The best of the Medoc

Our last category is the coveted ‘best of the Medoc’ title. There are few surprises with big names: Palmer, Ducru, Las Cases, Lynch and Pontet taking the top five places. A great showing from Xavier Borie’s Grand Puy Lacoste has propelled this 5^th growth into a very respectable 6^th place ahead of the gorgeous Montrose and Pichon Lalande. Clerc Milon is also flying high and at £340 per case looks like a great buy. Last and by no means least - the utterly charming Calon Segur. Never flashy, not really a ‘tasting wine’, but by its sheer allure, it forces its way into the list.

Perhaps it is also worth mentioning Leoville Poyferre, usually high on the list, but narrowly missing out this time. Another absentee is Pichon Baron which came well down the pecking order...

1	Palmer	***
2	Ducru Beaucaillou	*
3	Leoville Las Cases	***
4	Lynch Bages
5	Pontet Canet	*
6	Grand Puy Lacoste
7	Montrose
8	Pichon Lalande
9	Clerc Milon
10	Calon Segur

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 2011 - Day 3

Day three and our focus turns to the Medoc. Pauillac cuts rather a drab presence next to a brown Gironde and under threatening skies - not ideal tasting conditions, but we have a job to do, so we head to Montrose for our first appointment. 2011 was something of a challenge for Chateaux in St Estephe; aside from summer and spring swapping seasons, Montrose had to contend with snow, drought, heat waves and hail. On the evidence of the Grand Vin, they have coped manfully. This has wonderful extract and lots of substance - if it fleshes out it will be a great Montrose.

Next the Justerini cavalcade headed to neighbour and second growth rival, Cos d'Estournel. In truth, this wine proved controversial, splitting the group in two. Some felt that during vinification, Cos had pushed too hard, creating a monster lacking freshness and boasting OTT tannins, whilst others thought there was sufficient sweet cabernet fruit for this to work - time will tell.

Bruno Borie and his charming entourage greeted us at Ducru Beaucaillou. Following a 100 points in 2009 and an even better wine in 2010 was always going to be tough, but Ducru 2011 is one of the undeniable stars of the vintage. He described it as 'Nicole Kidman' - we thought it was sensational, deep, concentrated, exotic, aristocratic, yet with a sweetness and decadence and sumptuous texture - bravo.

Highlights of the afternoon included a stunning range at Mouton - as sumptuous, pretty and accessible as we have seen there for some time. Herve Beland's farewell vintage is a great success.

Pontet Canet impressed us all for its purity, clarity and vibrancy - it is a truly beautiful wine and Alfred, Melanie and the team have every reason to be proud.

Jean-Charles Cazes at Lynch admitted it was "a more challenging year", the threat of sunburn loomed large at the end of June and weather conditions at the end of August and beginning of September were highly conducive to the onset of grey rot, which was checked by thinning and de-leafing carried out earlier in the summer. The hard work paid off, with a number of our team putting it amongst the very finest wines of the vintage.

The Pauillac, St Estephe, St Julien UGC was inconsistent with too many Chateau over extracting and over working their wines. Those that were good though, were very good indeed. Highlights included, Leoville Poyferre, Grand Puy Lacoste, both Pichons, Gruaud Larose, Gloria, Leoville Barton and Ormes de Pez.
Lafite next, and what a range. Tasting Carruades free from preconceptions surrounding its market value can be tough. Be that as it may, the wine is superb. Sweet pure fruit and fine stony tannins - chapeau. Duhart too has its emotional baggage but it was also a great success. A more brooding wine, deliciously classical, mid weight but very intense all the way through, it ably carried the flame lit by Carruades to deliver us to the grand vin. Stylistically this is all Lafite. While closed and initially reticent the team fell in love with its precision, were wowed by its sheer length and seduced by the vivid, floral finish. This is certainly one of the left bank wines of the vintage.

We popped in on Leoville Poyferre to see if it was as good as at the UGC tasting, if anything it proved even better. Next door neighbour Leoville Las Cases have produced a fine range, the best Nenin they have made, whilst Petit Lion, Clos du Marquis and Las Cases itself were an impressive and surprisingly open trio.

Day 4 Medoc follows tomorrow.

Market Update

Amid the general unease about the state of the global economy, we are frequently quizzed about the health of the wine market. The last data released by Liv-ex showed the Liv-ex 100 up 3.9% at 444.55; a year on year rise of just over 41%. This sustained rally has largely been due to the enormous demand for First Growths in the rapidly expanding Chinese market. New figures now confirm that the so called `Super Seconds` have been pitching in too. Brands such as Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet (both technically 5th growths...) along with the likes of Montrose, Cos d’Estournel, both the Pichons, Leoville Las Cases and Ducru Beaucaillou have enjoyed steady (if not spectacular) gains.

Of course, events in Japan, stratospheric prices for First Growths and the impending 2010 Bordeaux campaign have the potential to bring an abrupt end to the bull-run; but only time will tell. At present, Haut Brion and Mouton Rothschild are enjoying the top spot (in terms of demand if not price) and the `Super Seconds` still look attractive to those seeking First Growth quality without the price tag.

Bordeaux 2009 – More scores

Our second category is `Best of the Left`. Our intrepid tasters were asked to compile a list of their top ten wines from the Medoc and the Grave (excluding the First Growths and La Mission Haut Brion). Competition was fierce; no fewer than 18 wines were utilized, including one or two surprises. The same rules applied, 10 points for first place all the way down to 1 point for tenth position.

