Thibault Pontallier, son of Paul Pontallier, speaks about 2015 vintage during our visit to Chateau Margaux on the 11th of April 2016. It was his first return to the property since his father's death. Very emotional visit.
For readers interested in how weather conditions evolved in 2015 and more background concerning this vintage - please check out this link - http://www.greatbordeauxwines.com/harvests/harvest-2015.
I did have quite great expectations for 2015 vintage while tasting barrel samples in the first two weeks of April 2016. During my ten-day stay in Bordeaux (28.09 - 08.10), I witnessed the exceptional quality of grapes, their ripeness inside and outside, and favorable weather in September and October, which promised so much. Expectations weren't fulfilled 100%, unfortunately. Anyway, 2015 has nothing to be ashamed of!
Although 2015 will probably come short of having the same niveau of intensity, concentration, and depth as 2010, 2009, and 2005, some properties made the best wine in the last 25 years (Pichon Comtesse) and even (Petit Village).
Some from the wine media compare 2015 to 2001 and 1985. I disagree - imho my opinion, 2001 didn't have the same kind of phenolic ripeness, sweetness, and tannin quality, while 1985 was lighter and didn't have the same strong backbone. 2015 can easily keep for 30 years as 1985 has had (as witnessed in November 2015!)
Red wines seem best in Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Pessac-Leognan, Margaux, and Saint-Julien. However, I'm satisfied with wines from Pauillac and Saint-Estephe, and I have yet to notice any dilution there, which some wine journalists have announced. Maybe this rain didn't cause significant damage due to the end of growing cyclus for vine plants and well-drained soils with a small amount of clay in the subsoil.
Many Left Bank wines have been carefully vinified and have freshness, elegance, and fruity character combined with richness, depth, and length. In contrast, several Right Bank wines (mostly from modern-style properties) can taste over-extraction and dryness.
White dry wines in 2015 are generally slightly under 2014 vintage, they don't have the same acidity and depth, but as always happens, some properties made better wines in 2015 than in 2014. The same verdict can be thrown on sweet white wines.
All in all, 2015 is simply a fabulous vintage, filled with perfect ripe sweet fruit (in most places!) and silky tannin, with great richness and complexity, stunning balance and length for most wines. For sure, it's earned its place in history books!
Impressions
It was two busy weeks in Bordeaux related to wine and culinary experiences. It's the same pattern every year. I arrive in Bordeaux 3-5 days before primeur tastings begin, and I always start with Seguin and Haut Brion. Since the 2015 harvest, it has been expanded with Les Carmes Haut Brion as it is a 5-minute drive from Haut Brion. I always attend the Grand Cercle tasting on Saturday. Then UGCB tastings after the weekend, own visits with tastings, Sauternes & Barsac at the end of the week, some holidays during the weekend, and then Haut Medoc.
This year I chose to visit 4 First Growths after the primary primeur week to avoid being placed in large groups of people and not having time to ask questions and taste wines quietly. It was a wise choice for me as there was time for everything, and it was only us versus owners/staff. We were exceptionally treated at Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, and Margaux. In addition to tasting wines, we were granted visit cellars of Lafite + cellars and the museum at Mouton Rothschild.
The young generation is coming. We met the daughter of Alfred Tesseron, Justine, at Pontet Canet, and she tasted 2015 with us. At L'Eglise Clinet, we did see Denis Durantou for approximately 10 minutes, then he left, and his daughter, who spoke excellent English (London dialect?), served all wines to us. But the old generation is holding well - think of Leoville Las Cases cellar master, Monsieur Rolland (not in the family with Michel Rolland!), who has served the Delon family for remarkable 34 years now!!
Concerning tasted barrel samples, I've been unlucky with Canon and Lafleur when I compare other wine journalists' impressions to mine. Canon was tasted with different wines at Matmut Football Stadium in Bordeaux Lac on Tuesday, the 5th of April, while Lafleur was tasted at the property one day later. Both were very unconvincing, light in color, and tasted light and dry. It must not have been well-prepared samples because I don't have any other explanation for the weak showing.
