvest was particularly precarious. Initially we thought this favoured the early ripening Merlots from Pomerol and Pessac. The challenge on the left bank was to wait for maturity and risk dilution and rot or cut one’s losses and harvest before the rain. At the time of the primeur tastings our Chairman said that ‘terroir, technique and timing were all key to success in 2012’. How right he was.

On the evidence of Thursday’s tasting, it is the usual suspects who have risen to the top of the pile. Perennial successes such as Grand Puy Lacoste, Domaine de Chevalier, Malartic Lagraviere, Smith Haut Lafitte and the two Pichons have made beautiful wines with concentration, vitality and freshness. It is not a blockbuster vintage, that is for sure, however, there are wines that will give enormous drinking pleasure and are sensibly priced. Xavier Borie’s GPL and Olivier Bernard’s Domaine de Chevalier Rouge deserve special mention – these are both tremendous value.

At the time of release we were rather negative about Sauternes. We always try to be honest in our assessment and we discouraged clients from buying these wines. It is clearly not a good vintage for sweeties – the wines are at best simple and lack botrytis. When there are so many good Sauternes vintages to choose from, one can quite easily forget about the 2012s altogether.

Those pessimistic about the primeur system said at the time, ‘these are not wines to buy en primeur’, and they have largely been proved right. Many of the 2012s are still available at their opening prices (good news for consumers) – but given how well some of the reds tasted and their relative affordability, they may not be around at these prices for long…

- Tom Jenkins, Bordeaux Buyer

Breaking news: Guinaudeau's 2014 vintage update.

"We have just started the harvest for the Blancs de Grand-Village following a period of glorious, warm, sunny weather. We are happy, because the grapes are very ripe, the aromatic level is amazing, both for the Sauvignon and Sémillon. 

After a tough summer, once again we had to work hard, but the first two weeks of September were brilliant, as a consequence the vendage has a surprising potential… At the moment the grapes are in excellent condition and we can therefore take our time. We have been harvesting in the cool early mornings for the last three days and have collected all of our Semillon and half of our Sauvignon.

Regarding our red grapes, physiological maturity has largely been reached in Pomerol and we are taking advantage of the nice weather to further improve the tannic structure. We may take some secateurs to the very young vines in the parcel of Lafleur called La Sieste this week. We will see… In any case we should start harvesting the best Merlot plots in Lafleur by the following week. The Cabernet Francs grapes have tasted well in the vineyard, and should be ready at the beginning of October.

We will let you know how the 2014 harvest is going, but it has started under excellent conditions. "

Les Guinaudeau.

The Guinaudeau in London's West End

Last Tuesday Justerini & Brooks welcomed Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau from Château Lafleur to London. Our charming guests hosted a masterclass tasting in our Mayfair premises followed by an exclusive dinner in our private dining room in St James’s.

Baptiste Guinaudeau led the masterclass tasting. We began with Château Grand Villages reds from 2008 and 2009, along with a Château Grand Villages white from 2013. For those not au fait with the Guinaudeau’s home property in the commune of Mouillac, these wines offer incredible value for money and plenty of class. The new and exciting Champs Libres Blanc followed - 100% Sauvignon from Sancerre clones, grown on pure limestone and made in tiny quantities – it showed tremendous breed and complexity.

’ G’ Act 2, from the 2010 vintage, is the second vintage of this project. It hails from various plots in the Fronsac commune. Baptiste explains that the blend is the reverse of Château Lafleur being 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc and the soils are pure clay and limestone, so similar to the best sites in St Emilion. The 2010 displays outstanding potential and shows the skill of the Guinaudeau team in making wines that gives unbridled enjoyment. Les Pensées de Lafleur, the second wine of Lafleur was represented by the 2008 vintage; classic, refined and intellectual, a great Pomerol with a long future ahead of it. Completing the tasting was Château Lafleur 1998 – a monumental and brooding wine that was slow to unfurl, but gave a sense of incredible presence and class as it did. 

