UGC 2012 Tour...

[mike reff]

Post your impressions here if you like.

My fun will be in NYC on the 25th.

[JonB]

I enjoy the learning experience of these events. You can't help but get a good feel for AOC characteristics and differences when you taste 10-20 wines from each, sequentially. It is interesting to see how rapidly the young wines evolve, and the 2008s were tasted at a time that was not all that easy to read and enjoy. My favorite vintage has clearly been the 2005s, which had such a pure expression of fruit, even though many right bankers were surrounded with baby fat and the northern left bankers had abundant tannins.

I'm going to try to attend the Los Angeles event again this year, but need to work out some schedule conflicts.

Enjoy the tasting, Mike.

[pomilion]

I enjoy the learning experience of these events. You can't help but get a good feel for AOC characteristics and differences when you taste 10-20 wines from each, sequentially. It is interesting to see how rapidly the young wines evolve, and the 2008s were tasted at a time that was not all that easy to read and enjoy. My favorite vintage has clearly been the 2005s, which had such a pure expression of fruit, even though many right bankers were surrounded with baby fat and the northern left bankers had abundant tannins.

Will be going to this Friday's UGC tasting in Los Angeles -- really looking forward to it. This will be my wife's and my fifth UGC tasting, and I couldn't agree more with Jono about what a great learning experience these events are, however long one's been drinking bordeaux. Our favorite has been the 2005 tasting (so many great wines), and I agree with Jon that at last year's UGC the 08s were tasted at an awkward time and not showing very well (with a few exceptions, including Leoville Poyferre which I thought was the best-showing left bank wine). Very excited about trying the 2009s this Friday.

So who else is attending one of the upcoming North American UGC tastings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami (trade-only?), New York, Chicago, Toronto or Montreal? I'll post some notes, and look forward to reading others' impressions.

[JonB]

pomilion - I'm going to attend the Los Angeles tasting, and spend the weekend with my youngest son at Disneyland.

Your notes from last year were consistent with mine, including your impression of 2008 Canon La Gaffeliere.

I could wear a ballcap with a Seattle-based theme (e.g. Starbucks, Dreamliner 787, or Microsoft) to the event, so if we cross paths you can recognize me.

[JonB]

Here are some overall impressions from tasting 40+ 2009 Bordeauxs at UGC last night. First, I did meet pomilian and his lovely wife, and had very enjoyable discussion about our mutual hobby (passion).

Overall the wines were dark opaque colors, there was beautiful transparent fruit and many wines I'd call fruit forward but in a Bordeaux style, the structure was mostly hidden, I don't recall a single wine where the alcohol poked through.
Not all wines were low acid --- in several it appeared to my inexperienced pallate that acid had been added as it wasn't harmonious with the other facets. Tannins were ripe and rounded -- clearly the best vintage since 2005 in terms of overall quality, but to my taste few wines equalled their 2005 counterpart...but many were easier to read as 2005s often had a large amount of "baby fat").

My impression was that there were no weak AOCs (except I found the Sauternes overly sweet with little balancing acidity), and each had exceptional wines, Unfortuneatly Gloria and Rauzan-Segla were finished pouring early so I missed these. There were a few good QPRs; Haut Bergey will be a nice wine, La Tour Carnet was more modern but showed well, Poujeaux should also age well.

[pomilion]

Jon -- it was great talking to you as well, glad we were able to meet! I was very impressed with the wines -- overall I think the 09s are as impressive as the 05s, but it's a bit apples and oranges since the vintage characteristics are so different. While most of the 09s are surprisingly balanced wines (given all of the talk about how incredibly ripe and exotic they are), the 05s tend to have a bit more acidity and taste so fresh and vibrant. Many 09s will be ready to drink sooner than their 05 counterparts, which is a plus. I agree with you about the Sauternes -- while tasty, they were in many cases a bit too sweet and/or underly acidic for my taste. Certainly not as good overall as the 01s or 05s. Finally, though I didn't get to try La Tour Carnet, I agree that Haut Bergey and Poujeaux both showed very well and were among the QPR stars of the tasting. (Wish I'd gotten to try La Lagune; I hear it was showing well and it would have been fun to see how it compares with the 05, which is terrific.)

