Bordeaux 2015: Thoughts on the Bordeaux estates we visited
Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 10:46 am
The trip provided the ideal opportunity to re calibrate my thinking on the Bordeaux estates we visited.
Palmer was as professional as I expected, though the organic/biodynamic orientation seems in part to be a marketing gimmick. Our hostess advertised the fact that this would not be advertised on the bottle. It was among Howard's top ten most ridiculous things he heard on the tour. Alter Ego sounds so much more marketing savvy, 21st century than Reserve Du General, but although they all say it is not a second wine it clearly plays second fiddle to the magnificent grand vin. The 2006 GV was glorious. Palmer seems to be in a good place.
It was a shame we couldn't linger longer at Du Tertre. It had the most inviting swimming pool and tasteful sculpture of a bottom sticking out of the water (photos later). The 2012 was a revelation, and the estate is unique in the high proportions of cab franc and petit Verdot in the blend, but that will eventually change. Du Tertre arguably outshines its more illustrious big brother Giscours. It is a wine to buy, and buy with conviction.
We were late to Leoville Lascases and got the cellar master who spoke in French as retribution. But it was a blessing because we were spared the vanilla tour and watched the bottling instead. And we had Nic on hand to translate. The LLC 2012 was simply magnificent. Latour is a very slick organisation and a massive money printing machine, even without the Chinese. The wines were a bit disappointing, but only because the Forts and GV were shut down hard.
Lilian Sartorious was the most cerebral and thoughtful winemaker we met. Not one to suffer fools, nor to follow fads. Leoville Barton is in very good hands, and you can continue to buy with conviction. The same could not be said about Leoville Poyferre. My suspicions that there is a fair amount of manipulation were not assuaged. I was unconvinced by the wines and will happily pass. But Anne Cuvelier was a gracious hostess.
It is a shame that Jean Michel Laporte is leaving La Conseillante at the end of June. It appears the reason is that he has a different vision as to the future of the estate than the Nicolas family. It is their loss. He has transformed La Conseillante in the last decade and a bit. We only tried the svelte 2014 but having tried some of his other wines in April rest assured the quality is top drawer. La Conseillante is arguably a bargain given what its neighbours charge.
If you like traditional well made well priced St-Emilion then Corbin is for you. I will be buying. Probably the 2012. At Figeac we only tried the 2011 but it was a classic Figeac that pre-dated all the changes. Clearly an estate on the move. One to watch closely. The wines at De Ferrand were patchy, but I liked the 2000 enough to buy some. This estate does much better in heralded vintages.
Not a lot to say about day three that has not been said else where. The 2012 La Lagune is one to buy. I liked it as much as the 2010, and much better than the 2011. Chateau Margaux was shambolic with lots of cellar and building work going on and our hostess was cursory and cordial after we arrived late. But the two wines were magnificent. I expected that from the GV but not the Pavillon Rouge 2004, the best I have ever tried.
La Mission was a high point with a strong religious theme running through the tour. The 2007 LMHB and Haut-Brion were superb in the context of the vintage. At lunch that day it was a thrill to drink Michael's Petrus 1934. It was in good shape with a dense inner core. Yquem was special too, but I don't buy the line that the 2011 is the next 2001, superb as it nevertheless was. The 2013 Coutet was lovely.
When we arrived on time at Smith Haut Lafitte on Thursday evening the Gendarmerie were out in force because the Singaporean prime minister was just leaving. We also had a 15 minute audience with the Cathairds who were so impressed by Jim that they added the 100 Parker point 2009 rouge to our dinner line up. Although erring more towards bling than traditional I liked the wines at SHL. The 2009 really was a thrill ride. It was reassuring to revert back to the more prosaic 2007 which was served out of double magnum, and was excellent. Good wines but the prices already reflect this.
I described the Pontet Canet experience in another thread, but the important point is that all the attention to detail appears to be paying dividends. I confess to having been a Pontet-Canet sceptic. No longer. This estate catapulted itself towards my list of favourite estates. The 2011 is magnificent. I want to buy it. Whereas Pontet-Canet has been upgraded several notches in my estimation, Ducru and Lynch Bages have been downgraded.
Ducru has gone bling. The neon rabbit in the cellar is an appalling lapse into bad taste. As is the new bling label for La Croix. Apparently there was orange toilet paper in the bathrooms. However the 2009 GV tasted several weeks ago was magnificent. I would love to try the ten. So the jury is out on the quality of the wines. A lot of the group disliked the 2001 GV, which I liked despite the heavy oak treatment. Lynch Bages I think has lost the plot. The wines were disappointing, as they were in other recent tastings. The tasting room was like a prison cell and the prices are exorbitant for the quality, and village is a tourist trap rip off. This is an estate that needs to get its act together.
Pichon Baron was a magnificent experience, especially trying the ten, nine and eight in sequence. That is the pecking order. The ten is the star, and the nine is superior to the eight. I marginally prefer the Baron ten to the Comtesse ten (which we tasted on 9 May). The nine Baron is better than the out of sorts nine Comtesse but the Comtesse is better in 2008. I would say these two super seconds are in a good place and pretty close to neck and neck. It was a thrill to taste a pristine 1988 Baron to round off the evening.
