2012 Parker Scores

Last Friday the Wine Advocate #206 was released revealing the scores for the 2012s. Mr Parker has echoed many of our own thoughts on the vintage, identifying Pomerol and Pessac Leognan as the best performing appellations. 'My tastings clearly revealed the overall success of the Merlot crop, with the most successful appellation being Pomerol, followed closely by Pessac-Léognan... Because of its vast size, St.-Emilion offers virtually everything from top-flight wines that are not far off the mark of 2010 and 2009, to wines that are hollow, overly extracted, rustic and astringent.

While 2012 is not a great vintage, it is an excellent one in Pomerol, Pessac-Léognan and for some St.-Emilions. In the Médoc, 2012 tends to be average to above average depending on the château. It was a disappointing year for the sweet whites of Sauternes and Barsac, which is evidenced by the fact that four well-known châteaux, Yquem, Rieussec, Raymond-Lafon and Suduiraut, all declassified their entire harvest. In contrast, the dry white wines of Graves are beautiful. 2012 is clearly a top vintage for these wines, which are rich, soft, intense and honeyed’. - Robert Parker, www.erobertparker.com

Please find a list of the top performing wines adjudged by The Wine Advocate below:

Year	Wine	WA
2012	Haut Brion Blanc	(98-100)
2012	L'Eglise Clinet	(96-100)
2012	La Mission Haut Brion Blanc	(96-98+)
2012	Trotanoy	(96-98)
2012	Petrus	(95-98+)
2012	Pape Clement Blanc	(95-98)
2012	Ausone	(95-97)
2012	Mouton-Rothschild	(95-97)
2012	Bellevue Mondotte	(94-97)
2012	La Mondotte	(94-97)
2012	Pavie	(94-96+)
2012	Angelus	(94-96)
2012	Cheval Blanc	(94-96)
2012	La Fleur Petrus	(94-96)
2012	Hosanna	(94-96)
2012	Troplong-Mondot	(94-96)
2012	Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse)	(93-95+)
2012	Gracia	(93-95+)
2012	Belair-Monange	(93-95)
2012	Domaine de Chevalier Blanc	(93-95)
2012	Clos Fourtet	(93-95)
2012	Feytit Clinet	(93-95)
2012	Gazin	(93-95)
2012	Haut Brion	(93-95)
2012	Larcis-Ducasse	(93-95)
2012	Leoville-Las Cases	(93-95)
2012	Le Pin	(93-95)
2012	Rauzan-Segla (Rausan-Segla)	(93-95)
2012	Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc	(93-95)
2012	Beau-Sejour-Becot	(92-95)
2012	Domaine de Chevalier	(92-95)
2012	Cos d'Estournel	(92-95)
2012	Lafite-Rothschild	(92-95)
2012	Palmer	(92-95)
2012	Pape Clement	(92-95)
2012	Pavie-Macquin	(92-95)
2012	Clinet	(92-94+)
2012	Clos de Sarpe	(92-94+)
2012	La Fleur Morange	(92-94+)
2012	Lafleur	(92-94+)
2012	Branon	(92-94)
2012	Canon la Gaffeliere	(92-94)
2012	La Clarte de Haut-Brion Blanc	(92-94)
2012	La Conseillante	(92-94)
2012	Le Dome	(92-94)
2012	De Fieuzal Blanc	(92-94)
2012	La Fleur de Bouard Le Plus	(92-94)
2012	Latour	(92-94)
2012	Chateau Margaux	(92-94)
2012	Montrose	(92-94)
2012	Pavie-Decesse	(92-94)
2012	Smith-Haut-Lafitte	(92-94)
2012	Canon	(91-94)
2012	Clos l'Eglise	(91-94)
2012	La Fleur de Gay	(91-94)
2012	Malartic-Lagraviere Blanc	(91-94)
2012	La Mission Haut Brion	(91-94)
2012	Pontet-Canet	(91-94)
2012	Bellevue	(91-93+)
2012	Le Gay	(91-93+)
2012	Chapelle d'Ausone	(91-93)
2012	Clos du Marquis	(91-93)
2012	La Fleur de Bouard	(91-93)
2012	Haut Bailly	(91-93)
2012	Malartic-Lagraviere	(91-93)
2012	Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux Blanc	(91-93)
2012	Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande	(91-93)
2012	Rol Valentin	(91-93)
2012	Chateau Saint-Pierre	(91-93)
2012	L'Evangile	(90-94)
2012	Barde-Haut	(90-93)
2012	Cantenac Brown	(90-93)
2012	La Dominique	(90-93)
2012	Haut Bergey	(90-93)
2012	Pichon-Longueville Baron	(90-93)
2012	Rouget	(90-93)
2012	Trottevieille	(90-93)
2012	Chateau Valandraud	(90-93)
2012	Brane-Cantenac	(90-92)
2012	Calon Segur	(90-92)
2012	Ducru Beaucaillou	(90-92)
2012	Lafon Rochet	(90-92)
2012	Laforge	(90-92)
2012	La Lagune	(90-92)
2012	Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc	(90-92)
2012	Lascombes	(90-92)
2012	Leoville-Barton	(90-92)
2012	Monbousquet	(90-92)
2012	Le Petit Mouton	(90-92)
2012	Petit Village	(90-92)
2012	Talbot	(90-92)