At the St. James’s dinner some of the UK’s biggest private collectors joined Baptiste and Julie Guinaudeau for an evening that showed just what remarkable wines these are. The two 2013 white wines (as shown at the tasting) got even better with time in the glass, retaining their freshness but achieving even more complexity as they opened up. A brace of Pensées de Lafleurs followed: 1999 was seductive and mature, 2000 was simply out of this world and got the whole room talking. It was firm, young, yet packed with an utterly bewitching profile which kept evolving and expanding. The final flight was three vintages of Château Lafleur. 1998, which released its dark ample profile in the glass. If the Pensées 2000 is a modern classic then the ‘grand vin’ from 2000 will turn out to be a legend. A 100 point wine, it is stunningly poised and aristocratic, with a beauty that can just be glimpsed, but begins to slowly reveal itself in the glass. And then the star of the night – Château Lafleur 1989. For me certainly one of the greatest Bordeaux I’ve ever drunk. A combination of richness and class that is extremely rare. Full of layered nuance that never stops expanding, and a length of flavour that went on and on. It’s a wine you think about the following day, and one you will never forget.

 

Hew Blair, Chairman

Vintage Report: Bordeaux 2013

A refreshing vintage…

Refreshingly honest some might say. There was no hyperbole, no attempt at finding a silver lining; everyone admitted that 2013 was a ‘challenging year’. It may sound euphemistic, but no-one pretended that it was anything but hard. The spring, well there wasn’t really a spring, it was more of an extended winter, was three degrees colder than the norm, which hampered flowering, causing widespread coulure and millerandage. Providence, Hosanna and Quinault L’Enclos were so badly affected that they haven’t produced a wine at all. On average most vines flowered three weeks behind schedule, breaking one of Denis Dubourdieu’ s golden rules for a spectacular vintage. After a cold and wet June most vigneron had long given up any hope of a spectacular vintage and would quite happily have just taken a crop of any sorts.

July brought some much needed heat and sunshine. It was the hottest July since 1991, even eclipsing the scorching 2003 vintage. The July heat allowed the vines to play some much needed catch up as well as breaking down the methoxypyrazines in the grapes. As a result the fruit has little to no bitter, peppery notes, which greatly adds to the wines' appeal. August was generally good with more warm weather and little rainfall. Just when it seemed that there was some reason for cautious optimism, a pattern of tropical weather conditions hit the Gironde. It would be an exaggeration to call September a monsoon, but it was humid, with high daytime and night time temperatures. This accelerated ripening, but also posed a constant threat of rot.

The harvest was always going to be late, but some Chateau had little choice but to harvest before full phenolic ripeness was achieved. The risk of heavy rain and botrytis proved too big a gamble. Heavy rain hit in October, but large parts of the northern Medoc escaped unscathed. Most grapes were harvested with low potential alcohols, something that Bordeaux hasn’t experienced for a long time and something many will find very alluring. There were stories of Hypermarkets in the Gironde being devoid of sugar – certainly, many winemakers decided to chaptalize, but even after chaptilization, alcohols rarely exceed 13%.

There are many lightweight wines in 2013. We’d be surprised if the vintage as a whole appeals to American critics. It is characterised by low alcohols, high acidities and pure, lightweight flavours. The best wines from the most favourable terroirs are utterly charming. They possess noble flavours and are very refreshing. If you don’t like the massive style of some recent vintages or if you don’t want to wait decades before you can drink your wine, then these will appeal.

It is always good to end on a positive note, and the dry whites are very good and the Sauternes and Barsacs are potentially excellent. It is always perilously difficult to assess sweet wines in their infancy, but these seem to have wonderful potential. The humid conditions that caused such headaches for red wine-makers, produced widespread botrytis in Sauternes’ Semillons and Sauvignon Blancs. The wines possess noble, complex, crystalline flavours and bright acidity. They should turn out to be wonderful wines that will rival the extravagant 2001s and 2007s.

Bordeaux day one - UGC Week, Bordeaux 2013

If we started our stay in Saint Emilion with a sense of pessimism, this was soon replaced by more sanguine thoughts after a day tasting at the very best estates on the right bank. This was indeed a challenging vintage, but no-one said otherwise. A spring with average temperatures three degrees below the norm meant that flowering was severely delayed. Merlot was affected by coulure and Edouard Moueix explained that Providence and Hosanna were both the victims of millerandage and consequently won’t be produced in 2013. The poor and late flowering has reduced yields to levels we normally associate with Burgundy and the Rhone. July was scorching and greatly helped the evolution of the vines, but this was always destined to be a late harvest. 

