Burgundy 2011 - The view from the vines at Domaine Grivot

The photos below were taken by Hubert Grivot on the 7th June in balmy 25C weather and blue skies. If you haven't yet heard, things are galloping along at pace down on the Cote d'Or, with many growers reporting a whole months advance in the usual cycle of their vines. Yet, despite the precocious nature of the vintage thus far, vine and berry development is reported to be healthy and harmonious.

The last couple of days have been cooler, no bad thing, with temperatures hovering around 17C. Growers are hoping this might slow things down a little...

Thanks to Mathilde Grivot for sending these photos through and keeping us up to date with life as a winemaker in Vosne Romanee.

Bordeaux 2010 - Château Balestard La Tonnelle

The St Emilion UGC is not the place one expects to find anything but nasty surprises. Yes, the Nicolas Thienpont wines always shine, but many of the others are, well, dross! Nevertheless, we boldly step into the fray each year, just in case... Our persistence was rewarded (thankfully). The very first wine, one Château Balestard La Tonnelle, Grand Cru Classé, bowled us over. What a wine. Great concentration, beautiful, precise flavours, well managed tannins and lots of freshness and lift. What more could one want? At £295 per case, this along with Tour du Pin (£300) and Moulin St Georges (not yet released) make up our hot trio from St Emilion.

Bordeaux 2010 - Talbot, Langoa, Reserve de Comtesse and more...

First up, we have Anthony Barton's 3rd Growth St Julien Estate, Langoa Barton. We have been extolling the virtues of Langoa for many years. There has been a gradual transition from gentle, slightly old fashioned wines to a much more muscular, impressive style. Tasting the 2009 and the 2010, you would have to say that Langoa has arrived at its destination. This brace exemplify everything good about modern St Julien. Both are enormously impressive wines, but the 2010 possibly has the greater aging potential. Kudos to Mon. B.
Travelling a little further inland and a little further down the 1855 classification, Chateau Talbot has joined the party. It is perhaps fair to say we liked rather than loved Talbot this year, but it nevertheless is a concentrated age worthy effort built in a classical style. And compared to some it has only a modest increase on last year's price.
Reserve de la Comtesse has, in our opinion, hit the nail on the head this year. Beautifully styled and refined with a textbook Pauillac nose and wonderfully fine tannins this is a very good and handsome second wine, with another modest rise on 2009 (though still a rise we hear you say).
Also out today, Jonathan Maltus' St. Emilion garagiste property Le Dome. Quite possibly unique in Bordeaux in that it is now made up of 80% Cabernet Franc, it received a laudable 94-96 from Parker, and was also tasted very well by the J&B team.
From the Moueix stable we have Certan de May, whose vineyards sit next to Lafleur, VCC and Petrus. At £840 it is a flamboyant effort that will no doubt be considerably cheaper than its neighbours.
*Stop Press* One final release, just out Cantenac Brown at £430 cs ib. Controversial in that its power and concentration that belie its appellation, it is nonetheless a very impressive wine.

Bordeaux 2010 - Haut Bergey

Haut Bergey 2010 has achieved unanimous praise; so much so that cynics might question the proximity of scores from all the major critics... 92-94 from Robert Parker and Neal Martin, 92-93 from James Suckling and 92-95 from The Wine Spectator. This property situated near to the excellent Haut Bailly, produces charming, good value Pessac, and offers lots of QRP.

Bordeaux 2010 - Giscours, Echo de Lynch Bages, Pagodes

Giscours have made a very good 2010 indeed with plenty of Margaux typicity but also a wonderful depth of fruit. It is has been awarded its highest ever marks from Big Bob (92-95) and should cellar beautifully for two decades or more.
Echo de Lynch Bages represents something of a relative steal this vintage. Crafted very much in the mould of Lynch Bages, without such enormous power but with added accessibility and juiciness and a beautiful vivacity. Lovers of the Cazes style will not be disappointed.
Pagodes, what can we say about Pagodes? As modern and sleek as its brand new winery, it is a tour de force of winemaking craft and once again sits stylistically and recognisably beside its bigger sibling.
'Possibly the finest Pagodes the estate has produced, as Jean-Guillaume Prats said, this 2010 is better than many vintages of Cos d'Estournel produced in the sixties and seventies. Forty-five percent of the production made it into this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot that achieved 14.1% alcohol naturally. Plump and fat with an abundant concentration of black fruits as well as outstanding intensity, purity and texture, this beauty should drink well for 10-15 years. 90-93/100'. - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194

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.”

