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 day two - The rollercoaster continues

After the peaks of Monday there was a pretty scary descent into the right bank UGCs. Let’s focus on the positives. Gazin and Conseillante are very good and Clinet continues to improve its style. The St Emilion tasting was altogether forgettable, except for some notable absences. The Nicolas Thienpont wines were nowhere to be seen (yields are so low at these estates, they decided to pull out of the Union tasting), so it was back in the bus for an unscheduled tasting at Pavie Macquin. Larcis Ducasse was surprisingly subdued, but Pavie Macquin and Beausejour Duffau are both quite striking. We bade farewell to the right bank and programmed the sat nav for Pessac Leognan.

Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Jean-Philippe Delmas greeted us at La Mission Haut Brion. A draconian selection has meant that for the first time they have bigger yields for the whites than the reds. The reds are both rather grand and the whites are drop dead gorgeous. Delving deeper into the commune we found a delicious Domaine de Chavalier a glossy Smith Haut Lafitte and some lovely dry whites, most notably: Malartic Lagraviere and Picque Cailliou. However, the UGC tasting was not plain sailing - many of the reds were charmless or worse…

On to Margaux. The new cellars, designed by Norman Foster are under construction so we tasted with Paul Pontallier in what is apparently France’s largest privately owned orangery. It certainly is a mighty fine building and a suitable place to taste a very refined and graceful flight of wines. At neighbours, Chateau Palmer, by contrast, we found something more voluptuous, sexy and juicy. There was also time for a quick visit to Clos des Quatre Vents. Luc has sold the estate to a Chinese company, but stays on to lend his considerable knowledge. The CD4V is charming and elegant, but lacks the depth of recent vintages. We also tasted a quite unique Chinese icewein from near the North Korean border made by the new owners of Clos des Quartre Vents! In short, it has been a day of peaks and troughs…

Bordeaux 2012 - Day 2

Paul Pontallier, courtesy of Peter Richards MW

Day two started with a drive into the hills of Castillon for a tasting with Paul and Cedric Valade. As we have come to expect, the wines are sumptuous, serious and punch well above their price points. An acquisition of 2.5 hectares takes the total area of Chateau Valade to almost 6 ha. The wines are perfumed, balanced and will give so much pleasure in a couple of years. Bravo chaps!

We wound our way back to St Emilion for our first UGC. Time limits prevented a thorough tasting, so we were slightly selective. There were quite a few standouts, but none more so than Clos Fourtet: a really spectacular wine and an estate well and truly on top of their game. Other noteworthy properties included the Thienpont and Derenoncort collaborations: Larcis Ducasse and Pavie Macquin. Next stop, a whirlwind stop at Conseillante to taste at the Pomerol UGC. Again, the clock was ticking. Gazin stole the show; a really classy bitter-sweet, Sanguinello orange style with loads of depth, complexity and sumptuous tannins. Clinet will probably hit all the right notes with Mr P, but found few admirers in the J&B team.

Back in the wagon and over two rivers to Haut Brion, or is that La Mission Haut Brion. A 50:50 chance, but the Bordeaux Buyer was wrong again, the story of the week... La Mission incorporates one of the highest percentages of Merlot ever, but is uncharacteristically closed. Usually the exuberant sibling at this stage, it’s cloaked, but possesses enormous potential. Haut Brion by contrast is atypically open, even flamboyant. Two great wines that will be fascinating to watch develop.

Olivier Bernard was our most generous host for lunch. A flight of `82, `92 and `02 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge and Blanc accompanied a spectacular lunch. His 2012s are equally magnificent. The Blanc is definitely one of the best examples we have tasted from DDC and the Rouge is sumptuous, sexy and will give drinkers masses of pleasure in a few year’s time.

Post lunch we tackled the Pessac UGC at the charming and anchient Chateau Olivier. Quality and consistency seem to be the bywords here – a really exceptional selection of wines topped by the splendid Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge. Whites fared well too with too many highlights to mention; this is a successful vintage in the early ripening Pessac Leognan commune.