As one would expect from the likes of the Guinaudeaus, Denis Durantou, Alexandre Thienpont, Alain Vauthier and all the other superstars that we visited yesterday, they quickly understood the nature of the vintage and vinified gently, respecting the fruits' limitations. The results are a revelation. One word that keeps being mentioned is ‘soyeux’, and these are silky, pure, precise, elegant, fragrant wines. They are feminine and charming and will provide so much enjoyment over the medium term. No-one is pretending that they are blockbusters in the mould of the 2000s, 2005s, 2009s and 2010s, but I’d wager that these will give far more pleasure in the first 20 years of their evolution than many of their more illustrious counterparts. It’s hard to pick favourites amongst such company, but Pensees and Lafleur were both otherworldly and although this is a vintage where terroir is vital, there will be some inexpensive wines that shine: Les Cruzelles, La Chenade, Saintayme and Montlandrie from Denis Durantou were all spectacular. Next stop on the bus - Graves.

- Tom Jenkins, Bordeaux Buyer

Bordeaux 2011 - The releases thus far...

With the weekend upon us, (likely a long one in France), and Parker's scores out in the next few hours, herewith an easy to digest run down of all current Bordeaux 2011 releases of interest.

Wine	Price per case 12 bottles GBP
2011 Z, Bordeaux	50
2011 Croix Mouton, Bordeaux Superieur	75
2011 Ch Beaumont	90
2011 Château Cissac, CB Haut Medoc	90
2011 Ch Villars	90
2011 Ch la Tour de By	120
2011 Ch Teyssier	120
2011 Ch  Capbern Gasqueton	130
2011 Carmes de Rieussec	165
2011 Ch Rieussec	360
2011 Ch Poujeaux	190
2011 Chasse Spleen	195
2011 Ch Ormes de Pez	210
2011 Ch Cantemerle	220
2011 Doisy Vedrines	220
2011 Ch Haut Marbuzet	220
2011 Ch Rol Valentin	240
2011  Château Lafaurie Peyraguey	275
2011 Ch Doisy Daene	290
2011 Ch Bellevue	380
2011 Ch Coutet	450
2011 Ch Gazin	450
2011 Ch Suduiraut	480
2011 Ch Climens	750
2011 Ch Cos d'Estounel	1200
2011 Ch Lafite-Rothschild	5500

2011 Bordeaux - Wine Advocate scores

Chateau owners praying for a miracle may be disappointed. Neal Martin’s notes are trickling on to erobertparker.com, and early indications show that the notes are somewhat lukewarm. There are a few exceptions like the magnificent VCC (96-98/100), but generally scores are conservative. We will have to see what the big man does later this afternoon, but Neal’s measured reaction to the wines should be echoed. 2011 has produced lots of very good wines, but Bordeaux has come back down to earth with a bump after the outstanding 2009 and 2010 vintages. It’s time for Chateaux to price their wine correctly, i.e. cheaper than any physical vintage, and allow us to sell these wines to good old fashioned drinkers.

As Bordeaux embarks on an unofficial four day weekend, there is plenty of time for everyone to digest the Wine Advocate notes. We don’t expect much activity for the next few days, so time to ponder Neal’s thoughts... Please find some highlights below.

2011 Chateau Leoville Barton 93-95

The Leoville Barton has a very elegant bouquet that takes time to unfurl. There are lovely notes of blackberry, dark plum and a touch of graphite. It unfurls beautifully if you lend it five minutes. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannins, good substance, very elegant and refined with a natural, slightly earthy finish that is long in the mouth. Superb persistency – this is one of the top Saint Julien wines. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau Providence 91-93
Tasted at JP Moueix, the Providence 2011 has a precocious bouquet with dark cherries, crème de cassis and a touch of fig and apricot. Complex and exuberant, this is a more modern style of Pomerol but it retains fine delineation and focus. The palate is medium bodied with rounded tannins, a sense of sumptuousness and sensuality. Very well balanced, its red fruit caress the mouth and linger long. Oh là là! Tasted April 2012.