Burgundy 2010 - An update from Domaine Grivot

Following what could be called a genuine winter with frost and rain and especially the night of 19th December with a temperature of -20 degree Celsius; not only did many vines perish but the same fate befell a large number of fruit-bearing buds.

Growth started at the usual time and was consistent thanks to summer temperatures in late April. But 2010 was one of the rainiest years ever recorded during the vines’ growing period.
During the summer, the weather was very cool and vines and fruits growth up normal. These conditions played a predominant role in ensuring that the vines remained healthy.

At Domaine Grivot, we took the decision to use only organic products for vines in 2010 and we are very happy; for the first time, we saw how the plant was able to cope with all of these weather challenges without external assistance. The foliage stayed a glorious deep green, the skin of the fruit had incredible thickness and all the different elements ripened in perfect harmony. Very good news for the future!

We started grape-picking on 23th September in cool weather with a light northerly wind. We record 40% less production compared to a normal year. However, given the weather experienced during the vintage, this also explains the marvellous quality of the harvest. The vintage is promising.

The wines produced are superbly balanced, in the spirit of the 2000 vintage but with greater density. Colours are dense and luminous. A generous palate with an incredibly delicate finish. Tannins are silky and sophisticated. Without any doubt a great success and a tribute to all the hard work in the vineyards over the last few years.

I have a liking for the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellations this year. They are superb and have a great elegance, freshness, harmony, fineness and structure.

Concerning the 2011 vintage? Very early to ask about it!

But the high temperature, at the beginning of spring, gives the premonition of a precocious vintage. The vines are crazy!!
The third week of April, we recorded, in Vosne-Romanee, 22 days earlier than 2009…
At the middle of May, flowering was blooming. Just one week was required to pass this stage.

If we count like the ancients, one hundred days, we should harvest around of the 20th August in Vosne-Romanee and Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Hopefully the weather will be cool this summer.

Germany 2010 - a potential legend

Like everyone else, I suppose, all I remembered about the 2010 German vintage were reports of doom and gloom that had already started to surface by September 2010, before the main harvest had even begun. People had all but written it off. So I came out to Germany in April 2011 with much scepticism after hearing reports from producers of "great things"

Difficult conditions throughout the 2010 summer were fortunately complimented by two factors: A bad flowering that meant potential yields were low, a good thing considering the poor summer that lay waiting, as fewer grapes mean easier ripening. The second factor was sunny, cool weather at the end of September through October, when the main harvest took place.

Early summer conditions and cool temperatures did mean that vintage was late, many growers were still picking into November. As Klaus Peter Keller put it "you had to not lose your nerve and wait until the grapes were ripe"

It is clear there are two sides to this vintage, commercial production and mediocre producers have meant lean, acidic wine. However totally on the contrary, top producers from top sites have made some stunning grosse gewachs and late harvest wines.

The crop is small but the wines are fabulously intense and concentrated, so much so that the extract covers the high acidities amply. It is also a vintage where the different soils and climates sing gloriously through each wine. This is a classic and should be a great one to lay down. As an example Zilliken has recorded the lowest crop for 30 years, but the highest ever average must weights.

So never has there been such a wide qualitative gap between the top and bottom wines in one vintage, but Riesling fans will not want to miss out on top growers' wines, at their best they could be something close to legendary

(pictured is the mightly Maximin Grunhaus Abtsberg of Carl von Schubert)

Bordeaux 2010 value survey

QPR, seems to be a commonplace initialism amongst tweeters, bloggers and those on the wine forums. I suppose it’s a sign of the times. Everyone has embraced austerity and we all demand a little more for our hard earned dollar. Although Bordeaux is dominated by stories of record auctions in Hong Kong and stratospheric prices for First Growths, there is lots of value to be found, if you look in the right places...