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

Vintage Port 2011

The 2011 Port growing season was, in the words of Paul Symington, "an extraordinary year". Starting off with copious rains in October and November 2010, it became extremely dry, before finishing with timely and refreshing rains in August.

"If you'd had a watering system in the vineyards, this is was exactly when you'd have turned it on" the Symingtons happily told us.

The extremely dry first 8 months of the year saw a mere 250 mm of rain fall in the Douro, against an annual average of almost 400mm. These dry conditions coupled with a burst of extreme heat in June gave rise to a final crop that is sadly 15% below average. I say sadly because at this early stage these look to be a seriously excellent range of ports. Perhaps because of the early concentrating drought, the levels of dry pungent schisty minerality in these wines is truly superb and they display plenty of powerful, concentrated, structured fruit. Long deep and powerful, yet also crucially fresh, this looks set to go down as an truly classic vintage port declaration.

Bordeaux 2012: Chateau Montrose Vintage Report

Bordeaux 2012: Exclusive Tasting with Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

Top of the Right Bank and Graves

Who should be topping our chart of Pessac Leognan, Pomerol and St Emilion; well it's Monsieur Durantou of course. Fresh off the back of La Chenade's victory in the hotly contested 'Best Value' category, Denis is back on top of the charts with his legendary Eglise Clinet. On his heals is Francois Mitjavile with his excellent Tertre Roteboeuf, followed by Alexandre Thienpont's hugely impressive Vieux Chateau Certan.

Special mention should go to Florence and Daniel Cathiard's Smith Haut Lafitte and Olivier Bernard's Domaine de Chevalier. These two really caught our eye and should offer terrific value for money.

1 L’Eglise Clinet

2 Tertre Roteboeuf *

3 Vieux Chateau Certan ****

4 La Mission Haut Brion **

5 Smith Haut Lafitte

6 Pensees de Lafleur

7 Evangile

8 Clos Fourtet

9 Domaine de Chevalier *

10 Conseillante

Bordeaux 2012 - Vieux Château Certan Report with Alexandre Thienpont

Bordeaux 2012 - Interview with Château Cheval Blanc

More J&B chart toppers

Denis Durantou at Eglise Clinet

Now it is the turn of the ‘best value’ picks. This is the most subjective of all our ‘top tens’. The same rules apply, 10 points for a win and a star all the way down to one point for 10^th place. Usually we get a disparate set of results for this section; in all 29 estates were selected. Rather surprisingly one wine shone out as a clear winner. Denis Durantou’s La Chenade from Lalande de Pomerol took five of the possible eight top spots. Guess what we’ll all be drinking in four or five years’ time... Those who narrowly missed out included: Montlandrie, Lalande Borie, Fonbel, Haut Batailley, Grande Maye, Cantemerle and Moulin StGeorges.

1	La Chenade	*****
2	Clos des Quatre Vents	*
3	Ormes de Pez
4	Valade
5	Petite Eglise
6	Capbern Gasqueton	*
7=	Teyssier
7=	Villa des Quatre Soeurs
9	Lacoste Borie
10	Gloria	*

Top of the pops time

Our straw poll of the 2012 vintage is in. We asked all eight members of the J&B team to rank the First Growths (and friends: Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Lafleur and Le Pin) in order of their preference. Ten points for a first place and a star, nine points for a second place all the way down to one point for tenth place. We thus get a democratically elected list of our favourite wines.