2011 Vieux Chateau Certan 96-98
The Vieux Chateau Certan was cropped between 6th and 7th of September and from 14th until 20th September. That’s what you’ll read everywhere, although I was filming Alexandre when he was picking the final Cabernet around the 29th September! Cropped at 37hl/ha, it is a blend of 70% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and (yay!) 29% Cabernet Franc. It delivers 13.6 degrees alcohol with a total acidity of 3.5gms/L and an IPT of 83. After the Cabernet Francless 2009 and 2010, this is more what I consider to be a classic VCC nose and as Alexandre, unlike those previous vintages that gives you everything up front, this is far more intellectual and enigmatic with hints of mineral laden fruit, limestone and small dark cherries. It is beautifully defined yet distant. The palate is succinctly balanced with crisp acidity, exceptional balance and superb backbone. There is an undercurrent of masculinity, a saline tincture, crushed stone and a touch of dried herbs and yet these are just fleeting hints. It has enormous length and it is one of the very few that could be on the same ethereal plateau as the 2009 and 2010 and perhaps one day...even better. Tasted April 2012.

2011 La Chenade 90-92
The La Chenade is a blend of 80% Merlot picked between 9th and 16th September and 20% picked on 19th September aged in 30% new oak. The nose is very fresh with a Burgundy-like purity and effervescence. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a lovely core of sweet red fruit laced with new oak, leading to a dark chocolate tinged finish. This is a top class La Chenade that could be as fine as the 2010. Another great wine courtesy of Denis Durantou. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau l’Eglise-Clinet 94-96
Tasted at the property, Denis Durantou cannot really do wrong these days. The l’Eglise-Clinet 2011 was cropped between 12th and 15th September and the Cabernet Franc on 24th September, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc being aged in 80% new oak. The nose is very elegant bouquet once left to unfurl over 10 minutes. It offers dark cherry fruits with touches of cassis and minerals: all very refined and poised. The palate is very well balanced with great precision on the entry. The Merlot is very expressive this year. The tannins are supremely fine and the finish linear and strict, offering traces of briary and minerals. There is a lovely femininity and sense of drinkability about this harmonious l’Eglise-Clinet that should be a worthy follow-up to the heavenly 2010. Tasted April 2012.

2011 La Petite Eglise 89-91
The Deuxieme Vin of La Petite Eglise is pure Merlot picked on 16th September that is aged in 50% new barrels. It has a refined bouquet with pure blackberry and raspberry with well-integrated creamy new oak that does not impede upon the fruit profile. With time it offers a touch of cedar that is very attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive balance and a silky smooth texture. It has some oak to subsume so it will need 3-4 years in bottle, though it does not have the tension or persistency one can find in the 2009 or 2010. Still, this is very fine and probably will be good value. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 93-95
The 2011 Lafite-Rothschild is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot with an alcohol level of 12.6%. It has wonderful purity on the nose with blackberry, cassis, raspberry, a touch of graphite and an attractive floral note. It is feminine and beguiling. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins on the entry, crisp acidity, very harmonious and alluring with blackberry, raspberry and a saline touch towards the long caressing finish. It is a more sensual Lafite that I was expecting, with great persistency and poise. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau Pichon Baron 93-95
A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot picked from 12th September until 28th or something (according to a vague Mr. Seely.) It sports a ripe, more extrovert nose than some of its neighbours, with lush blackberry, boysenberry, a touch of cherry liqueur and underneath, typical Pauillac traits of graphite and tobacco. Leaving the glass for five minutes it unwinds nicely and shows great purity. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry, good grip and weight, a 2011 with real substance and chutzpah. The more I leave this in my glass, the more I like it. Very harmonious with layers of ripe blackberry and a touch of white pepper, the finish forgetting it is 2011 and not 2009. This is an outstanding Pichon Baron for the vintage. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau Pontet Canet 94-96
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2011 Pontet Canet has a voluptuous bouquet with saturated dark cherry fruit, crème de cassis and a touch of blueberry with underlying minerality. It is exuberant, almost ostentatious at first, but it begins to calm down with time. The palate is medium-bodied with firm structured cloaked by layers of ripe black fruit infused with minerals and graphite. It is a quite a strict Pontet Canet underneath what is a hell of a lot of fruit for a 2011. The finish is composed with a touch of citrus fruit towards the finish. Amazing that such a good wine comes from 90% of the crop. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau Haut-Brion 94-96
The Haut Brion is a blend of 34.8% Merlot, 18.9% Cabernet Franc and 46.3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The bouquet has a little more thrust than the La Mission with a little more opulence, although perhaps not the same degree of clarity and showing slightly more alcohol (but nothing to get concerned about.) It has good weight, firm rigid tannins and a weightier framework than La Mission. It is concentrated and generous with very good focus, a crescendo of flavours towards the finish and very good grip. A masterful Haut-Brion that is more voluminous than La Mission at present. Tasted April 2012.

