Villa Bel-Air (Graves) 06

[rjsussex]

This is the Cazes (of Lynch Bages) property that a number of UK merchants support. Sale price of £7.50 may be rather less than en primeur price but I can't say it tastes more expensive than that. Evolved colour; clean nose with some evident but good quality oak; easy commercial style, not recognizably terroir-driven, nice touch of style on the finish but not much wine going on here. Could be a Bord Sup. Responds well to a few minutes in the fridge. Decent summer house claret but no more.

Decades ago I remember noting that Ht Bages Averous (Lynch second wine) was probably the worst of all the second wines I knew. Is it any better these days? If not it looks like the Cazes family put all their effort into LB and the rest of the stable is very commercially driven? But have heard good things of the Villa Bel-Air white.

Richard

[AlexR]

Richard,

I think you've nailed down the Bel-Air style pretty accurately although I would stop short of comparing it to a Bx. Sup.
It is widely available in French supermarkets at a very attractive price.

Ht. Bages Aveyrous exists no longer. It is now called Echo de Lynch Bages. Haven't followed the wine myself.

Alex

[Chasse-Spleen]

When I first joined BWE, I brought the 2000 Haut Bages Averous to a BWE double blind tasting of 2nd wines, and it performed quite well, receiving a decent (maybe even coming in 2nd as wine of the night? Could that be possible?) number of votes against stiff competition, amoung them Les Forts de Latour 1982. Re Villa Bel-Air, the 2000 was quite tasty, definitely better than a Bordeaux Superieur.
-Chris

[rjsussex]

Thanks Alex and Chris - I'm sure you're both right - it's better than Bx Sup and the bottle last night had some Graves typicity though the sheen of oak was a touch flashy.

R