First and Second places are taken by stars of the Right Bank, but there are strong showings from all of the Medoc’s First Growths. Unlike other years where there has been a stand out favourite, there were six different ‘top wines’.

1	Petrus	***
2	Cheval Blanc	*
3	Lafite	*
4	Latour
5	Margaux	*
6	Mouton	*
7	Le Pin
8	Lafleur	*
9	Ausone
10	Haut Brion

Bordeaux 2012 - Day 4

A green harvester at Ducru Beaucaillou...

Day four and there was still lots to cover, four UGCs (Sauternes, Moulis - Listrac and Haut Medoc, Margaux and Pauillac - St Julien and St Estephe) as well as a few last Chateau visits. First stop, the Pichons. We unanimously preferred Lalande to Baron and this was confirmed by re-tasting at the UGC. Pichon Lalande has real charm, grace and Pauillac character. It will be a lovely drink in eight years’ time.

The Pauillac, St Julien and St Estephe UGC was a little patchy, but there was much to admire. Re-tasting Lynch Bages and Grand Puy Lacoste confirmed their class, while Gloria looks like a great value from St Julien. Langoa and Leoville Barton both showed well, but we thought we’d pop in to see Lilian and taste at the Chateau on the way to Ducru. Both wines performed even better when tasted at the Chateau. There was also an opportunity to taste the 2011s a year on. Langoa is stunning, while Leoville is big, tannic and impressive. It is slightly awkward at the moment, but has good potential.

Our last tasting before lunch was with Bruno Borie at Ducru Beaucaillou. Toby wasted no time in his interrogation, quizzing Bruno on his choice of harvesters in the glossy brochure. Bruno was prepared, explaining that he prefers blondes for the green harvest and brunets for the vendage. That cleared up, we got on with the tasting; the results were spectacular. Lalande Borie is juicy, yummy and should be good value, Croix has real depth and class and the Grand Vin is serious, sexy and long-term. A cracking range.

Ulysse Cazabonne was our generous host for lunch. Once again their chef treated us to an extravagant lunch, including some delicious clarets from 2001 – a really friendly, attractive vintage. There was also an opportunity to taste and re-taste some wines in their cellars. John Kolasa’s Chateau Canon was exceptional. This is an estate on top form, showing well at Southwold and their 2012 rates amongst the top wines of the right bank.

The afternoon was a big disappointment. Leaden skies and pouring rain added to our downbeat mood, but the wines were the main reason for our disenchantment. Sauternes seemed saccharine, lacking botrytis and complexity. Unless they are super cheap, there’s no point buying them; we recommend the excellent 2011s which are widely available at opening prices. Margaux UGC was if anything a bigger anti-climax. Some big names just really didn’t get it. The best performers were Rauzan Segla, Brane Cantenac and Malescot St Exupery. We should add that the Margaux UGC has been a bit of a challenge for the last few years, so the wines probably deserve the benefit of the doubt – they will no doubt work themselves out in time. So it was left for the Moulis, Listrac and Haut Medoc tasting to raise our spirits, and actually, there were quite a few very good, honest, well made wines here. Cantemerle continues its good form, Chasse Spleen and Poujeaux are both solid efforts and Beaumont is excellent value for money. Some tasters were left head scratching. Had this minor UGC trumped the somewhat grander Margaux UGC? Well expectations were somewhat lower, but we definitely left in a more upbeat mood.

So after four days of tastings, we have a picture of the 2012s. It is not an easy vintage to pigeonhole. Pomerol estates maybe had an easier time than the other communes, but they didn’t have it all their own way, and a lot of hard graft was required to produce high quality wines. The Medoc probably had the most challenging conditions, but here we have estates with incredible resources and resourcefulness and there have been some very smart wines produced. Sauternes is weak and the decision by Yquem and Rieussec not to release looks astute. The dry whites are delicious; 2012 must rank as an excellent vintage for this style.

To loosely paraphrase our Chairman, the highs are higher than in 2011, but there is less consistency. We like the purity and precision in the best wines and feel that they will be delightful wines to consume in 8-10 years’ time.

