Southwold 2012

The great and the good of the wine trade (and yours truly) recently descended upon the little Suffolk seaside town of Southwold for yet another epic blind tasting.

This year was the turn of the 2008s. Initially tasted in the spring of 2009 in the wake of Lehman Brothers’ collapse and the first credit crunch, some merchants boycotted the tastings altogether. J&B made the annual pilgrimage, and with certain caveats, we liked what we saw. It was evident that the estates with the best terroir and the deepest pockets fared best. Some lesser properties displayed green notes - not unsurprising given the cool growing season.

Angelus released before Easter and the First Growths released soon after at very attractive prices. This gave the campaign some impetus, but it was when Robert Parker raved about the wines that the campaign really took off. In retrospect, Big Bob was a little over zealous; the two subsequent vintages, which can both stake claims to being potential vintages of the century, rather overshadowed the 2008s, so the downgrades came as no surprise.

Over the three days we tasted over 250 wines by commune. I am not permitted to disclose average or other individual’s scores, but I can disclose by own thoughts, so what follows is my personal view from the tasting and is not necessarily the consensus of the group. 2008 is a very mixed bag. There are many highlights, particularly in the northern Medoc and Pomerol. Wines that showed extremely well for me included: Cos d’Estournel, Montrose, Calon Segur, Lafite, Mouton, Lynch Bages, Pontet Canet, Pichon Lalande, Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Poyferre, Langoa and Leoville Barton, Ducru Beaucaillou, Gruaud Larose, Lagrange, Palmer, Margaux, Haut Brion, La Mission Haut Brion, Carmes Haut Brion, Domaine de Chevalier, Malartic Lagraviere, Le Pin, Petrus, Eglise Clinet, VCC, Evangile, Providence, La Fleur Petrus, Hosanna, Cheval Blanc and Tertre Roteboeuf. Particular mention should go to Angelus and Pichon Baron, both were real over-performers.

As to the character of the wines, there were a few changes and themes. I noticed a sweeter character to the fruit in the flights of St Estephes and St Juliens, however, this was not evident in the Pauillac flights. I have no evidence, but estates are permitted to add up to 15% of the final blend from other vintages and there was a decidedly 2009 style to some of these... They will no doubt give much early drinking pleasure. The top wines from the Medoc are more structured than I remember. This could be a result of press wine added to the blend. Tannins are ripe, but they are big and solid and acidities are high. This should bode well for long keeping, but one required a bit of stamina to taste through some of these flights (maybe I’ve just gone soft after the 2009s and 2010s...).

After the palate-pounding two days, we tasted a couple of flights of Sauternes to finish. The first flight of less well known estates didn’t really do much for me. The final flight including the likes of Yquem, Climens and de Fargues was considerably more interesting. It was a tiny crop, I believe yields were as low as 3hl/ha and most of the fruit came from the first two picks as latter tries encountered problems with frost. Yquem, Suduiraut and Guiraud topped my list; all displayed ample sweetness, lovely precision, pure flavours and great balance. It is a somewhat overlooked Sauternes vintage, but don’t dismiss the 2008s, these are charming wines.

Stars of Southwold

The sleepy town of Southwold in Suffolk has become home to one of the most thorough and respected blind tastings of Bordeaux wines. A panel of UK buyers and journalist (with literally hundreds of years of experience...) descend on the Crown Hotel to give their verdict. This year it was the turn of the much maligned 2007s.

So, what were the winners and the losers? The best flight of wines unsurprisingly came from Sauternes and Barsac. This included revered names such as de Fargues, Climens, Suduiraut, Rieussec and of course, Chateau Yquem. Yquem 2007 was unequivocally declared the wine of the week and averaged a mighty 19/20 from the panel. All agreed that this was a superb flight and that 2007 is one of the great vintages for sweet Bordeaux. If there had been a little disagreement during the primeur tastings as to whether Climens or Yquem took first place, there was no such debate this time around. (If you are interested in a case of Yquem 2007 for your cellar, please speak to one of our sales team).

Of the reds, Mouton took first place on the left bank with an average score of over 18/20, with non first growth, Leoville Las Cases taking silver. Over on the right bank, Petrus and Cheval Blanc took top billing, but there were strong showings from Eglise Clinet, VCC, Le Pin, Evangile and Providence. The Pomerol plateau obviously hadn’t heard that it was a Cabernet vintage...

To conclude on this rather capricious vintage, the sweeties are sensational and are widely available for less than their 2001 counterparts. The Lesser reds from both banks are generally well made, but often lack a little substance. In some cases the wines are somewhat forced and this shows in the tannins. The best terroirs and those with the means and know-how have created some delicious wines with real character and sufficient structure to age for more than a decade. As one of the learned members of the panel pointed out, wine is supposed to give pleasure; the 1997s did just that, and the 2007s clearly surpass the `97s in every respect. They may not be as intellectual or profound as the so called `great` vintages, but they will be good fun!

The Southwold Tasting - Day 2 PM

Having tasted the best the left bank had to offer before lunch, it was the turn of the most celebrated names from Pomerol and St Emilion in the afternoon. The top eight wines all excelled. By a short head Ch Angelus (19/20) was my highest marked wine; it was not included in the earlier St Emilion flights, so this was its first outing. The ripe cabernet franc aromas seduced the taster with succulent yet aromatic wild fruits, silky texture and beautifully defined tannins. Ch Petrus had darker rich fruit and sweet oak aromas, enormous tannic structure, and great promise. Le Pin showed luscious, polished sweetness and the beautiful gravelly minerality contrasted the classy dark fruits and fabulous length of flavours. The terroir of Ausone really comes through in this 2006; exquisite harmony, cool, classy, silky textured, it possesses tremendous potential. Both L'Eglise Clinet and Vieux Chateaux Certan both scored 18/20 only half a mark behind the runners up, more perhaps because of their density and vast tannic structure, however, there is delicious underlying fruit.

Two flights of Margaux followed and were of a consistently high standard - all without fail having ripeness, which was not the always the case with the 2005s. Ch Palmer, which performed so well amongst the 1st growths was less expressive in the appellation flight; tight, firm, and brooding. Pavillon Rouge showed its pedigree; intense and all on finesse. Giscours; explosive ripe fruits and broad shoulders. Kirwan; big structure and plenty of substance. There were also impressive ‘06s from Malescot St Exupery, Lascombes and Rauzan Segla.

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.