Culinary experiences
Speaking about culinary impressions in Bordeaux, I revisited restaurant Les Perdrix de Troplong Mondot (Troplong Mondot's restaurant), which greatly impressed me last year. It was rewarded with one Michelin star in February 2016. However, the second visit in April this year was not up to the highlights from last year. Still, this restaurant deserves, in my opinion, 1 Michelin star.
We also ate at the restaurant Claude Darroze in Langon, which has an impressive wine list. The sommelier was very nervous and seemed unprepared for customers who wanted to buy expensive wine for dinner. The dishes were delicious but needed more precision and taste.
Another story is the restaurant Le Pressoir d'Argent in Bordeaux center (on the 1st floor of the Grand Hotel). This restaurant opened in September 2015 and is owned by famous TV chef Gordon Ramsay who rescues/tries to save many restaurants worldwide. However, Gordon Ramsay doesn't cook there. It's a very talented chef Gilad Peled who creates wonderful dishes. I did eat at this restaurant on the 12th of April 2016, and it was an incredible experience with plates showing great precision, multiple aromas, and richness of tastes. Exciting wine list, and you also can choose a wine menu for your meal. The settings and staff - are also perfect.
After Geranium in Copenhagen, it's my second-best meal ever. Le Pressoir d'Argent has been rewarded with one Michelin star in February this year, imho it should have gotten two and could receive three next February. Expensive but worth the money and remarkably recommended.
Now back to wine and impressions from visits (chronologically).
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Friday, the 1st of April 2016
Seguin
This property (which isn't classified) in Canejan, a little village close to Pessac, is seriously under the radar and makes wine of excellent quality and on the level of many Grand Cru Classés. We tasted 2015, 2014, 2012, 2008, and luxury cuvée of Seguin, Confidence(s) de Seguin in vintage 2005.
2015 tasted like great delicacy with black color, sweet, silky fruit and tannin, complex and seductive, very aromatic black- and blueberries. Candy. 94p.
2014 showed a different style, more classic Bordeaux with an impressive nose of violets and black cherries/blueberries, splendid acidity, excellent structure, fine complexity, splendid balance, and a long finish. Excellent effort for the vintage. 93+p.
2012 was aromatic, fruity, and well-balanced with a velvety texture. The fruit was not 100% ripe, but this wine tasted well. 91p.
2008 (magnum) surprised me and was a powerful and complex wine that has improved while in a bottle. A lot of minerality in this wine. 92p.
2005 Confidence(s) du Chateau Seguin displayed a cherry nose and flavor on the palate, beautiful wrap-up, splendid complexity and depth, excellent balance, and a long meaty finish. Impressive stuff. 94+p.
Haut Brion/La Mission Haut Brion
A basket full of perfectly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon grapes harvested from a parcel in front of Haut Brion - 29 September 2015
For me, 2015 here is very close to vintage 2005, when the latter was at the same stage of development. It's worth noticing that harvest at both properties took almost one month, from 9th September to 1st October for La Mission Haut Brion and 8th September to 5th October for Haut Brion.
2015 La Mission Haut Brion - 58% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, alcohol reached 15.1%. It had aromatic cherries, a very aromatic nose, excellent acidity, striking elegance, sophisticated touch, and a velvety texture. Great complexity and a long finish. There is more sweetness in the fruit here than in 2014, and this wine can improve further. Beauty wine. 95+p.
2015 Haut Brion - 50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc, alcohol level landed at 14.9%. This wine was similar to 2015 LMHB but had fatter tannin and a slightly longer finish. Incredibly aromatic nose, voluptuous on the palate, well-defined and precise. Great, great vintage we have here. Reminds a lot of the 2005 vintage. 97p.