The Portfolio Masterclass Line-up

As the countdown begins to our portfolio tasting at Somerset House in less than two weeks time, on the 25th April, final preparations are excitedly being put in place. The list of wines on show is stellar and includes prestigious flights of 2010 Bordeaux, 2007 Barolo and 2008 Burgundy. We have strong relationships with the world’s greatest wine producers but something we are equally proud of is the huge effort we put into unearthing hidden winemaking talent, the next big stars of the wine world. They can hail from anywhere, the more traditional wine regions or a further-flung corner of the world, and be working with a myriad of different grape varieties but what they will share in common is their commitment to making unique, beautiful, artisan wines of balance and drinkability. Do not miss out on our discoveries room where many of these gems will be. Among them are wines from two of our newest producers, Baden’s Bernhard Huber and the Loire’s Thibaud Boudignon.

During the tasting we will be holding master classes given by three truly iconic wine estates: JJ Prüm from the Mosel, Piedmont’s Roberto Voerzio and Cote Rotie legend René Rostaing, see the line-up below.

6.00pm: Dr. Katharina Prüm from JJ Prüm

Prüm is without doubt one of the Mosel’s, if not the whole of Germany’s, most revered and respected Estates. It is also amongst the most enigmatic as no-one has yet made it down to his mysterious cellars - all the more reason to look forward to the bottles on offer in our Portfolio Masterclass. In the Sonnenuhr of Wehlen the Prüms own a portion of one of the Mittel Mosel’s top vineyards - its steep south-facing dark slate slopes tending to result in deeply flavoured, mineral yet rich and smoky wines. In addition, he manipulates some plots in the next door Himmelreich of Graacher which produces engaging wines with fresh acidities that are slightly softer and earlier maturing. Our Portfolio Masterclass aims to shine a spotlight on these two great terroirs while examining the various vintages from one of the great German Winemakers.



7.00pm: Davide Voerzio from Roberto Voerzio

This masterclass will be an exploration of the top vineyards in Barolo’s famous La Morra commune with Davide Voerzio from Roberto Voerzio, one of Piedmont’s pioneering and most highly-acclaimed wine estates.

8.00pm: René Rostaing

One of the great names of the Northern Rhone, René Rostaing believes in producing intense, refined Côte Rôtie that is as true to terroir and the Syrah grape variety as possible. Partial whole bunch fermentation is employed and the wines are reared in large demi-muid casks with very little new oak. René will be taking us through his single vineyard and blended Côte Rôties.

Unfortunately space is very limited for each of the masterclasses and we will have to allocate places on a first come first served basis during the evening, so please do not be too disappointed if you miss out.

Numbers have to be capped for this event and only the last few tickets now remain, so if you wish to attend we would urge you to get in touch with us as soon as possible. Please contact our main office on +44 (0) 207 484 6400, or email events@justerinis.com to secure yours.

Date: Thursday 25th April 2013, from 5pm till 9pm
Location: The Portico & Navy Board Rooms, Somerset House, London
Tickets: £40 per person or £70 for a pair

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.

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 2012 - Day 1

Same story – not always the same result

The tale from vignerons is of three distinct seasons: a wet spring with a difficult flowering, a dry and warm summer with the potential of hydric stress, and a wet harvest with the potential for rot. It was certainly a challenge, but one that some have risen to. Our first appointment was with the dynamic Denis Durantou of Eglise Clinet. His range was spectacular (as usual). La Chenade will be one of the best values, Montlandrie continues to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in Castillon, and the Pomerols, Petite Eglise and Eglise Clinet are spectacular, but sadly there is about 25% less Grand Vin in 2012. Our next stop was an appointment with the Guinadeaus. Pensees is a sensational second wine with real grand vin breed – Lafleur itself is less massive and brooding than recent vintages, but is beautifully poised, intellectual,. 

Petrus’ 2012 was the first wine to be produced in the new wine-making facility, built on their plot of Cabernet Franc. As a result the cuvee is 100% Merlot and the wine is astonishing: grand, profound, voluptuous and deep. A hop-skip-and-a-jump to VCC and a tasting with Alexandre Thienpont. His Merlot plots adjoin Petrus and were very successful. Although the Cabernet Francs were more of a challenge, he has used his very best plots to add complexity and freshness to the final cuvee. As we have come to expect, another wonderful wine from this high-flying Pomerol estate.

