Bordeaux 2012 - Day 3

By now we were well and truly in the groove and in the familiar surroundings of the northern Medoc, so it was time to unveil fifty shades of red cord (picture courtesy of Peter Richards MW). Appointments were booked thick and fast, so pace and concentration were the order of the day.

Our first stop was Cos d'Estournel to taste with Aymeric de Gironde, ironically from the Loire region of France, but clearly destined to succeed in Aquitaine. Aymeric, formally of Pichon Baron has jumped into Jean Guillaume's loafers and he is a charming and capable substitute; we wish him all the best. He joined after the harvest and vinifications, so 2012 is not his baby, but you can sense his passion for the wine as he hosted our tasting. Views varied from good, bad and indifferent. There's certainly some charm and precision, but we were not wholly convinced - maybe we give it the benefit of the doubt...

Next stop Calon Segur; the first vintage since the death of Madame Gasqueton. Thankfully Toby didn't ask how she was and the tasting passed without incident. We were charmed by the Grand Vin, which is typically graceful and elegant and will no doubt be very yummy in a few years’ time.

Hervé Beland welcomed us to Montrose and there was not a crane or workman in sight. Years of construction appear to be coming to completion. Hervé kindly gave us a tour of the new barrel cellar and we all agreed it would be an incredible venue for a party. The room is spectacular. As for the wine, it is not a classic brooding Montrose; it is somewhat more exuberant and friendly than normal, which we thought suited the vintage. The flavour profile is very correct and linear, but there is an uncharacteristic prettiness and joyousness that we don't normally see from barrel. We like.

Now to Hervé's old haunt, Mouton Rothschild. I'm afraid that the novelty of Golf buggy rides has worn off, but we like Clerc, Petit Mouton and the big Mouton - smart wines with real purity and length.

Back in the wagon for the short trip to Lafite Rothschild and probably the busiest tasting room of the week. Lafite's star is still burning bright. We didn't go for Carruades, but that probably ain't gonna concern DBR much. Duhart is a closed book, but after much coaxing one gets a glimpse at the brooding dark fruit core. Lafite is at first impenetrable, but again with aeration one begins to see what this wine is all about. Real breed and nobility here - a really handsome wine.

A little sojourn to St Julien to taste Leoville Las Cases before lunch. The less said about the Nenin and Potensac wines the better, but the Las Cases stable is looking good. There’s no lack of concentration here – big, impressive, brooding, serious wines.

Alfred Tesseron was our host for lunch, and delicious it was too, much like his Pontet Canet 2012. The Technical Director, Jean-Michel Comme spoke eloquently about a wine which evokes emotion – it certainly hits the right notes with us...

The afternoon started with a visit to Chateau Latour. No longer part of the primeur system we are delighted that we will still be able to taste from barrel and compare with their peer group. The 2012 range is a spectacular display of precision wine-making, with the Forts and Grand Vin both displaying laser guided accuracy and purity – wonderful wines.

The rest of the afternoon we yo-yoed from Pauillac to St Julien tasting Leoville Poyferre, Grand Puy Lacoste, Beychevelle and Lynch Bages. Poyferre was good, but the two Pauillacs stole the show. GPL is classic, charming and definitely one for the cellar. Lots of noble Pauillac flavours delight the senses and with any luck, this should be good value. Jean-Charles Cazes’ Lynch Bages is another Fifth Growth on top of its game. The 2012 has plenty of depth, ripe fruit, lovely precise flavours, complexity and charm; what more does one want?

As we supped a 1664 after a long day’s tasting, we were somewhat perplexed by the mixed reports we had heard from fellow tasters. Granted, not everything was good, but there are plenty of desirable wines from the Northern Medoc, usually hailing from the grandest terroirs and from the most quality conscious estates.

Southwold under snow

Despite the freezing conditions, many of the great and good from the wine trade made the annual pilgrimage to Suffolk to re-taste the much vaunted 2009s.

This was the vintage of the century, a vintage that boasts 17 hundred point wines, so how do they stack up three and a bit years on? Well the first observation is the tannins. From barrel, these were almost undetectable. Most of our notes referred to silky, velvety tannins, mainly masked by opulent fruit. Today, the wines are quite obviously tannic. They have lost some of that hedonistic quality and have gained in structure. This all bodes well for long term storage, but may put impatient souls off...

Another surprise was just how big a gulf there is between the top names and the low-mid-range Clarets. vignerons and negociants declared 2009 to be a 'great', 'homogenous' vintage with quality produced from top to bottom. They are right, many of the smaller estates have produced their best wines in 2009, but from the evidence of this tasting, you cannot expect to obtain First Growth quality on a cru bourgeois budget. At the affordable level the likes of Gloria, Clos des Quatre Vents, Poujeaux, Roc de Cambes, Lafon Rochet, Langoa Barton and Haut Batailley all had very strong showings and offer very good QPR (quality price ratio).