2011 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 92-94
The Smith Haut Lafitte is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 60% new oak. The harvest (for the red) was between 15th September and finishing with the Cabernet Sauvignon and 30th September and it represents 39% of the crop. It has a lifted bouquet with ripe blackberry, cassis, black olive and fruits de mer with fine delineation. With continued aeration there is just a hint of violet. The palate is beautiful, very dense and concentrated with superb delineation and wonderful purity and minerality towards the finish. It is very long in the mouth. Excellent. N.B. This does not include the full vin de presse. Tasted April 2012.

All notes by Neal Martin for erobertparker.com

IN THE PRESS: Bordeaux 2011 – “What works for Lafite may not work for others”

"With the 2011 en primeur campaign poised to begin in earnest, Justerini & Brooks’ Bordeaux Buyer Tom Jenkins told the drinks business that “what works for Lafite may not work for others”.

Jenkins said that for customers to buy this vintage, it was essential that the wines were “correctly priced”.

With a cut of 30% to €420 p/b, Lafite still released over 200% above its 2008 release price but Jenkins noted that Lafite was able to operate on a very different level to its neighbours.

He thought that the château’s price was “sensible” and was glad that prices had come down but warned that other growths would have to be looking at below €300 a bottle to find buyers.

He said: “I applaud Lafite for its price but it is almost unfortunate that it has come out first. Hopefully ego will not get in the way of common sense. If other châteaux release at that price it could put a stop to the campaign.

“The other classed growths shouldn’t feel that they can price against Lafite. If Mouton comes out at over €400 a bottle for example I can’t see people buying it. “Customers will buy this vintage if it’s priced correctly. The châteaux need to slash their prices. There are lots of very good wines from 2011 but for us to recommend them to our clients they have to offer good value.”

Article Source: The Drinks Business, by Rupert Millar

Bordeaux 2011 - Video interview with Jean-Michel Laporte at La Conseillante

Jean-Michel Laporte talks us through the topsy turvy vintage conditions experienced in 2011, and the effect these conditions had on the final wines.

Bordeaux 2011 - Video Interview with Jacques Thienpont

Atop his brand new winery at Le Pin, Jacques Thienpont talks to us about the 2011 vintage and foot crushing, a technique carried out "en plein air" (where this video was shot), and inaugurated this year.

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.

Read More ...

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.”

Up up and away

The Liv-ex 100 recorded its seventh consecutive monthly rise, leaving the index at 234.25, up 1.9% for the month and 14.3% up for the year. Lafite continues to lead the way, but there seems to be renewed interest in Mouton. Could it be the Rothschild link? Who knows, but rumours that this is the new brand to follow in the influential Chinese market are rife. There also seems to be strong demand for La Mission Haut Brion 2005 after its 100 point showing at the Executive Wine Seminars blind tasting in New York.

Outside the Liv-ex 100, there has been some astonishing trading. One case of Clos des Papes 2007 sold for £1150, although whoever bought it must have felt pretty foolish as a case was offered soon after at £1000! Since Robert Parker's remarks about 2007 Southern Rhone, there has been a sharp upturn in demand. Well done to those who bought 2007s en primeur; wines from this red-hot vintage are becoming quite scarce and increasingly expensive to find…

The smiles say it all...