Starting at the top, the runaway victor was predictably Leoville Las Cases with a remarkable 79/80. It’s just idle speculation, but I’d wager that if Las Cases had been included within our First Growth category, it would have finished in a Champion’s League spot. Next, and almost as emphatically comes Pontet Canet with 72/80; the wine that prevented Las Cases from recording a perfect 80! Bronze goes to the magnificent Cos and then it all becomes quite congested mid table; just 11 points separate Calon Ségur, Leoville Barton, Palmer, Pichon Lalande, Grand Puy Lacoste and Montrose. It’s also worth noting a particularly strong showing from Haut Marbuzet; a Cru Bourgeois is a sea of Cru Classé.

Leoville Las Cases - 79
Pontet Canet - 72
Cos d'Estournel - 47
Calon Segur - 35
Leoville Barton - 33
Palmer - 28
Pichon Lalande - 27
Grand Puy Lacoste - 25
Montrose - 24
Ducru Beaucaillou - 15
Forts de Latour - 12
Pavillon Rouge - 9
Haut Marbuzet - 7
Malescot St Exupery - 7
Rauzan Segla - 6
Lynch Bages - 6
Pichon Baron - 5
Haut Bailly - 3

The Southwold Tasting - Day 2

Day two started at the northern end of the Medoc with the St Estephes. This flight did not include Cos d'Estournel, which was grouped with the `Firsts` and `Super Seconds`. It did however include Sociando Mallet (situated just north of the appellation); a beautifully balanced, natural wine, whose gravel terroir spoke through its silky texture and dark, sweet, fresh fruit core. Les Ormes de Pez, however, had just as much potential and pipped Sociando and Phelan Segur by half a point. It had a wonderful vibrant purple colour, layers of classic blackcurrant fruit and polished fine tannins. The Phelan Segur was beautifully crafted, with exquisite, bitter sweet fruit character and splendid length of flavour.

A flight of mixed Pauillac and St Julien followed including some second wines. This was a high quality field and gave a first sight of just how good these 2006 left bank wines are. Reserve de la Comtesse - aromas of cedar wood, tobacco leaf and blackberry were truly seductive; also confirmed on a classy palate. Haut Bages Liberal was another brilliant wine in a three way tie for first place in this flight. Bright purple in colour, wonderful dark, pure fruit that can only come from deep gravel soil; it is backward but has great potential. I have observed the progress of Ch Gloria since the 2004 vintage when it came good along with its stable mate Ch St Pierre. Stacked with clean, classy, juicy fruit, it becomes altogether more serious and structured on the palate, it will age gracefully.

The Pauillac flight that followed was truly consistent in quality, no dogs amongst the ten examples here. Dense, sweet, blackcurrant fruit, well defined tannins and structure could be found amongst the majority including: Duhart-Milon, Petit-Mouton and Clerc-Milon. Pontet Canet and Grand Puy Lacoste demonstrated even more depth and length. Les Forts de Latour and Pichon Baron were joint runners up. The Forts was a stylish, mineral effort, which delighted with an abundance of dark berry fruits. The Pichon Baron’s fruit was a little more confected; sweet briar, cigar leaf and explosive, ripe fruit tannins. Top of the flight was Pichon Lalande. It started firm with beautifully integrated oak and sensual blackcurrant fruits, and only slowly exposed its true glory after ten minutes in the glass. Layered sweet textured yet with enduring mineral complexity and fine tannic structure.

Equally impressive was the top notch flight of St Juliens. It may be that the wines of Pomerol and St Julien were not only the most exiting but also the most homogenous communes in 2006. Ch Leoville-Las-Cases was the clear winner of the flight and when tasted with the left bank firsts and super seconds it came out in joint first place with Mouton Rothschild and Haut Brion. It is a statuesque wine; rich yet firm, ripe yet complex, sumptuous yet persistent. Also very good was a stylish Branaire and an opulent Leoville Poyferre; these two just out scored more superb efforts from Leoville Barton and Ducru Beaucaillou and the fast improving St Pierre.

A ten wine flight of first growths and super seconds followed. They demonstrated just how successful the top Crus Classes were in 2006.

Ch Cos d 'Estournel 17/20 - Impressive structure but I considered this to be somewhat forced and the new oak not yet integrated. Needs time.
Ch Margaux 18/20 - All on finesse and elegance, beautifully crafted with silky tannins.
Ch Pichon Lalande 18/20 - As above, and in this flight even more depth of fruit.
Ch Palmer 18.5/20 - Ethereal, seductive sweet berry fruit aromas, powerful, layered fruit yet stylish persistent finish.
Ch Latour 18.5/20 - Dark and brooding, cedar, tobacco, sweet blackcurrant, sumptuous tannins.
La Mission Haut Brion 18.5/20 - Cigar leaf, chocolate, gravel, serious intensity, great length of flavour. Ranked very highly by all tasters.
Mouton Rothschild 19/20 – Sweet, succulent blackcurrant, massive concentration of fruit, big bold tannic structure.
Haut Brion 19/20 – Rich, ripe, dark forest fruits, sweet tobacco, layers of luscious yet stylish fruit. Great length and complexity.
Leoville Las Cases 19/20 - Tasted as above.

Look out for a special `Best of Bordeaux 2006` offer in the next few days.