day 3
Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 6:30 pm
on Wednesday, we started with Chateau La Lagune, the special Chateau of stefan and lucie. I liked very much the tour with the energic Maylis, winemaker 30-34 years old). Personnally, I was impressed with the high number of small stainless steel vats available to ferment all the different lots individually. Sometime I think it is overcontrolling, but of course, as the wine is good, they can do what they want. We had again a very nice tasting, including the 2013 (100 percent cabernet sauvignon, very unusual wine and very hard that day), the 2012 (good to very good), the 2010 (the best most promising of the lot), the 2008, the 2007, the 2006 (that I liked, but it seems I'm the only one) and the 1981 (that was excellent in the context of the vintage). What is one of the most magical moment, is when stefan desrcibed the 2000 La Lagune and went down to the 1961, commenting each vintages, Maylis would just take her keys and gave it to stefan, as he know more about La Lagune than she does. I liked the lineup of La Lagune we had, not as the greatest wines, but as very genuine Haut-Médoc, with always that nice notes of violets flowers, dark red berries and light to medium oak. By the way, I bought a 1995 this Saturday, to bring back home, as I liked very much how weve been received there.
Next was Chateau Margaux. We came in a little bit late, like many time already to other estates, always thinking they could refuse us. But no, we had a nice, conventionnal visit, with that cute blondhairs girl. It was amazing to see how everything at Margaux is very traditionnal. When we were in the barrel chai, they were adding sulphur (it was smelling like Hell) and theur were racking, with candles. We had the 2004 Pavillon Rouge and Chateau Margaux and as you can guess, these were perfectly defining the Margaux AOC. For some of us, the quality difference between the two wines was smaller than some previous vintages. Personnally, these two wines I could drink all the time, for their rich and smooth red berries fruit, complex light spices and oak, and with long fruity and mineral finish, with very round tannins. I asked an innocent question about if the tour lady are receiving dating proposal from wine lovers that came visit, and seems like I deceived or shocked my co-BWEers by doing that. I explained to all why I asked that question, as the moment seemed to emotionnal or serious for me, so needed to remove some tension in the air...
Back to the hotel, we had a group quick lunch. I was supposed to have a nap on the aftternoon, but MichaelP organized an unplanned visit to Chateau Teyssier in St-Émilion, where they do modern garage wines. Finally, MichaelP, dstgolf and Larry tried so much, that they convinced me to go. So that woman originally from Australia is picking us at the hotel, and drives us directly to the Chateau. There, we did a nice tour, wwith lot of questions answered by the winemaker Mr. Whyte. yes, they used what is neeeded to do the best garage style. Lately, they're making wines from different parcels to show up more the different terroirs. Yes, reverse osmosis, micro-oxygenation, treatments in the vineyards, and all the needed legal technics can be used. We had a ver nice sitting tasting, of all the wines from the 2014. What was amazing is how these were ready, and with the techniques used there, the winemaker don't hide that the wines are made to enjoy young, like before 10-15 years. From the first wine to the last, nose and palate just seemed to be more powerful... Chateau Teyssier, Chateau Laforge, Le Carré, Les Astéries, Vieux Chateau Mazerat and Le Dome. I liked the Le Carré and Vieux Chateau Mazerat. But of course, they're lush, full of fruits, with oak. Le Carré had the most complex nose while Vieux Chateau Mazerat a strong Merlot berries character. Once in a while, these wines are ok.
After this visit, we joined JimHow and some others at the hotel, and got downtown to meet HMS. We when dinner to a fish restaurant called Le Petit Commerce, that was recoommended to us by a very nice old lady we met. We ate fish and all kind of shells and shrimps. Everything was very good. We had Champagne, a white from Marcel Deiss, a small white Grave Chateau Trébiac 2013 and for the unconditionnal of red, 2010 Chateau Tour Carnet and 2007 Chateau Les Grands Chenes. After dinner, we walkked a bit and found another place to order wine and drank a 2011 Chateau d'Arcins Haut-Médoc. It was after time to go to bed, after another full and lively day.
Nic
Next was Chateau Margaux. We came in a little bit late, like many time already to other estates, always thinking they could refuse us. But no, we had a nice, conventionnal visit, with that cute blondhairs girl. It was amazing to see how everything at Margaux is very traditionnal. When we were in the barrel chai, they were adding sulphur (it was smelling like Hell) and theur were racking, with candles. We had the 2004 Pavillon Rouge and Chateau Margaux and as you can guess, these were perfectly defining the Margaux AOC. For some of us, the quality difference between the two wines was smaller than some previous vintages. Personnally, these two wines I could drink all the time, for their rich and smooth red berries fruit, complex light spices and oak, and with long fruity and mineral finish, with very round tannins. I asked an innocent question about if the tour lady are receiving dating proposal from wine lovers that came visit, and seems like I deceived or shocked my co-BWEers by doing that. I explained to all why I asked that question, as the moment seemed to emotionnal or serious for me, so needed to remove some tension in the air...
Back to the hotel, we had a group quick lunch. I was supposed to have a nap on the aftternoon, but MichaelP organized an unplanned visit to Chateau Teyssier in St-Émilion, where they do modern garage wines. Finally, MichaelP, dstgolf and Larry tried so much, that they convinced me to go. So that woman originally from Australia is picking us at the hotel, and drives us directly to the Chateau. There, we did a nice tour, wwith lot of questions answered by the winemaker Mr. Whyte. yes, they used what is neeeded to do the best garage style. Lately, they're making wines from different parcels to show up more the different terroirs. Yes, reverse osmosis, micro-oxygenation, treatments in the vineyards, and all the needed legal technics can be used. We had a ver nice sitting tasting, of all the wines from the 2014. What was amazing is how these were ready, and with the techniques used there, the winemaker don't hide that the wines are made to enjoy young, like before 10-15 years. From the first wine to the last, nose and palate just seemed to be more powerful... Chateau Teyssier, Chateau Laforge, Le Carré, Les Astéries, Vieux Chateau Mazerat and Le Dome. I liked the Le Carré and Vieux Chateau Mazerat. But of course, they're lush, full of fruits, with oak. Le Carré had the most complex nose while Vieux Chateau Mazerat a strong Merlot berries character. Once in a while, these wines are ok.
After this visit, we joined JimHow and some others at the hotel, and got downtown to meet HMS. We when dinner to a fish restaurant called Le Petit Commerce, that was recoommended to us by a very nice old lady we met. We ate fish and all kind of shells and shrimps. Everything was very good. We had Champagne, a white from Marcel Deiss, a small white Grave Chateau Trébiac 2013 and for the unconditionnal of red, 2010 Chateau Tour Carnet and 2007 Chateau Les Grands Chenes. After dinner, we walkked a bit and found another place to order wine and drank a 2011 Chateau d'Arcins Haut-Médoc. It was after time to go to bed, after another full and lively day.
Nic