Where the vintage becomes really interesting is at the very top echelons. These flights from both banks of the Gironde were quite exceptional. Duhart Milon, Latour, Lafite, Mouton Rothschild, Montrose, Ducru Beaucaillou, Las Cases, Cheval Blanc, Canon, Ausone, Eglise Clinet, Clinet, Le Pin, Petrus and Palmer all deserve special mention. I gave two 20/20 scores to Latour and Montrose and on another day I may have awarded Lafite, Mouton and Eglise Clinet the same accolade. Other estates worthy of a special mention include Domaine de Chevalier Rouge (£540/cs) and Grand Puy Lacoste (£575/cs). Both offer outstanding quality and punch well above their weight.

The final session was devoted to the whites. I have to admit, the 2009 Sauternes and Barsacs rather passed me by when we tasted from barrel. All the hype surrounding the reds swallowed me up and I feel I rather missed a trick. 2009 produced splendid botrytis and the wines display everything needed for successful cellaring: richness, density, complexity, freshness and balance. They are delightful wines, and whilst they will always play second fiddle to the reds, they should certainly not be forgotten. My highlights included Doisy Vedrines, Lafaurie Peyraguey, Suduiraut and Rieussec.

So in conclusion, the reds are shutting down. Apart from petit chateaux, I would suggest holding the 2009s for a minimum of five years to experience them at anything like their best. If there were any concerns that 2009s were not built for long-term storage, this tasting should dispel that theory; these are massive, structured, profound wines that will cellar effortlessly and give their owners years of pleasure.

*All the views in this blog are mine and they are not necessarily shared by the rest of the tasters.

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...

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.

Lucky 8

There has been much speculation that Chateau Mouton Rothschild would commission a Chinese artist to adorn their 2008 label. But, not to be outmanoeuvred by their neighbour, Chateau Lafite Rothschild has announced that their 2008 bottles will all feature the Chinese symbol for the number eight. Lafite, already the darling of the Chinese market has seen the price for the 2008 soar from £9000/cs to £10,400/cs in just a day.

Cynics may be tempted to say Lafite is cashing in with a shameless marketing gimmick, but I’m sure those who bought a case en primeur will not be complaining too much. A spokesperson from Chateau Lafite said that the ‘shape of the symbol seems to offer a perfect representation of the slopes of the vineyard (in the Penglai peninsula) and commemorates the launch of our Chinese wine project’.

Bordeaux 2009 – James Suckling’s verdict...

Earlier we alluded to The Wine Spectator being first out of the blocks with some hefty scores. Well, now we’ve had time to log on and digest their findings. No surprises that Mr Suckling loves the vintage and doles out some impressive numbers. On the 100 point scale, the Firsts all fare pretty well:

Margaux 96-99
Lafite Rothschild 96-99
Latour 97-100
Mouton Rothschild 97-100
Haut Brion 97-100

And there are many other successes. Eglise Clinet, Lafleur, Petrus, Trotanoy, VCC, Ausone, Figeac, Cos, Montrose, Las Cases and Malescot St Exupery all flirt with perfection, whilst there are literally dozens of estates in the 94-99 point category. Pomerol is possibly the highest scoring commune with big scores for Evangile, Conseillante, Le Pin, La Fleur Petrus and the `blockbuster` Providence (95-98).

All in all the scores seem extravagant, but this is an extreme vintage that merits praise. All eyes will now be on Maryland for Mr Parker’s scores. Will he exceed 100?

Bordeaux 2009 - Scores on the doors...

We understand that the Wine Spectator are first to publish their scores for 2009 Bordeaux. We haven’t had a chance to look for ourselves, but James Suckling is apparently in typically buoyant mood, rating many wines near to perfection. We too have succumbed to the allure of numbers. In a highly scientific approach all eight members of the team have been asked to rank their favourite wines from the vintage. There are six categories: `First Growths`, including La Mission Haut Brion, Le Pin, Lafleur, Cheval Blanc and Ausone; `Left Bank and Graves` (excluding 1sts); `Right Bank` (excluding 1sts); best value buys (from either bank); top five Sauternes/Barsac and top five dry whites. The top ranked wine from each taster is awarded a maximum `dix points`, all the way down to the tenth placed wine, which receives just one point, a bit like Eurovision... then we tot up the scores and voila, we have a comprehensive list of the best wines.

The results are in and we start with the First Growths. 75 out of a potential 80 is quite an endorsement for Latour, a staggering wine and quite deserving of first place. It is also interesting to note that the list alternates between left/right bank until no. 8, making it difficult to call as a left/right bank vintage at the very top end.


Latour - 75
Le Pin - 67
Margaux - 59
Ausone - 57
Lafleur - 46
Lafite Rothschild - 40
Cheval Blanc - 38
Haut Brion - 25
La Mission Haut Brion - 17
Mouton Rothschild - 16

Results for the other categories will follow in the coming days.

