Tag Archives: Bordeaux

An unforgettable tour of top-flight châteaux – day four

Flags out in honor of visitors

: Alfred Tesseron

: Lunch at Pontet Canet

Our final day was a wine lover’s dream. We arrived at Château Pontet Canet at 11 am and immediately noticed three flags had been put up in honor of group members hailing from Canada, England, and the US. We took a walk around the vineyards with the English-speaking guide and then tasted four wines (2014, 13, 12, and 11 – but not in that order) with Alfred Tesseron and estate manager Jean-Michel Comme. I actually preferred the 2012, followed by the 2014, the 2011 and the 2013. Then it was time for lunch. And what a lunch it was! Drinking 2003 Dom Pérignon in the château salon was a very good kick-off. Then all 18 of us trooped to the formal dining room where Alfred Tesseron held court, despite feeling somewhat under the weather.

The 2000 Pontet Canet is ready to drink, which is the case with many wines of that vintage despite what you may have heard. The 2003 is a somewhat controversial wine, but it showed very well – not too big, although a little raisiny. Alfred Tesseron says that appearances are deceptive and that it has a long life ahead of it. The 2005 was not quite up to the vintage’s reputation in my opinion.

One of the group members had brought a 1962 Pontet Canet purchased at auction years ago. Alfred Tesseron went into his private cellar and brought out a bottle from the same vintage so we could compare. In fact, the wines were not far apart, and I actually preferred the one that had been trundled many miles and stored less than perfectly.

Afterward, we drove to Château Ducru Beaucaillou, where cellarmaster René Lusseau took us around. He is a true product of the Médoc and translating his puns and local references was no easy task. We visited their semi-underground cellar and went on to taste three wines. 2011 Lalande Borie was a little one-dimensional, but good enough. The 2008 La Croix Beaucaillou was showing a little too much oak, and the 2001 Ducru Beaucaillou was at its peak – which makes me think it is high time to start opening the fine wines in my cellar from that vintage.

Our next stop was at Lynch Bages. This estate is very much into wine tourism. Not only do they receive visitors easily, including on Sunday (a rare phenomenon in Bordeaux), but the Cazes family has also established a little hamlet nearby with a restaurant (Café Lavinal), baker, butcher, and gift shop. We received a standard tour and then tasted several wines from the Cazes stable, starting with Les Ormes de Pez, Echo de Lynch Bages, and Lynch Bages from the 2014 vintage. Unsurprisingly, Lynch Bages was the star here, with the château’s trademark blackcurrant fruit. We also tasted 2007 Ormes de Pez and Lynch Bages, neither of which left a particularly fine impression. We finished with the 2014 Blanc de Lynch Bages that displayed a very fresh varietal (Sauvignon Blanc) nose and a considerable amount of oak.

The last stop of the day, and the end of the tour, was at Château Pichon Longueville. This was a wonderful end to a memorable trip. We were taken around by Nicolas Santier, who did a tremendous job. He is extremely well-informed, speaks excellent English, and has a great sense of humor. He made us feel very much at home – even when we went to dinner in the château, in the lap of luxury…

Prior to dinner, Nicolas took us through a fascinating tasting in one of the best equipped tasting rooms I know. It was also quite appreciable to be able to sit down by this point!
We sampled 2014 Pibran and then 2014, 2010, 2009, and 2008 Pichon Baron. I think Pibran is one of the best value wines in the Médoc and was therefore not surprised to enjoy the 2014. All the Pichons were top-notch, and I was especially taken with the 2008. The others may be intrinsically better, but they need a great deal of time to come together, especially the 2010.

We went from the tasting room to the château, where we were immediately served a glass of Jacquesson Champagne (I believe it was the 735, but why in the world do they give their wines numbers instead of names?) and invited to walk around and admire the beautifully decorated rooms and antique furniture. Then it was time for a formal meal in the lovely dining room. The following wines were served: 2012 “S” de Suduiraut (a dry Sauternes), 2004 Pichon Baron, 2003 Pichon Baron, and 1988 Pichon Baron. The white wine was perky and nice, more attractive than serious, and probably best enjoyed young. The 2004 Baron was a little weak on the middle palate, a tad dry, and still youthful. The 2003 once again belied the preconceived notion that the wines of this vintage are top-heavy, overly alcoholic, and flabby. 2003 Pichon was certainly rich, but not outrageously so, and had good acidity. Very pleasant. The 1988 was served blind and correctly guessed by one of the group members who had bought cases of the wine. It was “à point” and a wonderful way to end the series. A silky, aromatic 2005 Suduiraut was served with dessert.