After the UGC tastings, we ask our team to list their top ten wines from various categories including ‘best value’. Value is subjective of course. A Wall Street Banker’s concept of value may not be very well aligned to that of a St James’s Street wine merchant, but with hands on hearts we compile a list of what we think are the best buys from the vintage. If proof were needed, after we have removed our hands from our chests, we put them in our pockets (or handbags...). The likes of Petit Bocq, Valade, Clos des Quatre Soeurs and Capbern Gasqueton all feature in our own cellars.

For the complete list and for more 'top tens', please follow this link http://bit.ly/jN5y0X

Bordeaux 2010 - Capbern Gasqueton

The formidable Madame Gasqueton of Calon Segur also owns this excellent estate situated south of the town of St Estephe, between the vineyards of Montrose and Phelan Segur. Tipped as one of the best value buys of the 2009 campaign, the team here have managed a repeat performance.
Sadly the yield has been influenced by some hail damage in May, but the quality is unaffected. The J&B team were mighty impressed by the cool, sophisticated style here. Whilst it doesn't have the class of the mighty Calon, it was by no means overshadowed. This is another glorious St Estephe, which offers lots of intensity and refinement for the price tag.

Bordeaux 2010 - Clos des Quatre Vents

Luc Thienpont's Clos des Quatre Vents is one of the jewels in the J&B portfolio. We have been following the estate since the 2000 vintage and it just keeps getting better and better. Luc's side of the Thienpont family are 'garagistes'. His brother Jacques owns Le Pin (1.6Ha) in Pomerol. Clos des Quatre Vents occupies an even smaller 1.2Ha of superb deep gravel terroir on the croups of Margaux. Annual production is similar to that of Le Pin, so this is a rare bottle of wine (approx 600 cases are produced per annum). Major cru classes surround the Clos on all sides, yet Luc has not followed the garagistes' pricing strategy – this still offers lots of value for money.
Luc is a pragmatic man; he loves to be out in the vineyards. His devotion to his vines almost cost him an arm earlier this year when he had an accident with a pruning machine. Thankfully he has recovered well and he is back in his beloved vineyards. This is the essence of Clos des Quatre Vents. Lots of work in the vineyard ensures that the 80 year old vines produce healthy fruit, which in turn is gently vinified by Jacques Boissenot (consultant to all of the First Growths) to ensure an elegant wine with intensity, charm, and reflects its great terroir.
We are delighted that Neal Martin shares our enthusiasm for this wine and has awarded the 2010 92-94 points, the same score as Chateau Palmer (which the J&B team thought was the best Palmer in yonks...).
'Courtesy of Luc Thienpont, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the Clos des Quatre Vents is broody and introspective on the nose at first with liquorice-tinged dark berried fruits. The palate has a rounded, supple entry with crisp raspberry and wild strawberry, very harmonious and focused towards the caressing finish. This is a lovely Margaux...just a shame the production is so tiny. 92-94/100'. – Neal Martin, Wine Journal

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Rieussec

Rieussec has enjoyed a great resurgence over the past decade. With the financial backing and technical know-how of Domaines Barons Rothschild behind them, the estate has flourished into one of the top names in the appellation. Situated on one of the highest points in Sauternes, close to the hallowed vineyards of Chateau Yquem, Rieussec has produced a string of excellent vintages under the stewardship of Charles Chevalier. The style has certainly improved since the Lafite team took over. We have noticed that the wines possess more intensity and finesse and have slimmed down somewhat, although they certainly haven't lost any of their concentration and sweetness. The 2010 is another wonderful example and is sure to delight those who admire great sweet wines.
If you're only going to buy one Sauternes this campaign - make sure it's Chateau Rieussec. If you would like to order a case, please register your interest by calling 00 44 (0)20 7484 6400 or emailing justorders@justerinis.com

