As Thomas and Ben had spent the month of September picking grapes at Chateau Latour I thought that it would be good to see how they were getting on, get a quick snap-shot of the new vintage and re-taste a few 2010’s from barrel and, even more interesting, taste the finished 2009’s from bottle for the first time. I flew down to Bordeaux during the first week of October.
The first news to report is that the 2011 harvest is all picked. Most properties started their Merlots in early September and had gathered in all their Cabernets well before the end of the month. This early harvest was achieved mainly by early flowering but also by the urgent need to pick the grapes before botrytis became a serious problem. Those customers who bought 2009 and 2010 Bordeaux (probably 90% of those who read these blogs) will probably be pleased to hear that there is no way that 2011 will be able to rival those 2 monumental vintages for quality. 2011 looks set to be a decent vintage, maybe even a good one, that will be judged somewhere between the very good (and often under-rated) 2001 and the good (and often over-rated) 2008. Time will tell. It was certainly fascinating to taste week old wines at several of the properties that we visited.
The amazing line-up at Latour
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The great news is that 2009 and 2010 are just as brilliant as we first thought. These vintages are very much twins, but un-identical twins, that wine lovers will be able to enjoy over many years, and indeed decades, to come. I’ve been tasting young Bordeaux wine since the early 1980’s and they are certainly the best vintages that I’ve ever seen, just ahead of 2005 and 2000. Years like 1982, 1989 and 1990 were excellent too, but today’s production methods – far lower yields, far more strict sorting of the fruit, far more production of second (and even third) label wines and far better wine-making technology have all ensured that these young vintages will be even better, when mature, than the wines that we are drinking today. One proprietor told me that his classed growth Château is now harvesting half the volume of grapes as in 1990 and then half the resulting production is being relegated to the second label despite infinitely superior vinification techniques. Another proprietor told me that his second wine is now consistently better than any of his First wine produced before the year 2000.
I will run through a few of the wines that we tasted. It was too difficult to write notes on the raw 2011’s so just 2010 and 2009 here:
Saint Estephe
Ormes de Pez 2010 – This has fabulously sexy black fruit with a creamy texture. Lots of body and richness. Full and long. The best Ormes de Pez that I’ve ever tasted. 16.5+
Ormes de Pez 2009 – Not in the same league as the 2010 in terms of power but this is up-front, plump and delicious. It wouldn’t be a crime to drink this succulent wine in its youth and it’s certainly no typical, backward Saint Estephe. 15.5+
Lafon Rochet 2010 - Despite the high proportion of Merlot in the vineyard, this is a classically structured Cabernet Sauvignon based wine. Stern, serious and powerful. A classic St Estephe for the long term. 16.5
Lafon Rochet 2009 – This is lovely, Creamy polished and smooth but plenty of depth too. More 2009 than it is Saint Estephe and one of the most attractive yet full bodied Lafon Rochets ever. 16.5
Pagodes de Cos 2009 – A rich nose with a hint of toffee. Very good depth with plenty of ripe black fruit. Lovely cream and polish but that can’t gloss over the fact that this is a pretty serious long-term wine - not at all like a traditional second label. 16+
Thomas Parker and Stephen Browett listen to Jean-Guillaume Prats at Cos d'Estournel
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Cos d’Estournel 2009 – This is a wine that has a lot of hype to live up to…. A totally opaque , jet-black colour. A swirl in the glass and the wine instantly sticks to the sides with thick black “legs” that stubbornly refuse to drop. Staggeringly thick and viscose. Intense and powerful but it has a firm structure behind the dazzling depth of fruit. Is this what Mouton 1945 or Cheval Blanc 1947 tasted like 3 months after bottling? It is simply awesome. A wine of staggering density that is nevertheless authentic Bordeaux. Anyone who thinks this tastes like it comes from Napa or Oporto has got it completely wrong. My friend Mr L. , who has been drinking red wine daily for 40 years, was stunned into silence. Eventually he said that this is the greatest young wine that he has ever tasted. And this is a man who tasted Latour 2010 and 2009 yesterday! Amazing wine. If this doesn’t score 100 points, then I give up. 20
Pauillac
Pichon Lalande 2010 – Made from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon with 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot – This is remarkably round, ripe and voluptuous for a 2010. Beautiful cream and opulence albeit with a bit of a tannic kick at the finish. This wine is more Pichon Lalande than it is 2010 and lovers of this wine’s typical style will adore this 2010 which will be much more approachable in its youth than most of its peers in the vintage. 17.5
Pichon Lalande 2009 – Drop dead gorgeous. Fabulous sweet fruit here. Sexy, rich and ripe. A really seductive wine that reminds me of a concentrated, young version of the 1982. 18
Echo de Lynch Bages 2010 – No modest second wine….A glass-staining black colour. Lovely smoky bonfire nose. Hot, powerful and spicy. The greatest second wine ever made at this Estate. 16.5
Echo de Lynch Bages 2009 – Opulent black cherry fruit on the palate with lovely spicy notes. Sweet and rich on the palate. Flamboyant and sexy. Will be a great crowd-pleaser in its youth but will age well too. 16
Lynch Bages 2010 – A huge black colour with incredibly dense black fruit. This is incredibly dense and powerful and the very essence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Reminds me of the first time that I tasted Mouton Rothschild 1986. It’s really that good! 19+
Lynch Bages 2009 – A deep colour with super-ripe black fruit. Impressive depth. Very opulent but controlled too with some good structure to match the sensational depth of fruit. Sexier and more decadent than the 2010 but maybe not quite the backbone and density. A really great wine that is the modern day version of the awesome 1989 Lynch Bages. 19
Armailhac 2009 – Super-sexy, this has an amazingly inviting nose of toasted brioche, Asian spices and barbeque notes. Lots of cream and fatness on the palate but some tannin too. Spicy and rich throughout. A really gorgeous wine that will be hard to resist in its youth. 16.5+
3 great Pauillacs at Mouton Rothschild (they weren't revealing the Mouton label!)
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Clerc Milon 2009 – A powerful, classic Pauillac nose with graphite notes. Focussed, pure black fruit on the palate. A great central core of structure with dark chocolate fruit. Certainly less exuberant and more serious than the Armailhac and more for the long term. 17
Mouton Rothschild 2009 – A completely black colour. The nose is huge, exotic and spicy. Really very exotic with a myriad of flavours on the palate – licorice, cassis, toast, spice and pepper. Intense and opulent but has a serious backbone too. This seems to be a classic Mouton which reminds me of the great 1982 when I first tasted it 25 years ago. 19.5
Pontet Canet 2010 – Intensely sweet black fruit here. Very plump and plush for 2010 with rounded polished tannins and a huge density of black fruit on the palate. Really deep and strong but rounded edges. 18.5
Pontet Canet 2009 – Sexy, sweet black fruit. Dense, open-knit and opulent – a real tour de force of wine-making. Intensely Pauillac yet rich and seductive. 18.5+
Alfred Tesseron (on the right) at Pontet Canet
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Pichon Baron 2010 – 79% Cabernet Sauvignon – An intense black colour. Huge depth of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit here. Powerful, tannin and very serious. A real heavyweight that resembles a great vintage of Chateau Latour. Completely and utterly different from the Comtesse in every way. 19+
Pichon Baron 2009 – 67% Cabernet Sauvignon – Rich, full bodied and full of fruit. A beautiful Pauillac that seems to be both forward and plush yet firm and structured. Finely balanced and plump. 18
Forts de Latour 2010 – This has a stunning black colour and is absolutely stacked full of powerful black cherry fruit. The structure is classic and the finish amazingly long. This will be a wine to rival many a vintage of Latour itself. Frédéric Engerer, who has been in charge here since the mid 1990’s, is of no doubt that this is the greatest Les Forts ever made. Just as good, maybe even better than we tried it in April. 18.5
