Some personnal impressions on the 2015 BWE convention wines.
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:52 am
I think that Comte Flaneur made a good listing of all the wines we had during the week. So I won't repeat or détail all the wines, but just give some of my personnal impressions, as wine appreciation is very subjective.
Sunday first dinner : I brought a 2008 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon as non Bordeaux wine to drink at that dinner. When I saw the competition and the number of bottles/magnums on the table, i did not get my bottle out. I'm not like that normally, as BWE is a generous community, but I feel the Montelena would be better at another moment (we finally had it at lunch Thursday). So on Sunday night, the magnum of 1975 Château Cheval blanc was at a perfect place, and amazing of complexity of the can franc with good oak. The magnum of 1993 Château Haut-Brion was roaring on all cylinders. Frankly, I liked all the 1993 I had but that Haut-Brion was also at a very good place, and could be the wine of the vintage. The 1988 Château Latour was also excellent, as was the magnum of 1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, but I found these two were in need of 5 more years.
During the week, so many wine were excellent and great. But one thing that was hard, was to taste the 2014 left bank containing cab sauvignon. I really don't know how you can predict their future. On the right bank. It was a bit easier, as merlot showed better, but not easy at all. For me, the "best" 2014 (let say the more balanced) was Château La Conseillante. Château Pibran would be my second choice. Conseillante was already starting to show some very niçe fruity and violet flowers aromas and flavors. And third one would be Giscours, that was a bit severe, but full of concentration and promises.
From that week, I would say to forget 2013. No producers talked too much about them, or made it taste. The one who did it took risk. The 2013 Château La Lagune, 100% cab sauvignon, was very hard. 2013 Château Pontet Canet was ok, but you could See and feel that 2013 is a vintage that no good vineyard practices or winemaking techniques could save...
The 2011 Château d'Yquem was complex, shining, glorious. An impressive young Saiternes, from the best producer on Earth.
During the week, for the wines that were not 2014, these made some impression on me:
2004 Pavillon Rouge and Château Margaux: silky, complex fruit, would drink these for a week! And what was impressive, the Pavillon Rouge seemed not that far away from the Grand Vin.
2012 Château Léoville Las Cases: all the 2012 tasted there where excellent, but expectations were high (and met) with that wine. A perfect Saint-Julien, in a very good vintage, that deserves respect.
2012 Château Smith Haut-Lafitte: probably my second favorite 2012, with lot of Graves character. I preferred that to the 2009. The 2009 is a beast, that will be better in Many years, but I thought it was slightly overdone and not a 100 points wine.
2012 Château Pontet Canet was also well made, in a very natural style. Complex mineral, fruit and light roasted red pepper aromas, with a rasberry/blackcurrant cedar and lead flavors.
2006 Château Palmer was a real charming wine, still young, and with lot of potential still in it. Intense Berry merlot.
All the wines at Château Pichon Longueville Baron were delicious. But the 2009-2010 duo are very very strong wine. Comparing them to Tell which one is the best is very hard. Both had strong blackberries, dark red berries fruit, light oaky aromas, strong taste, drinking superbly that day. Personnally, I preferred the 2009 that day, but both wines deserve over 95-96 points...
The 2003-2005-2009 Chateau Pontet Canet were slightly different and each one representing it vintage perfectly. The 2003 was very open that day, showing a part of it potential but needs 5-10 more years to show all it charms. 2005 was very 2005, concentrated, a 50 years wine. Many superb wine that week, but the number one for me is the 2009 Château Pontet Canet. Why? I guess I'm a traditionnal guy and that wine IS a perfect Pauillac, that you can't mix with other AOC. It was already expressing itself with strong lead, cedar, blackberries, blackfruits, mineral, strong ripe structure, superb balance and incredible length. I guess this will give the First Growth some really good challenge in future blind tastings... The two other kinda young wines that made that impression on me, in the past, were the 1996 Château Grand-Puy Lacoste and 2003 Château Montrose, but even if I would have rate these last two high, the 2009 Château Pontet Canet is the first young wine I would rate 97-98+, for all it qualities and pure Pauillac character.