Our recent sojourn in Bordeaux has been quite enlightening. Chateaux owners are positively beaming at the prospect of their 2009s. Our time in the Medoc included engagements with two of the most influential Chateau directors, Frederic Engerer and Paul Pontallier (right).

Chateau Margaux has enjoyed a wonderful summer, with hot, exceptionally dry conditions. The harvest was the longest on record, starting on the 8th of September for the Pavillon Blanc and finishing today! (15th Oct). Paul was deliberating over which vintages to pour at `la gerbaude`, the traditional end of harvest party. Sugar levels are historically high in 2009, with some parcels of Merlot hitting 15.5% and 16%. Cabernets are a more modest 13%. If there's one problem with the vintage, it's that the dry autumn has resulted in smaller yields than we had hoped for. 36-37hl/ha, slightly below 2008.

Frederic Engerer explains that 2009 is an 'extreme vintage' at Chateau Latour. It is undoubtedly a great harvest, but he expects a `tumultuous` time during vinification. 'Everything is so extreme - concentration, alcohol, even acidities'. Alcoholic fermentations will certainly be lengthy. Cabernets look 'fabulous', but alas the yields are low. Frederic recorded temperatures of 28 degrees on the 28th of September. This extreme heat in September has resulted in tiny, concentrated berries with very little juice - he expects a crop slightly smaller than 2008 (itself a very small harvest).

Pomerol 2009 - Harvest complete

We have now finished the harvest and are astonished with the quality of the vintage.It has been a very long harvest, in two periods:

- The first one for the younger vines and gravelly soils of Pomerol before the rain of September 19th and 20th;

- The second, from September 25th until October 6th for the older vines and clayey soils in Pomerol, and the Merlot of Saint-Emilion, followed by the Cabernet Franc from both appellations to end.

Some tanks have already been drained and pressed, and we are finding extremely complex wines with a creamness that could be a typicity of the vintage.

Despite the high level of alcohol, there is a freshness, giving great balance in the wines, held tight together by a certain structure of ripe and round tannins.

The only disappointment is the small yield. We were expecting more wine, but the warm and sunny early fall along with dry winds concentrated the berries.

I can clearly say that it is the most amazing quality I have seen so far, and some people in our team who have been around for much longer than I have claim the same thing.... Il semblerait que nous soyons en face d'un très grand vin de garde!

The rise and rise of Carruades

If you analyse the top investment wines over the last five years, there's no doubting that there have been some meteoric risers - none more so than Carruades de Lafite. To put it in context, Carruades has outperformed Gold and any of the major world indices over this time period. The Lafite brand is the darling of the newer and increasingly important parts of the Asian market and the insatiable demand has driven prices to extraordinary levels. Only a year or so ago we surmised that Carruades had hit the ceiling at £1000/case. How wrong we were; now most vintages trade at circa £2000/case.

So to be very tabloid and vulgar about it, what does £2000 buy you. Well it probably doesn't even fill the tank on the latest luxury yacht, or pay a premiership footballer's salary for a day, but it can buy you a case of Mouton Rothschild 2002 or 2004 and there'd still be change for dinner at one of London's Michelin starred restaurants. Alternatively, and rather extraordinarily, you could buy over seven cases of the wonderful 2008 Grand Puy Lacoste, one of our star Pauillac buys from the acclaimed 2008 vintage.

It has never been our position to dictate what represents value to our clients. After all, we are all individuals and we each assign a different worth to nearly everything we buy; we merely select and point out wines based on our tastings. But if you purchased Carruades with the intention of drinking, you might like, given the astronomical prices, to reconsider your position. If you are a stockholder or simply a follower of the fine wine market, you may be interested to see our purchase prices listed below:

Carruades de Lafite 1996 - 1800GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 1998 - 1620GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 1999 - 1620GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2000 - 1890GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2001 - 1710GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2002 - 1620GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2003 - 1620GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2004 - 1755GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2005 - 1485GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2006 - 1350GBP/cs
Carruades de Lafite 2007 - 990GBP/cs

Carruades de Lafite 2008 - 1035GBP/cs

Should you wish to sell, please don't hesitate to contact our broking team on 020 7484 6408 or contact jacqueline.barfoot@justerinis.com