Second wine of La Mission, 2015 La Chapelle de LMHB - lovely on the nose in the palate, with cherry flavors, fine ripe tannin, and fine acidity on the palate, well-balanced and smooth finish. 90p.
The second wine of Haut Brion, 2015 Le Clarence de HB – had slightly more acidity than in La Chapelle de LMHB, otherwise the same style. 90p.
2015 Quintus – powerful, intense blueberries and blackberries, which are perfectly ripe, had splendid structure and complexity and was well-balanced with fine length and finish. 91-92p.
Second wine of Quintus, 2015 Le Dragon de Quintus - fresh, aromatic, with fine tannin, tasty and well-balanced. 88-89p.
2015 Clarendelle – blend of wines from over 20 vineyards in Bordeaux. A kind of third wine. Blueberry/blackberry compote. It was fruity, round, charming, and seductive. Simple but tasty. 87p.
2015 La Mission Haut Brion white - (72% Semillon + 28% Sauvignon Blanc) was vibrant with excellent acidity and depth, with a fine aroma of apple, citrus, and lemongrass complexity, balance, structure, and length. Impressive effort. 95p.
2015 Haut Brion white showed as splendidly as LMHB, and the only thing that put HB in front of LMHB was more intensity, depth, and a long finish. 96p.
2015 La Carte de Haut Brion white, joint second wine from a blend of LMHB and HB "leftovers", had a fine freshness, fine acidity, intense aroma of acacia flower, apple, pear, and peach, and fine smooth aftertaste. 92p.
Les Carmes Haut Brion
My first visit to this property occurred in September 2015, and it was great to revisit it in April 2016. This property looks like an enlarged garden and is closer to the center of Bordeaux than Haut Brion/La Mission. The postal address says it all - 33000 Bordeaux! Works at the property are not finished yet, although its state of art cellar is.
Since the arrival of Guillaume Pouthier from Chapoutier in Rhone in 2012, the quality of Les Carmes Haut Brion has significantly risen. This property utilizes the biggest amount of Cabernet Franc of all in Bordeaux! Les Carmes Haut Brion is 45% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, 46% full bunches were used in vinification (whole bunches technique is widespread in Rhone), and alcohol levels reached 14%. 2015 Cabernet Franc was vinified in wood, Cabernet Sauvignon in concrete vats, and Merlot in stainless steel vats. Grand Vin spends time in 80% new oak and 20% amphoras (180 liters). 2015 Les Carmes Haut Brion had a beautifully scented (rosebush perfume) nose, refined and intense, and you could feel/taste this wine's precision, purity, and length. More concentrated than in recent vintages. Impressive stuff, which will even be better for sure. I rated it 94+p, but I expect it to score 96p in the bottle.
In the cellar of Les Carmes Haut Brion, April 2016
2015 Le Clos de Carmes (the first vintage was 2011), a kind of second wine, comes from a vineyard close to Carbonnieux and Smith Haut Lafitte between Martillac and Leognan (Le Thil), 75% Merlot+25% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was quite aromatic, round, and tasty, with fine acidity, depth and length, soft fruit, and tannin. 89p.
At the end of our visit, we were treated to 56 years old Les Carmes Haut Brion, 1960 vintage, which was pretty wine, still going fine, with an unmistakable connection to flavors of the soil found in other vintages and also 2015. Delicacy.
Thunevin
Murielle and Jean-Luc Thunevin did excellently in 2015. Some from wine media have meant that their wines were slightly overripe and too alcoholic, but I found nothing of this!
Bad Boy red - aromatic, very nicely structured, round, seductive, tasty, and well-balanced. 89p.
Virginie Thunevin - fine concentration of blueberries and blackberries, nice acidity, silky tannin, fruity finish. 90p.
Domaine des Sabines - same style as VT with more spicy fruit. 90p.
Le Clos du Beau Pere - more concentration and acidity, bigger structure and length on the palate than in D.d.S. Very good effort. 91p.