We left the château replete, tired, and extremely happy. Looking back at the floodlit château and its reflecting pond, we were filled with admiration for the majesty of the great wines of Bordeaux, as well as the genius of the Bordelais in linking their wines with magnificent structures such as this.

The Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts forum

To my knowledge, this is the only forum in any language focusing on Bordeaux wines.

Started by James Howaniec, a lawyer in Maine (USA) in 2005, Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts is a free-wheeling forum open to everyone who loves the wines of the Gironde and who cares to express their experiences, ideas, thoughts, and tasting notes in English.

www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com

The bulk of contributors are from the US, but there are also contingents from the UK, Canada, and other countries.

What’s wonderful is that a lot of the guys get together for tasting dinners in a number of cities across North America and Europe. These “off-lines” are tremendously convivial, and have included many memorable wines thanks to the generosity of members belonging to the BWE virtual community.

BWE “conventions” are held once a year. Furthermore, two pilgrimages have been made to Bordeaux for intensive forays into the wine country in the group’s 15-year history. The highlight of the 2005 trip was dinner at Château Margaux and magnums of the 1961 served by white-gloved waiters with the cheese course…
The 2015 week-long trip (18 people) also includes a wonderful agenda. Yours truly will be taking part on 4 out of 5 days, and it will be a pleasure to share the experience on my blog.
So, please stay tuned to www.bordeauxwineblog.com in the coming days!

Two from Lalande-de Pomerol and one Fronsac

2010 Château Perron, Lalande de Pomerol

Michel-Pierre Massonie is one of the leading figures not only in Lalande de Pomerol, but also in Bordeaux. He was president of the Grand Conseil des Vins de Bordeaux for 9 years (http://www.grandconseilvinsbordeaux.com/GrandConseilBx_site/welcome.html).
Monsieur Massonie is an ardent defender of his appellation and was also one of the founders of the local vinous brotherhood, Les Baillis de Lalande de Pomerol.
He has since handed over winemaking at Château Perron to his son, Bertrand. I bought a couple of bottles of his 2010 during a Portes Ouvertes weekend in April of last year: http://www.lalande-pomerol.com/
The wine had a deep color, but the nose is really rather mute. There are nevertheless some violet aromas in the background. There is also a pleasant tartness on the palate. This is very appetizing with blackberry flavors, a tea element, and a lip smacking aftertaste. Not necessarily what one expects from a Merlot-based wine, but fun to drink and enjoyable young.

La Sergue

2008 Château La Sergue, Lalande de Pomerol

The Chatonnet family has very deep winegrowing roots in the Libourne region. Besides managing Ch. Haut-Chaigneau in Lalande de Pomerol and L’Archange in Saint-Emilion, Pascal Chatonnet also owns and manages Laboratoire Excell, a world-class firm specialized in enological analyses.
La Sergue is made from the best 5 hectares of the family’s 22 hectares of vines in Lalande (87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec). The 2008 is looking just about as it should for a 6 year-old wine. The nose shows ripe plummy fruit and subtle mocha overtones. Internationally renowned for his research on the effect of oak on wine, it is hardly surprising that Pascal Chatonnet has mastered barrel ageing to perfection here. There are dried fruit and blackberry flavors on the palate, and a cherry-vanilla component. This is definitely not your easy-going Merlot, because the tannin has loads of character and follows through into good grip on the long and slightly tarry aftertaste. I have followed La Serge for years, and it never disappoints. This 2008 is pleasurable to drink now, but it needs much more time to reach its full potential.

2005 Château Haut Carles, Fronsac

This is the prestige cuvee of Château de Carles, a 14.5-hectae estate in Saillans (AOC Fronsac). The wine is followed by Michel Rolland and comes within the orbit of Jean-Luc Thunevin. In fact, I bought the wine at Thunevin’s boutique in Saint-Emilion several years ago.
Haut-Carles has also received praise from Robert Parker, and I was more-or-less prepared to encounter a big Parker-style wine. Big it is, to the extent that it is 14.5% alc./vol. However, the wine is by no means clunky and, mercifully, is not heavily overoaked. The color is very dark purplish-red with thick legs, and looks younger than its years. The nose is rather closed-in, but shows hints of prune, candied fruit, and chocolate.
Seeing the alcohol content on the label, I was expecting a “hot” wine. But, no, this Haut Carles is not overbearing or adversely affected by its alcohol content. It is indeed spirity to some extent, but this is ethereal. The wine has a heavy mouth feel and is quite rich. It nevertheless lacks acidity, freshness, and elegance. The aftertaste finishes dry, and the new oak does come through at this stage. Although somewhat one-dimensional, this Haut-Carles is a pleasant enough wine. At ten years of age, is has mostly achieved what it is capable of.