Next to Alexandre’s cousin, Jacques at Le Pin. The 2012 is exotic and opulent and classic Le Pin. We also had the opportunity to taste Jacque’s new St Emilion, L’If. We believe that the translation is Yew, so an evergreen connection to Jacques’ Pomerol estate. The wine is beautifully precise, with wonderful purity of fruit and great finesse.

We lunched at Cheval Blanc. Considering Yquem has decided not to release a 2012, Pierre Lurton was in a surprisingly jovial mood. Although there won’t be any more of the excellent Tour du Pin as the best 1.4 hectares has been reclassified as Grand Cru Classe ‘A’ and will be incorporated into Cheval Blanc, the latest acquisition, Quinault L’Enclos is beginning to show real promise. Tiny yields mean there won’t be much wine, but it is definitely one to look out for in the future. As for the Petit Cheval and Grand Vin, these are two of the smartest wines we have tasted from this illustrious estate; they are both profound, deeply serious wines that hit all the right notes with us...

Our tastings with Francois Mitjavile of Tertre Roteboeuf andRoc de Cambes are always highlights of any trip, and the 2012s are no exception. Francois was at his humorous and thought provoking best. We will be posting his views in the next few weeks; well worth looking out for... Both wines excelled in 2012 and should be included on any self respecting wine lover’s shopping list - they really are sensational wines.

Other high points of day one included a very smart Fleur de Bouard and a really excellent Angelus, a charming and invariable a good value Fonbel and a slightly controversial Ausone. I was thrilled by the multilayered complexity, but the feeling was not necessarily unanimous. We also learnt of Margaret Thatcher’s death whilst tasting at Evangile. Apologies to Domaine Baron Rothschild as the news rather distracted us from your excellent wine – we will forever remember the place where we heard the news...

In summary, the great terroirs on the plateau of Pomerol have performed well with many good to excellent wines. St Emilion is patchier, but this should not come as a surprise. The early ripening Merlots have performed well producing seductive, powerful wines. Cabernet Francs were more of a challenge, but when harvested at full maturity and used sympathetically, they add complexity, perfume and freshness to the blends. All in all a strong showing from the right bank.

Bordeaux 2012 vintage report

As a wise and worldly negociant reminded me the other week, ‘we [Bordeaux] don’t have bad vintages anymore; only good ones and exceptional ones’. He was being facetious of course, but there was much truth in what he said. Where there’s the money, and it grows on vines in these parts... humans and technology have overcome nature and are capable of making quality wines in even the most challenging conditions. Using low yields and using the latest innovations such as reverse osmosis, cryoextraction and optical sorting tables, wine-makers of today can perform miracles in the sort of vintages where their forebears despaired. So years like `77, `84, `87, `91 and `92 may be unavoidable, but these sorts of wines certainly are.

2012 would certainly have presented lots of problems to vignerons of yesteryear. Following a freezing February, budburst was a week later than the norm and a full three weeks after the precocious 2011s. April was exceptionally damp and mildew became an ever-present threat. Flowering in June was protracted and there was some millerandage and coulure, but the most striking feature was the uneven evolution from bunch to bunch. At this point vignerons knew it would be a late harvest and there was a very real risk that full ripeness would not be achieved. Thankfully July marked a turning point and the sun shone long and hot throughout the second half of July, August and September. Despairing winemakers began to see hope for the vintage, particularly given the region’s predisposition for Indian summers.

Whilst the early harvesting communes such as Pomerol managed to pick their Merlots in mid September, the Medoc required more phenolic ripeness in their Cabernets. Vignerons could be forgiven for being a little blasé; there hadn’t been notable harvest rains since 1999. Some much needed showers arrived on the 23^rd of September, but rather than settling back into the normal Indian summer routine, heavy and persistent rains arrived on the 8^th of October.  Most meteorologists painted a bleak outlook, so the majority of estates decided to act fast, bringing in as much fruit as they could before any dilution or rot would take effect.

Speaking with Bruno Borie of Ducru Beaucaillou soon after the harvest, he told of a first sorting in the vineyards, followed by two sorting on his optical sorting tables. The resultant crop was cleaned and de-stemmed and Bruno is delighted with the results. Indeed, at out Ducru dinner in February he was telling us all about the ‘Glorious Twelfth’, nothing to do with that most special date in August as we had assumed, but a rather obscure reference to a Protestant revolution in 1688. Yes, this is one of Bruno’s more obscure metaphors, but he argues that 2012 is a revolution in modern winemaking; the first time all the technical advances have been fully employed with outstanding results.

