Today we headed in a different direction - over the "Entre Deux Mers" and up to Pomerol and Saint Emilion. First stop was the headquarters of Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix where Christian Moueix and his son Edouard greeted us with an all-star Pomerol line-up (and their two Saint Emilions - Magdelaine and Belair Monange). What a cracking tasting this was with the wonderful, plump, yet perfectly balanced Moueix wines. Trotanoy, La Fleur Petrus and Hosanna were all outstanding and Certan de May (not actually made by them but part of their portfolio) is at the same level. The erudite and charming Christian Moueix told us that 2010 was a vintage that needed "under-extraction" not "over-extraction" and that he had gone to great lengths not to exaggerate the vintage's tannins. If only some of the Saint Emilion producers with their 15 degree headbangers had listened to these wise words....
A series of Chateau visits started at Cheval Blanc where we tasted probably the best wine made here since 1990. Pierre Lurton arrived here in 1991 when he made the incredibly brave decision to ditch the entire production. Now, with his 20th vintage, he has struck gold. Certainly the world's greatest expression of Cabernet Franc
Jacques Thienpont at le Pin
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Next stop was Vieux Chateau Certan where the normally reserved and discreet Alexandre Thienpont was clearly delighted with his wine - and no wonder. What a fantastic Pomerol! After a quick stop at Le Pin (where a new winery is under construction) it was off to see the genius that is Denis Durantou. We've been singing Denis' praises since the late 1980's and it would take something really special to surprise us here but wow, he's done it. A stunning range of wines from the humble La Chenade (best ever!) to l'Eglise Clinet itself. If the 2009 was a 98-100 point wine then this is all set for 100 plus. Most of us were speechless after tasting this masterpiece. Start begging for an allocation now!
Barry Phillips and Denis Durantou
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We finished our trip to Pomerol with the sumptuous La Conseillante and a visit to Petrus where both Olivier Berrouet (winemaker since 2008) and his father Jean-Claude (winemaker since 1964) were present. What an honour and what a wine! Our overall experience of Pomerol this year is that this could be one of the best vintages ever as the top wines have better balance than their 2009 counterparts and are wonderfully pure and classy. Much more homogenius than the mixed bunch in St Emilion.
The Farr team at Petrus with Olivier Berrouet (5th from left)
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Then it was back over the border to taste a deep and impressive Angelus and a line up of the good, the bad and the ugly at the UGC tasting. Some of the best and worst wines of the vintage were to be found here.
One of our favourite visits is always to Ausone where our old friend Alain Vauthier receives his annual supply of 24 month-old Cheddar from Mrs Montgomery via Barry. Alain produces the goods here year after year. Ausone is great - no surprise - but a special mention must go to the best Fonbel ever. After a stiff walk up the hill, it was a pleasant stroll back down into the village where Jean-Luc Thunevin's "garage" sported a white Rolls Royce outside and a black Valandraud inside. This is a wine that takes no prisoners. One of the most macho wines of Bordeaux is actually made by a woman - Jean Luc's wife, Murielle Andraud.
Garagiste Jean-Luc Thunevin and Stephen Browett take a break from tasting the black Valandraud to admire the white Roller
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Our final Right Bank visit was to the Burgundian-like cellars of Francois Mitjavile - a man who stuns us every year with his charming welcome and his charming wines that taste more like Musigny than Bordeaux. Tertre Roteboeuf and Roc de Cambes are as delightful as ever. I casually mention that our rookie team member Tom Parker was born in 1989 and we are summoned out to the garden where a bottle of Tertre Roteboeuf 1989 appears as if by magic. Tom earns his place on the trip just by being born....
Francois Mitjavile opens the 1989
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As we gaze at the stunning view from the Mitjavile back garden we suddenly realise that we need to get a move on. The traffic is terrible and things go from bad to worse when we are pulled over by "les flics" for speeding on the Rocade. At 5.30 in the evening this is quite an achievement on Bordeaux's ring-road and Barry comes up with some strong Anglo Saxon vocabularly while our driver Jerome is ticked off and fined by the Police.
Jean-Phillipe Delmas, Stephen Browett and Prince Robert de Luxembourg show the new shapes of their big bottle formats
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We save one of the best visits till last. What a line up from the Clarence Dillon Estate. We thought that when we tasted the 2005's here that we had hit the jackpot. Last year we had to admit that 2009 was even better but 2010 is simply the best ever. Are we tasting the modern day version of 1989 Haut Brion? Bear in mind that that's one of the greatest wines ever made - and so is this! (La Mission too) ! Prince Robert and Jean-Philippe Delmas wave us goodbye as we head off to the airport with smiles from ear to ear.