2000 Fonréaud (Listrac), 2004 d’Issan (Margaux), and 2004 Bessane (Margaux

2000 Château Fonréaud, Listrac
I’ve long been a fan of Fonréaud and its sister château across the road, Château Lestage, both owned by the Chanfreau family, who made wine in Algeria before they came to the Médoc.
Listrac is a small appellation that does not have much of an identity with wine lovers. There are nevertheless some fine estates there. Fonréaud has 38 hectares of vines (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot). The château also makes a rare white Médoc (AOC Bordeaux) Le Cygne Blanc.
I opened this 2000 (red), figuring that most mid-range Bordeaux from that vintage is ready to drink. As it turns out in this particular instance, the wine probably would have been better a few years ago…
The color was showing its age, and then some, with a brown rim. The bouquet was the best part of the wine, showing sweet, subtle fruit and some humus overtones.
The taste was of aged Cabernet, in an old-fashioned style. The rich, velvety attack proceeded to turn dry, grippy, and austere, without the richness one would hope for in this great vintage. This is the sort of wine that is fine with food, but judged on its own, I would have to be fairly severe. Of course, this is a reflection on one wine, not on the estate as a whole. It makes me want to try a younger vintage soon!

2004 Château d’Issan, Margaux
Dating back to the 17th century, Issan is one of the loveliest châteaux in the Médoc. The estate’s history goes back to the Middle Ages. As one of ten third growths in Bordeaux, its reputation is better than most. Associated with the Cruse family since 1945, a new partner appeared in 2013 when Jacky Lorenzetti (owner of Ch. Pédesclaux in Pauillac and Château Lilian Ladouys in Saint-Estèphe) acquired a 50% shareholding.
Coming to the conclusion that most 2004s are ready to go, I opened and decanted this 2004 d’Issan two hours before drinking. The color is of medium intensity. There’s still some purple there, and good legs. The nose is sweet and ethereal, with humus, raisiny, and menthol nuances, as well as a pronounced smell I can only describe as lead, which I tend to attribute to appellations further north… As beguiling as the nose is, the wine disappoints on the palate, which is medium-long and refreshing, but dips on the middle and becomes angular. The lead aromatics follow through. This wine is like an overly thin top model. It will hold for quite some time thanks to the acid backbone, but will always lack generosity and richness.

2004 Château La Bessane, Margaux
Martine Cazeneuve is the driving force behind the 32-hectare cru bourgeois Haut-Médoc, Ch. Paloumey in Ludon, between La Lagune and Cantemerle. I’ve always been a fan of Paloumey. Madame Cazeneuve also owns 3 hectares in Cantenac, in the Margaux appellation. Ch. La Bessane is little-known because it is so small. It is also off the beaten track because it has a very unusual mix of grape varieties: 50% Petit Verdot (!), 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot.
The 2004 is a very deep purplish-red and a little fuzzy on the rim. My notes for the nose come in two stages. After two hours in the decanter, the bouquet was rather dumb, with caramel overtones. However, after another 4 hours it was singing, with pure, subtle, seductive, black cherry and pipe tobacco aromas. My better half tasted the wine blind and did not think it was a Bordeaux. I’m not really surprised because one doesn’t often come across such a huge percentage of Petit Verdot. The wine seemed big and brooding on the palate at first, but with increased aeration showed a sappy cherry quality, followed by an acid zing. Although many of the 2004s I’m drinking are not going anywhere, 2004 Ch. La Bessane definitely has more to deliver in the coming years.

2010 Clos Floridène (Graves blanc) and 2004 Ch. Durfort Vivens (Margaux)

I enjoyed two Bordeaux wines on Sunday, starting off with 2010 Clos Floridène, a white Graves from Denis Dubourdieu, Dean of the Institut des Science de la Vigne et du Vin, well-known consultant, owner of several estates in Bordeaux (including the great growth Doisy-Daënes in Barsac), and acknowledged authority on the making of white wines.

So, it was a fairly safe bet that this would not be a dud! In fact, I’ve known Clos Floridène for years, and it is widely considered a model of what white Bordeaux should be.
Clos Floridène has 17 hectares of red vines and 23 of white. It is located in Pujols, a stone’s throw from the Sauternes appellation. The white wine is made from 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 44% Sémillion and 1% Muscadelle.
The color of the 2010 was pale gold with green tinges and the nose was fresh, tart, lemony and showing subtle overtones of honey. The wine was really all that it should be on the palate, with citrus overtones and a dry mineral finish – more akin to a Pessac-Léognan than a Graves blanc, but fortunately with the latter’s price tag, making this very good value for money. This is by no means a great wine, but it is a poster child for disbelievers of what Bordeaux can do with dry white wines!
It is fine to drink now, but will hold for years.
One odd thing. I’m used to encountering citrus overtones in wine, but this is the first time I can remember smelling lime nuances!

The red wine of the day was 2004 Durfort Vivens. I had great hopes here because when I tasted it en primeur alongside other great growths in the Margaux appelation, it seemed one of the top wines. A few other tasters agreed with me. Unfortunately, this promise was not borne out ten years later. The wine’s color was encouraging: a very dark core with only medium bricking, looking younger than its years. The nose was satisfactory as well, with hints of plum, although not very forthcoming. However, the wine fell down on the palate which showed far too much of an acid edge. On the whole, this 2004 Durfort came off as thin and mean, with ungracious tannin on the finish. A big disappointment. I have 2 other bottles, and I’m hoping that this one is not typical.
By the way, the label has changed with the 2007 vintage, if none of you has seen it:
http://www.durfort-vivens.fr/blog/index.php?post/2010/02/06/Bienvenue-sur-Dotclear%C2%A0!

The Chinese buy their 100th château in Bordeaux!

Today’s edition of the Sud-Ouest newspaper reports that the 100th Bordeaux château has been purchased by a Chinese (that includes Hong Kong and Chinese living outside their country of origin). As we all know, the Chinese market has receded, but the country still imports one out of every ten liters produced in Bordeaux, which is to say one hell of a lot of wine…

The Chinese strategy has been to target estates in less showy appellations, particularly the Entre-Deux-Mers region. Furthermore, the attractiveness of the château building and grounds is a major factor in purchases. Only one classified growth is Chinese-owned: Bellefont-Belcier in Saint-Emilion.

Curiously, the Chinese now own a huge chunk of the Fronsac appellation, with châteaux Richelieu, La Rivière, and Plain-Point. In the Médoc, the Chinese flag waves over Loudenne, Barateau, Bernadotte, Preuillac, Andron, and Les Tourelles.

Mr. Naijie Qu from Dalian (northeast China) alone has 23 châteaux, totalling 500 hectares.
That having been said, all Chinese holdings amount to just 1.5% of the total surface area under vine.

There have been a few management problems and other difficulties due to the Chinese ignorance of French labor laws, but the trend continues unabated.

Money talks in Bordeaux, and is worth noting the openness to foreigners as compared to the ruckus caused by the Chinese purchase of the Château de Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy, where they own next to no vineyards.

2000 Château Clerc Milon

I’m having a whale of a time drinking many of my 2000 Bordeaux. There will always be people telling you to wait another couple of decades, to which I say “Bah, humbug !”. Of course, the very top wines may need that much time. But many, many wines of less exalted lineage are fine just now.
Trust me.

To wit, this 2000 Clerc Milon (40 hectares), a 5th growth from the Mouton Rothschild stable. I’ve always liked Clerc Milon and agree with conventional views that it is one notch above its brother, another 5th growth Pauillac, Ch. d’Armailhac (70 hectares), with which it is inevitably compared. This is reflected in the prices of the respective wines.

I visited the new Clerc Milon cellar last year. It is built in a resolutely modern style on a rise directly overlooking Ch. Lafite Rothschild.
Apparently, a new cellar is also planned for d’Armailhac in the near future.

Back to the wine… 2000 Clerc Milon has a medium-deep colour and a bricking rim, looking slightly older than its age. The wine leaves thick legs on the glass. By the way, there is a common misconception that this is due to glycerine. However, I can remember a tasting tutored by the late Professor Emily Peynaud in which he said that this is incorrect: it is due to alcohol.

The nose is not very pronounced. It is a little dusty with subtle hints of raisins and black fruit jelly.

The wine is more interesting on the palate. It starts our round, then dips, and comes back with an assertive velvety tannic texture. It is warming, a little dry, and has a strong finish that even displays a little alcoholic hotness. The flavors include ethereal cherry-vanilla nuances and even some menthol/eucalyptus notes. The aftertaste is what makes this wine worthwhile. The textured tannin and grip also show that, although it has definitely entering its drinking window, it will stay on its plateau for a long time. In the galaxy of Médoc great growths this wine is middle of the road. But that’s still saying a great deal, and it is unquestionably a good, solid Pauillac.

2007 Clos Dady, 2002 Ch. Troplong Mondot, and 2000 Ch. Siran

I have been a fan of Clos Dady for a while. This 6-hectare estate in Preignac was recently purchased by the Russian Eli Ragimov. It is currently managed in conjunction with nearby Château d’Arche.As opposed to the red wines of Bordeaux, 2007 is a good year for sweet white wines, and this comes through in 2007 Clos Dady, which I enjoyed with panfried foie gras – a marriage made in heaven…
The color is a rich deep golden yellow with bronze highlights. The nose is very fresh and fruity with quince and (decided) pear aromas, with some waxy nuances. The bouquet seems much more overripe than botrytized.

The taste goes from round and unctuous into a finish with pronounced acidity. The aftertaste is pleasant, but on the short side.
This is nevertheless a good wine to enjoy at this stage of its development. It is fresh and vital. I am of the opinion that there is a style of Sauternes (like this) that appeals more to the French market, as opposed to the other kind (more botrytized, more concentrated, and oaky) that appeals to foreign markets. At table, even so, this Clos Dady was a treat.

I expected much from the 2002 Ch. Troplong Mondot, a wine that I do not follow regularly, but which was promoted to Premier Grand Cru status in 2006 and confirmed in 2012. Aware that 2002 is not such a wonderful vintage, especially on the Right Bank, I was willing to make allowances. I was nevertheless disappointed with what I tasted. The color is lovely and deep, looking younger than its age. The nose has hints of leather and musk as well as a ferrous, and what I call a soy sauce element. It is ripe and shows candied fruit. Things unfortunately go downhill from there… The wine is simply steamrollered by the oak.
One of the great discussions among Bordeaux lovers is the “classic” versus the “modern” style. I freely admit to belonging more to the former camp. Still, I have an open mind. But when a wine is as overwhelmed as this by barrel ageing, you simply have to admit it. 2002 Troplong Mondot is thus big and a little “hot” on the palate with a hard, dry, oaky aftertaste. It is curiously diluted on the attack, and then goes dumb and tight. The wine showed a little better after a few hours in the decanter, but it is going nowhere. Someone was a just a little too ambitious that year in light of the fruit’s potential.
The last Troplong Mondot I had was a 1990, which was delightful, so I do not mean to paint every vintage with the same brush by any means.
Also, I am anxious to go to the restaurant that recently opened at Troplong Mondot, called Les Belles Perdrix. I’ve heard very good reports…
The Bordeaux rumor mill has been very active with news of a possible takeover of the estate since Christine Valette passed away last year, but these seem to be ungrounded.

I am increasingly finding that mid-range 2000 Bordeaux is ready to drink. So, I decanted a bottle of 2000 Ch. Siran to have with rabbit à la moutarde. I should point out that the mustard ends up being very subtle when blended with the cooking juices and cream, so this did not really skew my evaluation. Anyway, the color of this 2000 Siran is very deep and thick, looking younger than its years. The nose is surprisingly mute. Although pure, it is not very expressive at all. What little I could detect smelled like beetroot. The wine is somewhat better on the palate and reminded me of nothing so much as the way Médoc used to taste when I first arrived in Bordeaux, over 30 years ago. I noted cedar and a touch of blackcurrant, but also unquestionable greenness and bitterness on the finish. I came back to the wine 5 hours after the meal, and it had changed little. The tealike flavors are very reminiscent of old-fashioned Médoc. Above all, this wine would have been much better a few years ago. You’d have to look very hard to find any of the characteristics usually associated with Margaux…

New Cocks & Féret out

I have just received my copy of the most recent Cocks & Féret – the 19^thedition. A new one is published every 5 to 7 years.

The history of the “Bordeaux Bible” is quite a long one, going back to Bordeaux: its wines and the claret country by Charles Cocks published in London in 1846. In 1850, the Guide de l’étranger à Bordeaux et dans la Gironde. Bordeaux, ses environs et ses vins classés par ordre de mérite was first published by Féret in Bordeaux.

In 1874, Édouard Féret separated the book into two parts:

Le guide de l’étranger à Bordeaux,
Bordeaux et ses Vins – henceforth called “Cocks & Féret”

The 2014 edition has fewer pages then the preceding one for the first time in 20 years: 1,952 compared to 2,291 in 2007. This is primarily due to the fact that many estates have disappeared or merged. For instance, in the 1995 Féret, only two or three châteaux had more than 100 hectares of vines… but there are over forty today. Eight hundred of the 1,500 estates eliminated in the past seven years had fewer than 10 hectares. Furthermore, just over 100 natural or legal persons own nearly 20,000 hectares of vines, i.e. over 18% of the total vineyard area in Bordeaux (115 000 hectares).

The 2014 Féret lists 5,000 estates, 1,000 of which have a detailed description.

The book is broken down into several parts: information about winegrowing in Bordeaux, the 5,000 châteaux, the 1,900 négociant brands, a breakdown of production by commune (554 in the Gironde), a list of the 160 négociant firms (which is also significantly reduced compared to the last edition), and a complete index that is at the front of the book – quite useful for such a thick tome).

The smallest estate in Bordeaux is Château Linot in Saint Estèphe (0.07 hectare) and the largest is Château La Borne in Massugas (321 hectares) in Massugas)

Best regards,
Alex R.

Graves, more Graves and… Pessac-Léognan – DAY TWO

DAY TWO

Day two was spent exclusively in the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

My first stop was at Château Le Sartre in Léognan. This estate originally belonged to the Perrin family of Château Carbonnieux and since 2004 has been managed by Marie-José Perrin-Leriche and her husband, René Leriche, assisted by the Burgundian Jules Guyot. The 36 hectares are mostly planted with red wine varieties (12 ha. Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.7 ha. Merlot, and 1.1 ha Cabernet Franc), but there are also 10.2 hectares of white wine grapes (8.2 Sauvignon Blanc and 2 ha Sémillon). The vines are an average age of 20 years old.
The main 26-hectare plot is located in a single block south of Fieuzal and east of Domaine de Chevalier. The terroir here is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Unfortunately, it is also prone to frost damage, and Le Sartre produced only a quarter of a normal crop in 2011… That is why you see wind machines here, like in California.

A second 7.6 km plot, one km. away, between Fieuzal and Malartic-Lagravière, as well as a small 1.7 hectare plot near Carbonnieux, have more early-maturing terroirs and are less subject to frost damage.
Things are stirring at Le Sartre. The cellar has state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and the château building is being entirely renovated. Furthermore, the wine is finally gaining the reputation it deserves and is definitely one to watch out for! The French wine critic Jean-Marc Quarin includes Le Sartre in a group he calls “the Outsiders” – wines currently undervalued and well worth following. I couldn’t agree more with his analysis…

I went from Le Sartre to Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte, where a major tasting of red Pessac-Léognan wines had been organized. M. and Mme Cathiard could only greet us at the end because an Air France strike had prevented them from arriving any earlier.

Smith Haut Lafitte is geared up to receive visitors in an almost New World way, with knowledgeable staff and facilities suited to tours. The château’s improvement over the past 20 years is one of Bordeaux’s great success stories.

Here are my notes from the tasting, once again leaving out references to color, which was invariably good for these young wines:

RED PESSAC-LEOGNAN WINES

2011 Ch. de Léognan
Nose: soft, simple, straightforward
Palate: shows candied fruit, but does not develop a great deal on the palate. Marked acidity, but still shows good balance.

2011 Lespault-Martillac
Nose: subtle and fairly earthy, with penetrating black cherry aromas and an ethereal spirity side
Palate: chewy with nicely-grained tannin and lively acidity. Shortish aftertaste with liquorice overtones. Good to drink young.

2011 Gazin Rocquencourt
Nose: understated sweet cherry and cranberry sauce aromas
Palate: lovely balance and lip-smackingly good. Great acidity and cherry-vanilla flavors. Not a show stopper, but a wine lover’s sort of wine, with a long aftertaste and just the right amount of oak.

2011 Carmes Haut Brion
Nose: classic, discreet oak, with the fruit just starting to come through
Palate: rich, a little weak on the middle palate and with a certain dryness on the aftertaste due to barrel ageing. However, I would like to give this wine the benefit of the doubt, and hope that everything comes together well in a few years’ time.

2011 La Louvière
Nose: lovely soft cherry-vanilla aromas. Irreproachable.
Palate: lively acidity and good tannic texture. Digestible sort of wine. The oak should even out, but it contributes to a dry finish at present. One of the better wines at the tasting.

2011 de France
Nose: great, typical Graves with a vivacious, rich, fruity bouquet but too much oak comes through at this stage.
Palate: Round, big, full-bodied, with a velvety texture and a nice lift. Question mark about the oak.

2011 Luchey Halde
Nose: pretty, deep, and brambly, with dark fruit
Palate: round, juicy, up-front attack with good acidity to follow. Well-made wine with a great tang on the finish. Although it lacks richness and voluptuousness, it is still very good with a lovely cherry lozenge finish. Thank goodness the oak is low-profile. One of the best wines in the tasting.

2011 Rouillac
Nose: straightforward, “petits fruits rouges” and primary fruit
Palate: light and fluid, uncomplicated, with an aftertaste that adds seriousness to the wine.

2011 d’Eyran
Nose: fine fresh forest fruit bouquet, beguiling, lovely. Mercifully not too much oak, but some roast coffee aromas.
Palate: plush and melts in the mouth, but underpinned by good acidity. Some (but not too much) oak on the long, textured finish. Traditional, however not one for the long haul. Nice discovery and one of the best wines.

2011 Haut Bergey
Nose: attractive and classy. Sweet plum and berry fruit.
Palate: mouth-filling, but falls down somewhat on the middle palate. Too much oak on the aftertaste. One has the impression of prime fruit that has seen too high a percentage of new oak barrels.

2011 Olivier
Nose: fine bouquet. Deep, inky, with somewhat unexpected honey nuances!
Palate: starts out round, and plush, but proves to be weak on the middle palate. The oak ageing is over-ambitious.

2011 Bouscaut
Nose: sweet cedar and slightly confected fruit. Very good and concentrated.
Palate: Starts out nice, rich, and supple going on to show good acidity . Fine tannic texture. Great to see Bouscaut on the upswing and this was one of the best wines of the tasting.

2011 La Tour Martillac
Nose: a little spirity and closed in at the moment
Palate: soft, a little dilute to start off, but segues into a wine of character with a fine aftertaste. Elegant tannin and oak under control.

2011 Couhins
Nose: sweet with good oak
Palate: melts in the mouth, then proceeds to follow through well with authority and good acidity. Nice oak background and a good finish. Thirst-quenching wine of distinction. Recommended.

2011 Couhins Lurton
Nose: ripe, fresh, and pure, with a subtle perfume
Palate: serious wine. Great balance. Very representative of its appellation. Velvety texture. One of the best wines. Only a certain diluteness and weakness leading up to the aftertaste keep it out of the very finest category, but nevertheless a wine to reckon with.

2011 Carbonnieux
Nose: discreet but promising
Palate: mouthfilling with good acidity, as well as nice texture and length. A tad dry, though.

2011 Malartic Lagravière
Nose: subtle, fresh, and brambly with understated oak
Palate: rich and melts in the mouth, but provides a fresh fruit tang on the aftertaste. Sensual. One of the best of the tasting.

2011 Haut Bailly
Nose: brilliant, nuanced, and classy with well-integrated oak
Palate: tightly-knit, superb balance, with deep dark fruit flavors. Wonderful, and my finest score.

2011 Smith Haut Lafitte
Nose: pert, perfumed, uplifting, and not too oaky, with fine berry aromas
Palate: mouthfilling and delicious, neither over-extracted nor over-oaked. Touch dry on the finish, but this is indeed a fine wine.

2011 Domaine de Chevalier
Nose: sweet and subtle with floral and berry overtones
Palate: light on its feet and refreshing due to lively acidity. Superb, a sort of sublime luncheon claret. Fine, textbook Graves.

After the tasting, I was invited to a lunch at Château Larrivet Haut Brion hosted by Emilie Gervoson, Bruno Lemoine, and his daughter, Alice, who runs the boutique.

Larrivet Haut-Brion has a fantastic terroir very close to Haut Bailly, and the estate is truly lovely, including an imposing château, landscaped grounds, and a pond with swans and a fountain…
Emilie Gervoson is the new face of Bordeaux: young, bouncy, given to wearing jaunty hats, and diametrically-opposed to the prim, proper, and slightly boring variety of Bordelaise (she’s actually Parisienne)…

The Gervosons made a fortune in jams and fruit-based desserts and still own the family firm (Andros). Bruno Lemoine was formerly manager at Ch. Montrose, and responsible for making the legendary 1990. He has been in charge of Larrivet Haut Brion since 2008. Michel Rolland is the consulting enologist.

Bruno has changed things considerably and is totally open to new methods, including “concrete eggs”.
Our dinner conversation was free-wheeling and far-ranging, including such controversial subjects as Isabelle Saporta’s book, Vino Business. The wines (2010 white and 2006 red) showed very well and dynamic changes taking place at present bode well for this superbly-located estate.

The next stop was Château de France, where we were welcomed by the owner, Arnaud Thomassin. However, there was not to be a tour of his château. Instead, we tasted through a line-up of white Pessac Léognan. Here are my notes for the 12 wines I tasted:

2013 WHITE PESSAC-LEOGNAN WINES

It was also explained to me that Pessac-Léognan is only twice the size of Pomerol, one of the smallest appellations in Bordeaux – and that only 15% of the wine is white. Furthermore, at several prestigious estates, it is worth noting that the white costs more or considerably more than the red…

2013 Grandmaison
Nose: very varietal Sauvignon Blanc characteristics, but not much else there
Palate: better, lemony, tart, fresh, and good

2013 Luchey Halde
Nose: attractive and expressive with peach and floral overtones
Palate: clean, sprightly, tart, surely even better with food

2013 Couhins
Nose: grassy and not saying much at this time
Palate: sharp and not very fruity

2013 Couhins Lurton
Nose: very varietal Sauvignon Blanc, but not in an exaggerated way
Palate: fuller and richer than expected after the nose, and showing good balance. Ripe, fresh, and clearly one of the better wines at the tasting.

2013 Smith Haut Lafite
Nose: understated
Palate: silky and “sweet”, with good oak. What the French call “un vin de gastronomie”. Persistent aromatics. Not overdone in any way, tremendously well-balanced and refined. Tied for first place in my notes, and far from some of the overdone versions of SHL I’ve encountered in the past. Congratulations!

2013 Fieuzal
Nose: tropical fruit
Palate: round and more of a pronounced mouth feel than most of the other wines. Svelte and dry, with citrus overtones. Quite fine.

2013 Malartic Lagravière
Nose: characterful with discreet tropical fruit, and like nothing so much as a dry Sauternes
Palate: mouthfilling with resinous nuances sliding into a beautiful mineral finish. Seriously good, and tied with the Smith Haut Lafitte for wine of the tasting.

2013 Bouscaut
Nose: classic, with beeswax and lemon nuances
Palate: lanoline, vanilla, and clove going into an unexpectedly pronounced mineral finish coming into its own after a little flabbiness on the middle palate. This should not imply this was not a very good wine, because it was. Between this white and the red I tasted the day before, I applaud the renaissance at Bouscaut!

2013 Lespault Martillac
Nose: seemed a bit chemical and technical. The bouquet is fresh and there’s some lemon there, but it lacks definition.
Palate: good, soft attack but empty on the middle palate. Penetrating vibrant acidity.

2013 La Louvière
Nose: fresh, but closed in at this stage.
Palate: fairly mineral with an acid edge. Good, but needs to age.

2013 La Garde
Nose: very varietal Sauvignon Blanc, and somewhat in your face
Palate: round, commercial style. Little obvious and with a salty finish.

2013 Rouillac
Nose: soft and enticing
Palate: softness here as well for this elegant wine that segues into a mineral aftertaste showing the intelligent use of new oak. A really nice discovery for me.

The day ended with a gala dinner at Château de Fieuzal for a group of about 100 or 120 people. This was all of a 10 minute walk from Ch. de France and it was a joy to go there on foot and admire the ripe grapes on the way.

I enjoyed a memorable evening with Véronique Bonnie-Laplane of Malartic Lagravière, Fabien Teitgen of Smith Haut Lafitte, Francis Boutemy of Haut Lagrange, Rémi Edange of Domaine de Chevalier, Emmanuelle Jeannerot of the Pessac-Léognan Syndicat, Philippe Miecaze of Ch. de Léognan, and an English Master of Wine student. Conversation was lively and the wines were wonderful, including Smith Haut Lafitte, Malartic Lagravière and Haut Bailly, all from the 2000 vintage – and nowhere near as backward as one might expect.

And so my two days in the Graves drew to a close…