Latour 2010 - A completely opaque colour. This wine is absolutely massive! There are layers and layers of black fruit. Big and tannic, but there is an enormous depth of fruit to match the structure. This wine is absolutely stunning. The very essence of Cabernet Sauvignon and of Bordeaux. This really is the new 1961. What an incredible wine! 20
Latour 2009 – A very deep colour but not quite as black as the 2010. Incredibly opulent – this has all the richness of 2003 with the strength and power of the 2005. Sexy yet serious. A hedonist’s delight. If the 2010 will take 25 years to be ready to drink, this could well be brilliant drinking at 5 years or 50 years – rather like the life story of the 1959 vintage. 20
Saint Julien
Langoa Barton 2009 – A gorgeous nose that is full of vanilla, Asian spices and black pepper. Ripe, sexy black fruit with lots of opulence from the oak. Nevertheless, a good, classic kick of tannin at the finish. 17
Leoville Barton 2009 – Fascinating to hear that this has exactly the same elevage as the Langoa Barton as it is so different. The oak is much better absorbed into the wine and despite being a 2009 it comes across as being serious and classically structured. There is plenty of dense black cherry and cassis fruit on the palate but it is firm and structured too. There is real class here. It maybe not as open-knit and showy as some 2009’s but this is a seriously great Léoville Barton that refuses to give too much away at this stage in its life. Impressive. 18+
Lilian Barton at Chateau Leoville Barton
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Margaux
Segla 2009 – A good deep colour. Plenty of weight and depth here. Seems almost too good to be a second wine. Serious and unevolved but excellent potential. 16
Rauzan Segla 2010 - A deep colour. A wonderfully ripe and classy nose, full of fruit and spice. A big complex palate, full of class and sophistication. Big but controlled. The essence of elegance. Top class. 18+
Rauzan Segla 2009 – Karl Lagerfeld label. Sexy nose of coconut and vanilla. Superbly creamy and smooth on the palate. Ripe and smooth with real Margaux style. Lovely and relatively forward. 17.5
Pessac-Leognan
Les Hauts de Smith 2009 – This is a Merlot dominated second wine that has a bright red colour. Lots of sweet, soft fruit, very soft tannins. Already an attractive drink, this is forward, round and smooth and just what you want from a second wine. Round and easy. 15.5
Petit Haut Lafitte 2009 – This new “other” second wine of Smith Haut Lafitte is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a slightly deeper colour than the Hauts de Smith and a bit more grip on the palate. It is still sweet and forward but the structure is a bit firmer. It could do with a couple of years in bottle. 15.5+
Smith Haut Lafitte 2009 – A little fade at the rim and certainly not trying to be a black beauty. The word for this wine is “gorgeous”. It is beautifully polished and full of cream, spice and plump fruit. It may not be obviously powerful but it is incredibly long and intense. Sexy and really lovely. Full of pleasure. 17.5
Saint Emilion
Canon 2010 – Gorgeously silky, lovely texture, succulent, very classy. Really gorgeous and fine. This is so pure and so Saint Emilion (in a good sense). Light years apart from the jam-juice style of some of the neighbours. 18
Canon 2009 – Curiously, at this stage, it is firmer than the 2010 and a bit closed. Plenty of sweet Merlot fruit on the mid palate but some firm tannins on the finish. A bit of an ugly duckling today but I’m sure this will be become a swan. 16.5++
Pomerol
La Petite Eglise 2010 – A smoky nose. Creamy, round and sexy on the palate. This is 100% Merlot and it shows. Masses of red cherry fruit, a seductive mouth-feel and a long creamy finish. Really lovely and Denis Durantou reckons it’s his best ever. 16+
L’Eglise Clinet 2010 – A dark crimson colour. Intense aromas of black and redcurrants. Ripe and fresh. There is bite here yet it is fantastically creamy and succulent. Finely balanced , sweet but tannic. Superb intensity. The greatest thing about this amazing wine is its length. We remarked in the car that we could still taste it –and that was 2 miles down the road. 19.5+
The entire production of Eglise Clinet 2010 (with La Petite Eglise at the sides)
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