3 de-Valandraud - round and soft with aromatic fruit, tasty and charming. 88-89p.
Bel-Air-Ouý - seductive and aromatic wine with good backbone and concentration, tasty black fruit, and fruity finish. 90p.
Galaxies 2 Romanile - very pleasant on the nose with a significant aroma of roses, sweet fruit on the palate, and smooth aftertaste. 90-91p.
Clos Romanile - higher quality than in G2R, more intensity, concentration, and length, which merits a higher score. 92p.
Clos Badon - powerful and oaky wine with perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, quite complex and well-balanced. Precise winemaking. 92p.
Virginie de Valandraud - same style as CB, fine winemaking too. 92p.
Valandraud - meaty and long, great structure and richness, complex and refined, excellent depth and length, strong backbone. Impressive wine. 96+p.
2014 Valandraud - great nose and palate, excellent acidity and complexity, fabulous structure and depth. This is just so impressive wine! 95p.
Bad Boy Blanc Chardonnay - aromatic wine with freshness and apparent acidity. 91p.
Valandraud blanc - a splendid effort with pineapple aroma, acacia honey, zest, and fine structure. Cigar-shaped barrels have been used for the vinification of this wine. 92-93p.
Corbin
Anabelle Cruse Bardinet continues to make great wines at the property, pretty ones with a lot of elegance, finesse, and precision. She thinks the 2015 vintage is her best achievement yet, surpassing 2010! She told me an interesting detail about the 2015 vintage - the weight of 200 berries in 2015 corresponded to the weight of 100 berries in 2014.
2015 (90% of the production) was powerful and concentrated with silky fruit and tannin, aromatic, well-balanced, distinguished, and very complex. Great effort for the vintage. 93-94p. 2015 Divine de Corbin, Corbin's second wine, offered roundness, charm, tasty fruit, and good concentration. 89p. 2014 Corbin impressed with seductive sweetness and elegance, finesse, and splendid acidity. Fresh and well-defined wine. Precise winemaking. 92p.
Clinet
I met the Laborde couple, Ronan and Monique, in the new building (storage, cellars, tasting room, etc.) opposite Bourgneuf.
2015 vintage here is a great success, much better than 2014. Huge and powerful wine (90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc) with a lot of perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, very concentrated, great complexity, and a long finish. 96p. 2012 Clinet was seductive, round, very approachable, and tasty. To enjoy now. 91p. 2010 Clinet acted as a monster wine with mega concentration, extra length, perfect balance, and fat fruit/tannin. Stunning complexity and depth. 97-98p.
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Saturday the 2nd April 2016
Grand Cercle
Grand Cercle tasting at Chateau Bellefont Belcier. Behind the bottles (Graves/Pessac-Leognan) is my Norwegian journalist friend, Christer Byklum
I managed to taste approximately 80 wines from the 2015 vintage. Below, I list here my choice of wines from this tasting, which are fine quality for money:
In Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux - Haut Bertinerie 89p.
In Bordeaux - Tour de Mirambeau Cuvée Passion 89p, Thieuley Reserve Francis Courcelle 88+p, Mont Perat 88p and Thieuley 88p.
In Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux - Laussac and Laussac Cuvee Sascha, both 89p. Cote Montpezat 88+p.
In Francs Cotes de Bordeaux - De Francs 88-89p.
In Fronsac/Canon-Fronsac - Barrabaque, Fontenil and Les Troix Croix, both 88+p, Dalem 88p, Gaby 88p, Haut Carles 88p, de La Riviere 88p and La Vieille Cure 88p.
In Graves - Clos Floridene 88p.
In Lalande-de-Pomerol - de Chambrun, Grand Ormeau, L'Ambroisie du Chateau La Croix des Moines, and La Sergue, all scored 90p. Siaurac 89p and Jean de Gue 88p.
In Pauillac - Fonbadet 88p.
In Pessac-Leognan - