The 2018 Chateau Capbern

[Nicklasss]

I finally received my 2018 red Bordeaux last night. I read a bit about the vintage, and it seems to be an excellent vintage, sunny but uneven. I decided to open a bottle tonight, even if these wines are quite young, but i want to check by myself what is the fuzz.

I opened the 2018 Chateau Capbern, Saint Estèphe, kind "baby Calon Segur" as made by the Calon Segur team. The back label is showing a high 15 % alcohol. I opened this wine as i have still in mind the 2016 that is nice and delicious.

The wine has an incredible dark red color. Very dark. The nose is strong, and surely in the style of the 2016, but riper. Sweet blackcurrants and black cherries. Concentrated austere dark red berries, light soft spices from the oak, light graphite minerals. Medium power nose. In mouth, this is powerful with concentrated black plums, black cardamom, blackberries. Lot of graphite powder, super ripe tannins, can't feel any acidity but a strong final on black licorice, that is quite long. Can't feel any alcohol, or any heavyness, remind a bit the 2016 Chateau Tour Saint Christophe a bit, but the Saint Émilion is better as it has a bit more freshness and a bit less ripe concentration. The 2016 Chateau Capbern is better too, in the same way: a bit more freshness and a bit less ripe concentration. Tonight, i would give a 88-89 to that wine.

So that 2018 Chateau Capbern is a good wine for the moment, but a good wine only. And i find that a bit scary and weird, so i'm not really sure what to expect from all my other 2018 received... from that 2018 Capbern, i really question myself about if i'm still a believer in these very ripe and concentrated modern red Bordeaux? When the 2009 i had look "fresh" vs the that first 2018, what to think?

[AKR]

I think you are opening these too young. It's like trying to taste a stew before it has finished cooking.

[Nicklasss]

Yes i agree Arv, it is way too early to open that wine. I like your stew comparison. But my curiosity is stronger than my patience. And someone has to do it. And many renowned critics are giving higher rating than me, but N. Martin seems to share my question mark.

At the same time, when I opened a 2016 after receiving it, it was quite better if that mean anything.

From that 2018, i feel that 2018 is a more concentrated 2005, and bit riper too, and this isn't too good from my point of view.

But hey, we're just beginning with these 2018. We will discuss about them for the next 30-40 years.

[JoelD]

The 15% abv turned me off to purchasing my favorite QPR bordeaux. I did buy one bottle of the 2017 to try as that came in at 14%. 2019 isn't supposed to be much better. Hopefully they turn it back around.

Did you ever try the 2014 Nic?

[greatbxfreak]

Niclasss,

I do not normally open a wine 1-2-3 days after being delivered at home.

The funny thing is that you write you don't feel the alcohol in Capbern even if it is 15%!!

For some posters on this forum, this high alcohol content is a sin, a crime, a wicked oenologist or a wicked owner; you name it. Before someone gets excited and start to criticize and name Michel Roland or Stephane Derenencourt, I can inform you that's neither of these two! It's Eric Boissenot, famous for sticking to traditional Bx!

I don't deny that 2018 is a vastly shouldered vintage, big and concentrated, sunny, yes, but not overripe and cooked IMHO.

The main point is that it's a great vintage all places in Bordeaux, with many not classified wines excelling themselves.

My take of Capbern 2018 (tasted in April 2021) is like that - "....62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. I haven't tasted such a distinctive wine from this property before. Fresh, intense aroma of blackcurrants and mint, fat and silky fruit/tannin, creamy, powerful and very complex. Long meaty finish. This property is a very stable performer and offers a wine of great qpr for money. Very impressive indeed for the vintage. 94p (93-94p)."

[Ambrose]

Agree that the 16 capbern was great on release. Also had one a few weeks ago as well & whilst I wouldn’t open another one any time soon it drank very nicely over a few days.

I’ve not particularly enjoyed any of the 18’s I’ve tried so far. Do we think that they just might need an extra 6-12 months to come together and potentially hit that early drinking window sweet spot? I enjoyed plenty of 14-16’s early on (the perils of not having a plethora of older wines in the cellar).

Interesting to read Neil Martins comments here on the Capbern from his very recent report on the 19’s.

https://vinous.com/articles/omne-trium- ... e-feb-2022

[greatbxfreak]

I have received all three wines from Calon Segur in 2019 vintage for tasting and will taste them next week.

I will report on these next week but I'm hesitant to expect to agree with Neal Martin as I never have tasted an overripe Capbern.

[Claudius2]

Nic
When you mentioned 15% alcohol, I immediately thought that the wine will be overly ripe and lacking freshness and balance. Maybe as I get older I just can’t appreciate hi alcohol wines, even when they get 100 points from numerous reviewers.

Izak
We have of course all debated the issue of high alcohol and clearly we just need to accept that we are all individuals. I for one don’t see any of it a a moral issue. I saw many Aussie producers especially in the Barossa and McLaren Vale ramp up the alcohol level in the 90s and the Aust Wine Research Institute actively encouraged it. So good luck to them - so they bagged big points and increased prices. The bean counters had a great time. So we ended up with 18-19% alc in supposedly dry wines.

I think 15% is not impossible - it is pushing it and can be fine in many cases but I am finding that even 15.5% is too high. I drank a few expensive Aust wines over Christmas and N.Y. such as Wild Duck Creek and Chris Ringland that are priced at $A 500-1000 these days and they were seriously awful. At 17-20 yrs old, they were almost undrinkable. They were not damaged, cooked or corked, just that the fruit had faded leaving wine that tasted and smelled like road tar. When I drank them young, they were really impressive and even in magnums, they had not aged well at all. Similarly, I’m seeing too many Grenache based wines like Ch du Pape and Aust reds that are too hot and lack freshness.

Yet my fundamental point is that such wines do not age well. I will change my view if I drink wines that don’t confirm this but I I will need some convincing.

Cheers
Mark

[JoelD]

The funny thing is that you write you don't feel the alcohol in Capbern even if it is 15%!!

For some posters on this forum, this high alcohol content is a sin, a crime, a wicked oenologist or a wicked owner; you name it. Before someone gets excited and start to criticize and name Michel Roland or Stephane Derenencourt, I can inform you that's neither of these two! It's Eric Boissenot, famous for sticking to traditional Bx!

Izak, I'm not sure if this was in response to me or not. However I'll clarify my opinion anyways. I do not think that high alcohol content is any of the above that you mentioned.

I have just found, time and time again that I do not enjoy these wines nearly as much. I'm sensitive to that subtle difference and it takes away the enjoyment from the rest of the wine often. Even if I liked it. I also find that I have to drink these wines at closer to cellar temp to enjoy them at all. Once they warm up to room temp, they are borderline undrinkable to me.

I am big on traditional wine making methods and letting the season and terroir dictate how you make the wine. So I wouldn't want them to artificially make a lower alc wine. But I will just limit or avoid those vintages where it comes out high.

The 2010 Fleur Cardinale (15%) that I had last night was a perfect example of this. It really showed well with a decant, and drinking at 60-65F. I still saw the beauty and the terroir in the wine but the alcohol definitely was noticeable.

In the end, I wish that I didn't have this sensitivity. Maybe. But maybe it also helps me appreciate the more subtle nuances of lighter wines. I'm not sure. I used to love big, riper, alcoholic, "parkerized" wines and couldn't appreciate the classic, lower alc ones. Now it's reversed. I wish I could do both, but I'm perfectly happy enjoying the latter much more.

[JimHow]

Interesting observations on the Capberns guys.
Yeah that would be disappointing if 2016 is the exception to the rule for Capbern, it is such a well-balanced wine.
I've got several of those 2010 Fleur Cardinales, Joel, you corroborate my concerns about the alcohol from that vintage, although, as we have reported elsewhere, Jacques and I really enjoyed that 2010 Troplong Mondot at my house last summer, it was a wild ride.