Back around the Rocade and up to Margaux to finish day two. Paul Pontalier was at his ebullient best, and his wines certainly didn’t disappoint. The reds are wonderfully perfumed, taut, classical examples, whilst the Pavillon Blanc is the best to date in our opinion. Neighbour Chateau Palmer gets the thumbs up too. Alter Ego and the Grand Vin are sumptuous, even decadent wines that we like a lot!

Our final appointment of the day was with our old friend Luc Thienpont. The highlight of the tasting was the stunning Clos des Quatre Vents, although the Villa des Quatre Soeurs and the Z are both excellent and will be perfect for the dinner table in a couple of years.

So, we’ve tasted from four communes in one day and we’ve discovered many exciting wines, and almost as many that haven’t hit the mark. Some estates have pushed too hard and some just don’t have the terroir to produce good wine in 2012. Some by contrast have had their hands forced by the weather and have resisted the temptation to harvest late and therefore their wines have more restraint and precision. It is not a homogenous vintage; in fact it’s a year that sorts the best terroirs and the best vignerons from the rest. The peeks can be quite high, but research is essential and there are more than a few troughs...

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 – The right bank (Pomerol)

Our first appointment was with the delightful Denis Durantou of Chateau L’Eglise Clinet. A magnificent range of wines picked before the rains in mid September. Crisp, vivid flavours combined with power and intensity. L’Evangile and Blason de L’Evangile were magnificent; silky smooth with power to boot. Then to Le Pin; it’s a hard life... Jacques Thienpont welcomed us to his temporary new cellar with his usual good cheer; the wine was at its ethereal best. From the Richebourg of Pomerol we travelled (some of us in a rather roundabout way) to the La Tache of Pomerol; Chateau Lafleur. The Cabernet Franc here is exceptional; the Grand vin is exquisitely fine, a wine of great class.

Next we tasted at the offices of J P Moueix. The charming Edouard Moueix kindly gave us an enlightening video blog, which will be posted later. Belair Monange is exceptional, Fleur Petrus, Hosanna and Trotannoy are all lovely, but it was La Providence that impressed most from the selection of Pomerol – a massively dense, complex wine with outstanding ageing potential.

You might be thinking that Pomerol is consistently brilliant, well it is at the top level, however the Pomerol UGC was a bit of a mixed bag. Conseillante was spectacular, Gazin was big and impressive, Clinet was even bigger and more impressive, but won’t be for everyone... La Cabanne and La Pointe demonstrated that there are some tough, rustic offerings from the commune, so it hasn’t been completely plain sailing.

We finished Pomerol with a trip to Alexandre Thienpont’s Vieux Chateau Certan. This is always a highlight of any Bordeaux trip. A stunning wine with an unusually high percentage of Merlot (84%); Alexandre believes that 2009 is a reference year for this varietal.

Bordeaux 2009 – Margaux’s big boys...

The inclement weather has certainly made tasting more of a challenge today. Fortunately by the time we arrived for our appointment at Chateaux Margaux, the clouds had cleared and there was bright sunshine – now that’s what we call a micro-climate...

Corinne Mentzelopoulos and Paul Pontalier are clearly delighted with their 2009s. Paul said that the Pavillon Rouge is `clearly the greatest Pavillon ever`; quite a statement, but the evidence was in the glass. In fact, there was no sales pitch at all, such is the confidence at Margaux, `the wines speak for themselves` . Pavillon Rouge was exceptional. Margaux itself is quite simply ethereal. A magnificent wine which exudes grace, possesses extraordinary finesse yet is quite simply one of the most powerful, concentrated Margauxs ever. It would be remiss not to mention the Pavillon Blanc. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc cuvee was a remarkable feat in 2009. Potential alcohols were off the charts, however with great skill, Margaux have produced a vivid, refreshing, utterly moreish Pavillon Blanc with near normal alcohols.

Palmer is another of those red hot estates at the moment. Sadly their vineyards were hit by hail in May 2009, so yields are a meagre 34hl/ha. However, the crop that they harvested between the 23rd of September to the 14th of October was of exceptional quality. The Alter Ego is velvety smooth; a wine of great polish, whilst the Grand vin is opulence personified, a truly great Palmer!

Do watch out for more interviews and news in the coming hours and days. Tomorrow we will be on the right bank tasting St Emilion and Pomerol.

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.

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).