Bordeaux 2010 - Beychevelle and Cantemerle

Today has proved to be the most exciting morning of the campaign so far. Chateau Beychevelle, one of the most sought after brands in China, and also a firm favourite in the UK has released at £675 per case. This is quite an increase on the opening 2009 price, but the 2009 is now trading at over £700 per case and will continue to head north, so it looks like a shrewd buy. Hopefully, this won't be seen as a green light to other Chateaux to put their prices up too – Beychevelle is a bit of a special case...
Soon after Beychevelle came Cantemerle. This elegant 5eme Cru Classé has been producing exceptional wines for the last decade. The 2009 was sumptuous, seductive stuff – the 2010 is equally alluring; a wine of great class and finesse. We were really impressed by the purity, concentration and the gentle tannic structure here – it is thoroughly deserving of its 91-93 points from Robert Parker.
'A quintessentially elegant style of Bordeaux, the opaque ruby/purple-tinged 2010 Cantemerle possesses elegant floral notes intermixed with hints of blueberries, raspberries, sweet red cherries and currants. Medium-bodied with impressive purity, concentration and texture, it is not a heavyweight, but rather a well-proportioned, stylish red that should drink nicely for 15-20 years`. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194

Bordeaux 2010 - The 'best value' buys of 2010

Have you ever wondered what the J&B team buy from primeur campaigns? It's not Le Pin and Ausone as you may expect, we are a pretty tough team to please – we're some of the most demanding customers we have. We expect exceptional quality and we don't want to pay through the roof for it. There are two wines that always meet the criteria. Paul and Cedric Valade's Chateau Valade from St Emilion and Luc Thienpont's Villa des Quatre Soeurs from Margaux.
Let's tackle Luc's Margaux first. This is produced from 60-80 year old vines situated between the villages of Soussans and Tayac. The plot itself is a minute 1.5Ha based on deep Garonne gravels. Luc's oenologist is none other than Jacques Boissenot, consultant to all of the First Growths, and aging takes place in French Oak barrels for 18-20 months. As you can see, Luc takes this project very seriously, and all the hard work shows. We all fell head over heels for this little beauty.
Over on the other side of the river, Paul and Cedric Valade, the eponymous owners of our 'best value' wine of the vintage, are clearly delighted with their acquisition. This is only the fourth vintage, but it looks set to be a real hit. The 2009 was incredible, but sadly hail accounted for about half of the crop. 2010, despite small berries and uneven flowering has produced a healthier yield. Great news for those demanding, price conscious Claret drinkers (like the staff here...). Hurry to buy a case before the Chairman buys it all.

Bordeaux 2010 - Ormes de Pez and Puygueraud

This afternoon sees the release of Jean-Michel Cazes' St Estephe property Ormes de Pez. We were amazed by the improvements achieved in 2009 and we are pleased to report that the 2010 continues the fine form. Some have deemed it a 'baby Lynch', such is the quality and the unmistakable Lynch style. In truth, this is no baby, this is a large scale, impressive St Estephe.

The vineyards are situated in two plots, one north and one south of St Estephe town. Both are based on gravel and sand and are planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Lynch Bages' wine making team, led by Daniel Llose are making qualitative leaps here. We firmly believe that this Cru Bourgeois will be one of the outstanding values from the 2010 campaign.

Also new to the latest releases list is Château Puygueraud. This Thienpont estate in the Côtes de Francs has made a sensational 2010 and could be an estate to watch in the future. A Merlot dominated blend with a shot of Malbec, this exhibits a plush core of soft ripe fruit and complex notes of sweet earth and forest floor. All the critics have given the thumbs up, with James Suckling awarding a staggering 92-93 points. A lot of bang for the buck!

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Gazin

UGC Pomerol is usually something of a roller-coaster; some good, some bad and some slightly scary. The elite Pomerols produced by the Thienponts, Moueixs, Guinaudeaus, Rothschilds and Monsieur Durantou do not show, but there are still several exalted names such as Clinet, Conseillante and Gazin amongst the exhibitors. In what is probably the smallest Union tasting, there is a diverse array of styles and expressions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, from the sandy soils near Libourne to the clay and gravel terroirs of the Plateau.

Chateau Gazin is situated on the most westerly corner of the plateau next to the vineyards of Petrus and Evangile. Recent vintages have been impressive. The style has been big, powerful and tannic, so in this vintage of record concentration, record alcohols and record tannins, we braced ourselves to taste... What we found was one of the most graceful and elegant wines from the right bank. Extractions appear to be lighter and whilst this is still dense, with immense fruit content, it is also very detailed and framed with sumptuous tannins. Along with La Conseillante, one of the peeks.