[AKR]

I'd like to see if people could identify high ABV wines blind, at some consistent level better than guessing/random.

I don't think I could.

[JoelD]

Interesting observations on the Capberns guys.
Yeah that would be disappointing if 2016 is the exception to the rule for Capbern, it is such a well-balanced wine.
I've got several of those 2010 Fleur Cardinales, Joel, you corroborate my concerns about the alcohol from that vintage, although, as we have reported elsewhere, Jacques and I really enjoyed that 2010 Troplong Mondot at my house last summer, it was a wild ride.

I wouldn't pay the current price tag for the wine, but it was enjoyable. I would venture to guess that you will like the wine even more than I do. The 15% doesn't show as much as it has with other Bordeaux. I'd give it a solid 91-92. Definitely recommend a short decant and drink somewhere between cellar and room temp.

As far as the Capbern, I don't think the 2016 is the exception as the 2014 was the one that first made me love it. And the 2015 in between was a solid effort. I'll report back when I open another 2015 and a 2017.

[Nicklasss]

Personally, i did not smell or taste any heat of alcohol in that 2018 Chateau Capbern. But I felt it do after 2 glasses. And i really think high alcohol wines can be amazing too. let me think a bit, i'll be back with some examples.

And i understand what greatbxfreak means when he says that i opened that first bottle way too quickly after receiving it. But remember it is THAT bottle that i had. I have some more for the future, to re-assess, but THAT bottle left me worried about 2018. I have some leftover, so should revisit THAT bottle tonight or tomorrow. But my first impression is really a slightly more concentrated and riper version of the 2005 vintage, and i'm worried because the 2005 are big, and just at the limit of not too concentrated/low freshness to me, but balanced and undestructible. This 2018 looks just next side of that border.

[greatbxfreak]

Speaking of myself, I do enjoy the different vintages in Bordeaux. 14-15% alcohol doesn't touch me, I only complain if the wine is unbalanced.

In 2018 winemakers were presented with high-quality grapes, perfectly ripe. It's mother nature who produced them.

If you complain about Capbern 2018, you will be "scared" to taste Calon Segur 2018. It's massive wine.

[JimHow]

Interesting your comment about the “low freshness” of 2005s, Nicola, I was really taken aback by the lack of acidity in those 2005s I had this week, they were nothing like I expected from that vintage that I have not really drunk since it’s infancy.

[Nicklasss]

Speaking of myself, I do enjoy the different vintages in Bordeaux. 14-15% alcohol doesn't touch me, I only complain if the wine is unbalanced.

In 2018 winemakers were presented with high-quality grapes, perfectly ripe. It's mother nature who produced them.

If you complain about Capbern 2018, you will be "scared" to taste Calon Segur 2018. It's massive wine.

You're right Izak, i'm a bit scared now. I finished the bottle of 2018 Chateau Capbern last night, and go figure, i thought it was harder to "drink and enjoy" than on the first night... i hope that bottle was "bottleshocked" as i opened it one night after receiving them.

What would be the minimum number of years to wait, before opening my next 2018? I have some bottles of Capbern, Montlandrie, Branaire Ducru, Nénin, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Domaine de Chevalier and... Calon Segur.

And yes Jim, me too i'm feeling like the 2005 aren't wines with lot of freshness sensation in mouth (I'm sure the technical data of pH are under control), but they still have some at least. That 2018 Capbern is to another higher level of "i don't feel freshness" wine. Fresh or acidic wine make you generate saliva under the tongue. Surely not that much from that 2018 Capbern.

[Nicklasss]

Last night, we also opened a 2016 Chayeau la Vallée Montagne Saint-Émilion and a 2016 Barbi Brunello di Montalcino, and these two wines were surely more enjoyable to drink. The Brunello opened slowly, but what a nice wine when blossoming, with cherries, acidic red berries, and a great mix of herbs like thyme, mint, rosemary, and a nice light violet fruit character in mouth and light wood. Long, fresh, tannic, perfumed, fruity. Nice.