I'm still mulling over and pulling together my specific impressions of the wines. It's difficult to take detailed notes at a tasting this large (close to 100 wines), let alone get to everything... I tasted about half of the wines, including most of the bigger names (though I missed Troplong Mondot which ran out early). My top wines (in no particular order) were:

Saint Julien: Leoville Poyferre, Gruaud Larose

Pauillac: Grand Puy Lacoste, Lynch Bages, Pichon Baron, Pichon Lalande

Margaux: Rauzan Segla, Lascombes

Graves/Pessac-Leognan: Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Pape Clement Rouge, Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge

Pomerol: Clinet, Gazin

Saint Emilion: Figeac, Pavie Macquin, Canon La Gaffeliere

Of these, Leoville Poyferre and Clinet were the cream of the crop, but folks should be thrilled to own any of these wines (and numerous other 09s). All in all a great event, and 09 is clearly a monumental vintage. Not sure it's better overall than 05, 90 or 82, but it's up there.

Logistically the event began awkwardly -- most of the chateau reps weren't there... Apparently they got stuck in traffic coming from an earlier trade tasting. Wally's (the wine shop putting on the event) put out two open, unattended bottles of each wine, and after a few minutes of hundreds of folks milling around not quite sure what to do, everyone started helping themselves to the wines. I started with some Saint Juliens, and a guy in front of me poured himself about a sixth of a bottle of Leoville Poyferre (his glass was literally almost full)... After about 20 minutes of utter chaos, and numerous wines running out, the chateau folks finally arrived. A bit of a surreal beginning to the event, but overall it was very enjoyable, a bargain at $60, and certainly a great way to get an overall impression of a vintage.

There was a small charitable event before the main tasting at which the following wines were poured:

2000 du Tertre
2000 Giscours
2000 Troplong Mondot
2000 Beausejour-Becot
2005 Haut Bailly
2005 SHL
2006 VCC
2006 Pape Clement

A few of these were painfully young (SHL, H-B), or not showing well (TM was a bit plasticy with a light/short finish), or difficult to evaluate (VCC was good but a little out of focus). The Pape Clement was stunning, and 2000 Giscours and du Tertre were showing beautifully.

[JimHow]

Great reports guys, you are feeding my obsessions for 2009 Bordeaux.

[Houndsong]

Is it too soon to declare the 2009 Leoville Poyferre BWE's 2012 wine of the year? Just asking. (I know, I'm going to burn).

[Houndsong]

Oh, and interesting about the 2006 Pape Clement, since we seem to have some consensus building as well oner the 06 DdC and SHL.

[JimHow]

Lol.

[pomilion]

Is it too soon to declare the 2009 Leoville Poyferre BWE's 2012 wine of the year? Just asking. (I know, I'm going to burn).

Leoville Poyferre has upped their game a notch the past few years. It was the wine of the 09 UGC (narrowly edging out Clinet), in my opinion, and was the best left bank wine at last year's 08 UGC. More than once Friday night, when I would say I loved a particular wine, my wife's response would be "but is it better than the Poyferre, let's go try that again!" The first growths, LLC, Palmer, Malescot, Pontet Canet, Cos and Montrose don't participate in the UGC, but LP was stunning both years and is making fantastic wines these days.

[pomilion]

Another general observation I would make based on Friday's UGC tasting -- for me, as a gross generalization (with many exceptions):

09 is a slightly better vintage than 05 on the left bank

05 is a slightly better vintage than 09 on the right bank

It's really splitting hairs, though, since both vintages are so special. I've been going to the UGC tastings since the 03 vintage, and 05 and 09, as overall vintages, tower over all the other vintages I've tasted at the UGC. It's not even close. There are some great individual wines wines in 03, 04, 06 and 08 (I missed the 07 UGC and haven't tried enough of the individual wines to have a strong personal impression of the vintage), but 05 and 09 blow the other vintages away on an overall basis. As I said in an earlier post, I'm not convinced 09 is a better vintage overall than 05, but those two vintages are certainly up there with 90 and 82 as the best in the past 30 years.

[Tom In DC]

Here's an interesting take on the LA event.