We have also seen the release of AXAs Sauternes property, Chateau Suduiraut. We sampled this at Pichon Baron and at the Sauternes UGC and it was one of the top performing sweeties that we tasted. At almost £100 less than the 2009 and with 94-96 points from Neal Martin, this should appeal to those with a penchant for stickies.

Bordeaux 2010 - Video: Jean-Guillaume Prats, Cos d'Estournel

Bordeaux 2010 - Jean-Guillaume Prats, Director of Cos d'Estournel on what makes his 2010 so compelling and the differences between it and his majestic 2009.

The wines of François Mitjavile

François Mitjavile is one of the most philosophical characters in Bordeaux and is usually one of the most verbose too, so we were astonished when he retorted to our 'un mot' question with consummate ease... If you haven't already seen it, there is a link to 'un mot' below.

Arriving at his tranquil estate in the commune of St.Laurent-des-Combes on a beautiful, hot, spring evening in April, the J&B team descended into the pitch black vaults to taste. It was only when we were groping around for a banister that we realised sun glasses were no longer necessary. François' cellar is like being teleported to the Cote d'Or. There's nothing futuristic or glitzy, just cold stone walls and a gutter to spit in (reluctantly). It is always one of our favourite tastings as the wines are as colourful as the man himself. Roc de Cambes 2010 is the finest effort to date in our opinion. It is decadent, opulent, hedonistic, sumptuous, yet possesses classical freshness, velvety tannins and impeccable balance.

The Tertre is something of an orgy of flavours in a glass. To use a Parkerism (a man not too popular in this particular corner of St Emilion...), this is a `prodigious` effort. An utterly intoxicating, exotic, flamboyant Tertre Roteboeuf, but as with the sister property, one is not overwhelmed; balance is the key. Some merchants are linking François' wines on a 2:1 basis (2 Roc with 1 Tertre). We don't think that this is necessary as the Roc de Cambes sells itself. You can buy a case of Tertre Roteboeuf on its own, but you'd be mad to miss out on the Roc de Cambes!

On another calm day on the Place, we have only seen two other releases of note. Olivier Casteja's wonderful Doisy Vedrines; always one of the best value Barsacs and Lafaurie Peyraguey, a 1er Cru Classé Sauternes. The 2010 sweeties will almost certainly be overlooked as it is the reds that will capture all the headlines, however, there are some really attractive dessert wines and at £245 per case, you can't go wrong with the Doisy Vedrines.

Bordeaux 2010 - Chateau Providence

Right at the heart of the plateau in Pomerol lies Providence, a beautifully restored, elegant Chateau surrounded by ten acres of vines. Neighbours include exalted names such as Hosanna and Certan de May. Although a relative newcomer, Providence has been heaped with praise by Robert Parker, James Suckling, Jancis Robinson et al and is quickly establishing itself as one of the leading properties in the commune.

For many years the estate was owned and managed by the Dupuy family, who tended the vines with devotion, but lacked a little technical savoir faire. JP Moueix, ever alert to a good opportunity, spotted the potential and purchased the estate in time for the 2005 vintage. Since then the cellar and tank rooms have been rebuilt, the chateau has been blasted until it gleams and the Moueix team have implemented several changes in the vineyards. The results are staggering. Now that the Moueix team are achieving the full potential from the vineyard, the wines are consistently amongst the best performers in this star studded commune. The cépage is typically 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, grown on the well suited clay and gravel soils of the plateau.

The 2010 is a sensational wine with wonderful tension and minerality. We found it even more stylish than the flamboyant 2009; a truly seductive, harmonious and aristocratic Pomerol. Bravo.

'Resurrected by Christian Moueix, Providence is made in a muscular, macho style with considerable minerality as well as dense plum, blackberry and black currant fruit, a formidable quantity of tannin and stunning depth and richness. The classic 2010 is similar in style and personality to that of the great Moueix estate of Chateau Trotanoy. Forget it for 5-6 years and drink it over the following 25-30 years. 92-94+/100`. - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #194.

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...