We are looking forward to the primeur tastings in April and will publish our tasting notes soon after. Please keep an eye on our blog and follow us on Twitter @Bordeaux buyer, @GilesBG and @Justerinis for further updates.

A steady start to 2013

Liv-ex, the London based wine trading platform has posted figures for the Liv-ex 100 for the first quarter of 2013. The month of March ended up 1.3%, which represents an increase of 7.3% for the year to date. A solid start to 2013 then, but before we get carried away, if we caste our minds back to 2012, the index enjoyed positive start before the 2011 primeur campaign triggered a run of four consecutive months of decline. Let’s hope that history doesn’t repeat itself...

Understanding “Goldcapsule” - The J. J. Prüm way...

I've been talking to the delightful Katharina Prüm quite a lot of late. We've been putting the final touches to the hugely exciting masterclass she'll be hosting at our Portfolio tasting in London on 25th April. The final list of wines is a mouthwatering selection designed to go some way to unlocking the differences between the Prüm's two greatest vineyards, Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Graacher Himmelreich, by looking at them through the lenses of various vintages and Prädikats. 

As we've gone back and fourth, one bit of literature she sent me was a piece explaining in some detail the Goldcapsule designation. As it's both interesting and not necessarily immediately obvious, I thought it would make sense to post it here in full:

Understanding “Goldcapsule”

“Goldcapsule” is not defined by German wine laws, rather a means used by estates to distinguish higher-quality wines within one Prädikat, especially the Auslese category, from their basic lots. To understand the background better, it is very helpful to look back a few decades. Before 1971, there were four recognized levels of Auslese wines in Germany. You could find wines labeled as „Auslese“, „Feine Auslese“, „Feinste Auslese“, and „Hochfeine Auslese“. The longer the name the higher the concentration – usually achieved by botrytis - and the smaller the production.

In an effort to simplify the universal marketing of German wines, the government stepped in and revised the Prädikat system to allow for only one Auslese category. The new rule was met with frustration by the high-quality-conscious winemakers, mostly those from the Mosel, who had perfected the art of selective harvesting and now were deprived of the traditional means to express the different levels. The issue with Auslese in particular is that it is the Prädikat level with the widest Oechsle range (in Germany, the natural concentration of the grape juice at harvest is measured in degrees Oechsle). On one end of the spectrum is a style closer to Spätlese and on the other end is Beerenauslese. So with just Auslese on the label how would a customer know if it was closer to Spätlese style or more close coming to a BA? Since the 1971 law forbid use of wording to denote special bottling within a Prädikat, estates got around that by developing other means of identification.

The most acknowledged method – and the one also used by Joh. Jos. Prüm estate - is a golden capsule, in contrast to the white capsule used for the “basic” Auslese. A short gold capsule usually means a presence of botrytis and a long gold capsule represents a remarkably higher percentage of botrytis and consequently concentration, close in quality and style to a Beerenauslese.


Unfortunately, there was no uniform solution by all estates found after the change of law in 1971. Instead of the Goldcapsule, some estates opted to use a star system on the label and still others use a cask number. Also, there are some wineries that use golden colored capsules on all their wines, and there are again others that produce Goldcaps not only in the Auslese but also in the Spätlese category..

Now, what are the characteristics of a Goldcapsule, why buy such a wine? Think of them as limited edition, rather small production lots of the best Auslese of a vintage. They are made from stronger selected grapes containing higher concentrated juice, usually affected by a certain amount of botrytis / noble rot, capable of aging even remarkably longer than “basic” Auslesen, lasting for many decades. In the course of time, they lose some of their sweetness, gain more and more elegance and harmony and the complex profile and depth come to the forefront.

Goldcapsules are not made every year. Due to an overall higher ripeness of the grapes in the more recent past, there were more chances to produce such wines than in earlier days, however, for instance, vintage 2004 allowed only a very small quantity to be produced which was only offered at the VDP Mosel auction in Trier.

To differentiate between Goldcapsule and Long Goldcapsule, Joh. Jos. Prüm estate marks the Long Goldcapsules with two white stripes at the bottom (see right bottle) in contrast to only one stripe for the Gold Capsule ( left bottle):