Bordeaux 2009 – Day 2

A wet and windy start to day two. Our first appointment was Grand Puy Lacoste. Xavier’s wines are thrilling, a great Lacoste Borie (2nd wine of GPL), a magnificent Haut Batailley; fragrant, seductive and very serious. Grand Puy Lacoste itself is beautiful; classic, true to its terroir and very classy. Then to Lafite Rothschild (tasted at Duhart Milon this year). Duhart is splendid; a heady mix of damson fruit and liquid minerals. Lafite itself is enormous; a monumental wine built for the very long-term, bravo!

UGC St Estephe, Pauillac and St Julien was held at Batailley. Howling winds, horizontal rain and poor car parking facilities couldn’t dampen our spirits. This was an interesting tasting; at was a first glimpse at some less prestigious estates. Highlights included both Pichons, Leoville Barton, Leoville Poyferre, Langoa Barton, Beychevelle and Lynch Bages. There were several over-achievers: Phelan Ségur, Ormes de Pez, Lafon Rochet, St Pierre and Lagrange all stood out. Alas, although the overall quality was excellent, Croizet Bages, Lynch Moussas and Grand Puy Ducasse were poor.

UGC Margaux was even patchier. Although the quality is definitely an improvement on 2008, most of the wines here seemed to lack Margaux style. There were a few good wines, but most were strangely atypical. They will certainly age well and are mighty impressive, but not necessarily classic. Stars included Durfort Vivens, Rauzan Segla, Lascombes and Malescot St Exupery.

After some much needed refreshments at Cantemerle, we set about the Listrac, Moulis, and Medoc UGC. In great vintages like 2000 and 2005, these wines present some of the best value from Bordeaux. The 2009s are arguably better than both of these vintages. The best wines were fragrant, concentrated, with exceptional purity and ripe rounded tannins. Stars included: Chasse Spleen, Cantemerle and Poujeaux, whilst there is incredible value to be found at estates such as Beaumont and Greysac.

Off to a flyer...

2010 has started with a bang. The Liv-ex 100 has closed January 2.7% up at 243.59, that’s a 17.4% increase year-on-year. The Hong Kong market has also posted some positive results. Sotheby’s first Hong Kong sale of the year (23rd Jan) realised HKD52.9 million (USD6.78 million), their largest ever total for a one day wine sale. Highlights included an imperial of Lafite `82 (HKD363,000, USD46,526) and a case of Petrus 2000 that achieved HKD411,400 (USD52,730).

Quelle surprise

The 2009 `Liv-ex Fine Wine Power 100` poll is out, and no surprises for the winner, Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The only shock is that Lafite was only in sixth spot last year...

The results are compiled by the Liv-ex boffins, who analyse data including the volume of trades on the exchange, the average Parker scores, average prices, annual performance and a weighted production (average price multiplied by the total production).

There are some fascinating results. Lafite accounts for a staggering 23% of business on the exchange, with the other first growths taking the next four places. Taylors, way down in 48th position has the highest average Parker score (97.2 points!). Petrus, DRC and Le Pin have the highest average prices, all exceeding 10K per case. Price performance is probably the most important statistic used, and it is Carruades de Lafite, not Lafite that leads the way (up 55%), followed by Duhart (33%) and completing a 1-2-3 for Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the Grand Vin, Lafite (up 26%). The only other contender in this category is Beychevelle, with a very respectable 23% rise.

For the full report, please follow the link below.

http://liv-ex.typepad.com/.a/6a00e55150c0be8834012876528b9f970c-popup

Movers and Sheikhers

The Liv-ex 100 finished November up just 0.4% at 235.13; 14.7% up for the year. A modest gain after some really impressive months, but a gain none-the-less. So, what’s been trading at J&B in November? Well, we make no apologies; it’s been the usual suspects. Lafite and Carruades march on and Mouton continues to gather pace, but still remains several furlongs behind Lafite. There is still insatiable demand for 2007 Chateauneufs; whilst old and rare vintages from Burgundy get snapped up tout de suite.

The big question is - how will major economies respond to the Dubai crisis? Hopefully this won’t be the double-dip we all fear, but if it is, bargain-hunters will probably be disappointed; it’s unlikely that there will be a glut of distressed sellers emerging from the Middle East!

More signs of recovery

One of the key barometers for the health of the wine market is the strength of auction sales. We have become accustomed to lofty figures being returned from the auction rooms in Hong Kong, however, New York and London results over the past twelve months have not provided a great deal of cheer.

However, yesterday’s sale at Christie's posted some very respectable figures. The total value of the sale exceeded £600,000, with almost 92% of lots sold. Highlights included an exceptionally rare case of Henri Jayer’s Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux 1978, which achieved £36,800 and a case of Latour 1961, which reached £21,850. Both items sold to UK trade. A case of 1982 Lafite Rothschild topped £20,000 and unsurprisingly went to and Asian client. How many of these wines will actually be consumed in the UK, well, we can only guess. Many of the lots will inevitably end up with Asian collectors, but we should not make pejorative comments about the state of our own market – things are looking up!