Palmer was as professional as I expected, though the organic/biodynamic orientation seems in part to be a marketing gimmick. Our hostess advertised the fact that this would not be advertised on the bottle. It was among Howard's top ten most ridiculous things he heard on the tour. Alter Ego sounds so much more marketing savvy, 21st century than Reserve Du General, but although they all say it is not a second wine it clearly plays second fiddle to the magnificent grand vin. The 2006 GV was glorious. Palmer seems to be in a good place.
It was a shame we couldn't linger longer at Du Tertre. It had the most inviting swimming pool and tasteful sculpture of a bottom sticking out of the water (photos later). The 2012 was a revelation, and the estate is unique in the high proportions of cab franc and petit Verdot in the blend, but that will eventually change. Du Tertre arguably outshines its more illustrious big brother Giscours. It is a wine to buy, and buy with conviction.
We were late to Leoville Lascases and got the cellar master who spoke in French as retribution. But it was a blessing because we were spared the vanilla tour and watched the bottling instead. And we had Nic on hand to translate. The LLC 2012 was simply magnificent. Latour is a very slick organisation and a massive money printing machine, even without the Chinese. The wines were a bit disappointing, but only because the Forts and GV were shut down hard.
Lilian Sartorious was the most cerebral and thoughtful winemaker we met. Not one to suffer fools, nor to follow fads. Leoville Barton is in very good hands, and you can continue to buy with conviction. The same could not be said about Leoville Poyferre. My suspicions that there is a fair amount of manipulation were not assuaged. I was unconvinced by the wines and will happily pass. But Anne Cuvelier was a gracious hostess.
It is a shame that Jean Michel Laporte is leaving La Conseillante at the end of June. It appears the reason is that he has a different vision as to the future of the estate than the Nicolas family. It is their loss. He has transformed La Conseillante in the last decade and a bit. We only tried the svelte 2014 but having tried some of his other wines in April rest assured the quality is top drawer. La Conseillante is arguably a bargain given what its neighbours charge.
If you like traditional well made well priced St-Emilion then Corbin is for you. I will be buying. Probably the 2012. At Figeac we only tried the 2011 but it was a classic Figeac that pre-dated all the changes. Clearly an estate on the move. One to watch closely. The wines at De Ferrand were patchy, but I liked the 2000 enough to buy some. This estate does much better in heralded vintages.
Not a lot to say about day three that has not been said else where. The 2012 La Lagune is one to buy. I liked it as much as the 2010, and much better than the 2011. Chateau Margaux was shambolic with lots of cellar and building work going on and our hostess was cursory and cordial after we arrived late. But the two wines were magnificent. I expected that from the GV but not the Pavillon Rouge 2004, the best I have ever tried.
La Mission was a high point with a strong religious theme running through the tour. The 2007 LMHB and Haut-Brion were superb in the context of the vintage. At lunch that day it was a thrill to drink Michael's Petrus 1934. It was in good shape with a dense inner core. Yquem was special too, but I don't buy the line that the 2011 is the next 2001, superb as it nevertheless was. The 2013 Coutet was lovely.
When we arrived on time at Smith Haut Lafitte on Thursday evening the Gendarmerie were out in force because the Singaporean prime minister was just leaving. We also had a 15 minute audience with the Cathairds who were so impressed by Jim that they added the 100 Parker point 2009 rouge to our dinner line up. Although erring more towards bling than traditional I liked the wines at SHL. The 2009 really was a thrill ride. It was reassuring to revert back to the more prosaic 2007 which was served out of double magnum, and was excellent. Good wines but the prices already reflect this.
I described the Pontet Canet experience in another thread, but the important point is that all the attention to detail appears to be paying dividends. I confess to having been a Pontet-Canet sceptic. No longer. This estate catapulted itself towards my list of favourite estates. The 2011 is magnificent. I want to buy it. Whereas Pontet-Canet has been upgraded several notches in my estimation, Ducru and Lynch Bages have been downgraded.
Ducru has gone bling. The neon rabbit in the cellar is an appalling lapse into bad taste. As is the new bling label for La Croix. Apparently there was orange toilet paper in the bathrooms. However the 2009 GV tasted several weeks ago was magnificent. I would love to try the ten. So the jury is out on the quality of the wines. A lot of the group disliked the 2001 GV, which I liked despite the heavy oak treatment. Lynch Bages I think has lost the plot. The wines were disappointing, as they were in other recent tastings. The tasting room was like a prison cell and the prices are exorbitant for the quality, and village is a tourist trap rip off. This is an estate that needs to get its act together.
Pichon Baron was a magnificent experience, especially trying the ten, nine and eight in sequence. That is the pecking order. The ten is the star, and the nine is superior to the eight. I marginally prefer the Baron ten to the Comtesse ten (which we tasted on 9 May). The nine Baron is better than the out of sorts nine Comtesse but the Comtesse is better in 2008. I would say these two super seconds are in a good place and pretty close to neck and neck. It was a thrill to taste a pristine 1988 Baron to round off the evening.