[marcs]

I'd like to see if people could identify high ABV wines blind, at some consistent level better than guessing/random.

I don't think I could.

I’m sure I could if you let me drink a glass or two. Not just by the taste, the way it hits me physically is different.

I will freely admit to Izaak’s accusation - I think 15% alcohol in a left bank Bordeaux is a sin and a crime. On the right bank? Maybe just a sin.

[greatbxfreak]

marcs,

You just forget one important thing!

It's a natural product and not a result of special vinification techniques, watering the vineyard, etc.

[JoelD]

I'd like to see if people could identify high ABV wines blind, at some consistent level better than guessing/random.

I don't think I could.

I believe that with one extra piece of info, I could do it. If I knew the region more likely. And at least a vintage range. Especially big differences of say 1.5% or more. For example 13.5% vs 15% in Bordeaux. I can do on the palate, the way it goes up through my nose. Burns, feels and tastes just a bit different.

Plus what Marcus said about how I feel, but thats secondary to me.

[DavidG]

marcs,

You just forget one important thing!

It's a natural product and not a result of special vinification techniques, watering the vineyard, etc.

Wine doesn’t make itself. Someone decides when to pick the grapes, at what Brix level. That’s probably the most influential factor with respect to alcohol levels. There are others.

[Claudius2]

marcs,

You just forget one important thing!

It's a natural product and not a result of special vinification techniques, watering the vineyard, etc.

Wine doesn’t make itself. Someone decides when to pick the grapes, at what Brix level. That’s probably the most influential factor with respect to alcohol levels. There are others.

Entirely agree.
I am pretty sure the grapes were planted, trained, maintained and harvested by humans. Still hoping to see Mother Nature do all this. Every step along the way from planting to bottling is a decision.

Wine is never a natural product and that has never worried me.

Cheers
Mark

[William P]

I thought it was a well made bottle of Bordeaux. Modern in style. Medium plus body and as mentioned low acidity. At $40.00 a bottle it does not seem to be a value purchase anymore as there are many really fine wine in that price range. Yes, 18s seems to be rich, dark, very ripe and low acidity.

[Racer Chris]

So far, Meyney and Lilian Ladouys are the only wines from 2018 that I've purchased a case of. Everything else has been 3 bottles or fewer, and less than a case of classified growths in total.

[greatbxfreak]

DavidG,

If you harvest too early, grapes are not ripe and neither are skins. Even if grapes are ripe inside, skins aka phenolic ripeness are not.

The perfect combination is when both are perfectly ripe. Harvesting late is the risk of gaining alcohol level, losing acidity and getting overripe flavours.

Harvesting too late is high alcohol, a little acidity and overripe flavours.

For me, wine is a natural product but has to be fine-tuned by winemakers.

As I said in this thread I will taste 2019 Capbern on coming Wednesday, a wine boasting 15,1% alcohol and one Neal Martin rated 86p. We'll see if he's right in his description of this wine.

[Comte Flaneur]

“The perfect combination is when both are perfectly ripe”

By what definition? According to whom?

Why does Lafite consistently achieve 13% (12.5-13.4%) while these other wines like Capbern go above 15%?

Is Lafite picking too early?

I have 100% confidence in the ability of Lafite to age and retain its typicity

For these other alcoholic wines picked late for maximum ripeness I have zero confidence in their ability to age gracefully for the long haul, and clearly they are sacrificing typicity.

“I will taste 2019 Capbern on coming Wednesday, a wine boasting 15,1% alcohol and one Neal Martin rated 86p”

Why is having 15.1% alcohol something to boast about? A classic Parkerism. Isn’t it something to be ashamed of?

Mark has relayed some horror stories from the Barossa, how some of those alcoholic botoxed monstrosities have fallen apart with age.

[DavidG]

Otto, I know that you know it is not as simple as that.