[pomilion]

The event definitely could have been better organized. I didn't experience first-hand all of the difficulties some of the posters in that thread describe getting in because I went to the pre-tasting and was already inside before the main event started (though I went to the restroom just before 7pm and walked through/past the entranceway and got a pretty clear general impression of the situation). From 7 to around 7:20pm, it was definitely chaotic, disorganized and surreal having hundreds of people milling around and then self-pouring because the chateau reps were late. But I didn't ever see anything remotely resembling a dangerous situation let alone a deadly stampede reminiscent of a mad rush at a Who concert at which people were killed, and the comparison is absurd... (I was at Who and Stones concerts decades ago at which there were truly dangerous stampedes [though luckily no one killed the days I went], and the analogy is beyond ridiculous.) Certainly Wally's either shouldn't have let people in or shouldn't have put open bottles of wine out unattended. That was a major screw-up. None of the Wally's UGC events I've been to have been perfectly organized. They could do a lot better. The 05 vintage UGC tasting in Century City a few years ago was hot, incredibly crowded, in a much smaller space, with very little food or water. In comparison, this year's space was much larger, and there was plenty of water and bland cheese (the bread and crackers ran out early, which was annoying). Last year's 08 tasting in a hangar at the Santa Monica airport was a much better space, although the wait to get into the event was incredibly long and not fun. All in all, though, having the opportunity to taste 100 bordeaux (though I only got to 40 or so) for $60 is not only fun but a bargain. Sure, it's a bit of an impersonal, cattle-like zoo, but to me it's well worth it to get a feel for a particular vintage. Not everyone's into that sort of thing, which is fine and understandable. Finally, this whole dynamic of people who dislike Jeff Leve vs. Leve defending himself (and the Bordelais, Wally's, etc.) is unbelievably tiresome. I understand there's a lot of history and bad feelings and Jeff to some extent brings it on himself, but it's sooooooooo boring and tedious.

[JonB]

I missed the "near death" stampede as I underestimated Los Angeles traffic and arrived at the event around 7:20. However, I've attended the S.F. K&L events some years and the entry layout wasn't appreciably different. I did talk to one of the Wally's staffers about the facility, and she commented that they moved to a smaller facility because ticket sales were about 50% of last year's event....which seems strange since 2009 was such a highly-touted vintage compared to 2008. Anyway, it was a smaller crowd and venue, but it wasn't any more packed than other ugc tastings.

Given the pricing, I'm not going to buy any more 2009s for now except a few qprs, although there were many outstanding wines....that had well delineated intense fruit flavors and were balanced, despite the lower acidity.

I did find the Troplong Mondot quite interesting. First I tasted it from a relatively newly opened bottle and it was quite ripe and raisiny. Then late in the event went back and the server (one of the Pariente's daughters) said she was out of wine, but then relucantly poured the last couple of ounces for me. It was stewed....like cooked cabbage. Bad bottle? Did no one else notice?

[mike reff]

looking forward to tomorrow's event. Glad that I am not going to be with the masses and attending the trade tasting.

Mike

[pomilion]

Look forward to your impressions, Mike.

Jon -- I tried to taste the T-M after you mentioned those impressions at the tasting, but it had already run out. In general, both from my own bottles and at tastings, I've found T-M to be somewhat hit or miss, sometimes tasting a little stewed or overripe, other times a little plasticy (e.g., the 2000 T-M at the pre-tasting event), other times sensational. I agree that it was odd the event wasn't more crowded given all the (well-deserved) vintage hype. I was at the 08 Wally's UGC event, and it certainly did seem better-attended (though not necessarily more crowded since the venue was bigger). I went on Wally's website late last week (Thurs or Fri) to see how the event was selling, and there were still 8-900 tickets left. Strange, I thought it would be packed...

[Chateau Vin]

Had UGC tasting Chicago...

Here are the top performers for me...

Pauillac - Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages & Pichon Lalande
St Julien - Gruard Larose, Loeville Barton (Disappointed that Poyferre was not there)
Margaux - Rauzan Segla, Brane Cantenac
Pessac - Pape Clement, Fieuzal, Larrivet Haut Brion (White)

St Emilion - Troplong Mondot (This blew me away), Canon La Gaffeliere, Petit-Village

Sauternes/Barzac - Siduirat

[mike reff]

Well its been some days for me to figure out my thoughts. I found that this vintage compared with the last three were the most approachable and drinking much better than 2006-2008. That being stated, some wines faired much better than others

My highlights were:
Smith Haut Lafite
Pavie Macquin
Pichon Lalande
Figeac
Dufort Vivens
Talbot
Coutet

Sore Losers were:
Cantemerle
Pape Clemente

I enjoyed St Julien and Margaux the best of the appeleations btw...