Nic
Sunday first dinner : I brought a 2008 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon as non Bordeaux wine to drink at that dinner. When I saw the competition and the number of bottles/magnums on the table, i did not get my bottle out. I'm not like that normally, as BWE is a generous community, but I feel the Montelena would be better at another moment (we finally had it at lunch Thursday). So on Sunday night, the magnum of 1975 Château Cheval blanc was at a perfect place, and amazing of complexity of the can franc with good oak. The magnum of 1993 Château Haut-Brion was roaring on all cylinders. Frankly, I liked all the 1993 I had but that Haut-Brion was also at a very good place, and could be the wine of the vintage. The 1988 Château Latour was also excellent, as was the magnum of 1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, but I found these two were in need of 5 more years.
During the week, so many wine were excellent and great. But one thing that was hard, was to taste the 2014 left bank containing cab sauvignon. I really don't know how you can predict their future. On the right bank. It was a bit easier, as merlot showed better, but not easy at all. For me, the "best" 2014 (let say the more balanced) was Château La Conseillante. Château Pibran would be my second choice. Conseillante was already starting to show some very niçe fruity and violet flowers aromas and flavors. And third one would be Giscours, that was a bit severe, but full of concentration and promises.
From that week, I would say to forget 2013. No producers talked too much about them, or made it taste. The one who did it took risk. The 2013 Château La Lagune, 100% cab sauvignon, was very hard. 2013 Château Pontet Canet was ok, but you could See and feel that 2013 is a vintage that no good vineyard practices or winemaking techniques could save...
The 2011 Château d'Yquem was complex, shining, glorious. An impressive young Saiternes, from the best producer on Earth.
During the week, for the wines that were not 2014, these made some impression on me:
2004 Pavillon Rouge and Château Margaux: silky, complex fruit, would drink these for a week! And what was impressive, the Pavillon Rouge seemed not that far away from the Grand Vin.
2012 Château Léoville Las Cases: all the 2012 tasted there where excellent, but expectations were high (and met) with that wine. A perfect Saint-Julien, in a very good vintage, that deserves respect.
2012 Château Smith Haut-Lafitte: probably my second favorite 2012, with lot of Graves character. I preferred that to the 2009. The 2009 is a beast, that will be better in Many years, but I thought it was slightly overdone and not a 100 points wine.
2012 Château Pontet Canet was also well made, in a very natural style. Complex mineral, fruit and light roasted red pepper aromas, with a rasberry/blackcurrant cedar and lead flavors.
2006 Château Palmer was a real charming wine, still young, and with lot of potential still in it. Intense Berry merlot.
All the wines at Château Pichon Longueville Baron were delicious. But the 2009-2010 duo are very very strong wine. Comparing them to Tell which one is the best is very hard. Both had strong blackberries, dark red berries fruit, light oaky aromas, strong taste, drinking superbly that day. Personnally, I preferred the 2009 that day, but both wines deserve over 95-96 points...
The 2003-2005-2009 Chateau Pontet Canet were slightly different and each one representing it vintage perfectly. The 2003 was very open that day, showing a part of it potential but needs 5-10 more years to show all it charms. 2005 was very 2005, concentrated, a 50 years wine. Many superb wine that week, but the number one for me is the 2009 Château Pontet Canet. Why? I guess I'm a traditionnal guy and that wine IS a perfect Pauillac, that you can't mix with other AOC. It was already expressing itself with strong lead, cedar, blackberries, blackfruits, mineral, strong ripe structure, superb balance and incredible length. I guess this will give the First Growth some really good challenge in future blind tastings... The two other kinda young wines that made that impression on me, in the past, were the 1996 Château Grand-Puy Lacoste and 2003 Château Montrose, but even if I would have rate these last two high, the 2009 Château Pontet Canet is the first young wine I would rate 97-98+, for all it qualities and pure Pauillac character.
Nic