Mike

[pomilion]

My first two post-UGC purchases have been Gruaud Larose ($63 at PJ's) and Domaine de Chevalier Rouge ($70 at Winex, $70-75 elsewhere), both fantastic wines and the two least expensive of my favorites at the tasting. I already have long-standing futures orders on some of my other UGC favorites, and may nibble at a few others, but GL and DdC really deliver the goods at a reasonable price. They were each only vaguely on my radar before seriously impressing me at the UGC tasting.

[DavidG]

It's taken me all of 8 months ( ), but I just figured out that Pomilion is a contraction of Pomerol and St. Emilion. So... no right bankers?

Those are both good prices IMO. I paid a little more for DdC locally but it'll be about the same by the time you figure shipping. Tempted by the Gruaud. Do you think it will be giving pleasure by 2019 or is this one that will need 15+ years of cellaring?

[pomilion]

David -- when I first got into bordeaux, I was somewhat right bank-centric but have long since broadened my horizons... I bought a few right bank 09s when futures were first released (Pavie Macquin, Clinet, Tertre Roteboeuf, Beausejour Duffau) and will pick up a few more I'm sure. But after tasting extensively through 2005 (the UGC tasting and many bottles since then) and now having tasted the 09s, I think 05 is a slightly better vintage on the right bank, while 09 is a slightly better vintage on the left bank. Obviously these are gross generalizations and there are many exceptions, but I was blown away by how strong the left bank 09s were at the UGC tasting, especially Pauillac and Saint Julien. I think most of the 09s, including Gruaud Larose, will have a very wide drinking window. The tannins are so polished and round, and the fruit is so lush, that I can't imagine they'll shut down much. I'm envisioning drinking many of my 09s long before my 05s (and in some cases 00s). I'd guess 09 GL will drink great starting around 2019 and continuing for another 20-25 years. It was drinking beautifully at the UGC tasting, which is perhaps more a function of the vintage than anything else but I definitely think you'll be able to enjoy it tremendously in 2019. A great wine and a great value in today's pricing environment.

[Blanquito]

Yeah, but do they taste like Bordeaux?

I mean quality aside, I want Bordeaux that tastes like, well... Bordeaux. This is a well-worn issue to be sure, but all this talk of polished tannins and lush fruit sounds like a Napa Night not a Bordeaux Bash. For me, 2005 was a bit unpredictable in style, but overall it's big structure keeps in solidly in the claret camp.

[Houndsong]

I'm a believer the 0xs will taste like Bordeaux 15-30 years out from vintage. When, for many if not most, a lot of those wines will be "past it." Admittedly, I have no choice in the matter, and have few mature clarets. But I have tasted a small but disparate selection of mature claret from hot and cool, lauded and derided vintages (well, maybe not derided but say disrespected vintages) and big and small wines and those wines all tasted more or less dry, even if full, and even if possessing some brown-sugar sweetness. The 90 Semeillan Mazeau was a fine example - full bodied yet dry and I thought absolutely compelling, although the lone CT note for the wine called it boring and completely unworthy of cellaring. I got these great figgy-notes in the latter halves of both halves of this bottle. I'll pay top dollar for the probably five remaining well-cellared bottles of this (top dollar to the haters being $15, which should still net them four-fold returns or something like that). To me, something like that is quite a bit more interesting than a 95-pt blockbuster.

[pomilion]

Blanquito -- yes, they absolutely taste like Bordeaux. (Would you rather have angular, harsh tannins and little fruit? Just kidding, mostly... ) You would be able to identify virtually all of 09s, I'm certain, as unmistakably bordeaux in a blind tasting including some Napa cabs. The overall style of the vintage is certainly toward the lush, polished end of the spectrum, so I suppose if you're a hard core traditionalist and don't like bordeaux that are remotely "modern," this might not be your favorite vintage. Even wines like GL and Figeac feature, front-and-center, their beautiful (and yes, in the context of bordeaux, lush) fruit, and yes, the tannins are polished, smooth and round, but you're not going to mistake any of these wines for Shafer HSS or Schrader.... (Now, if you threw Ridge Monte Bello [my favorite CA bordeaux blend] into a blind tasting with 09 bordeaux it's possible a few people might be thrown.) As for 05 vs. 09, I'm a huge fan of 05 and don't think 09 is overall a better vintage. The 05s definitely have more noticeable tannins (though I've read that the technical tannin level is actually fairly high in 09) but the 09s taste very balanced and are not California-style fruit bombs.

[DavidG]

OK, I'm convinced. Have put in an order with PJs for 6 of the '09 Gruaud.

[JimHow]

Well done, David, very well done indeed.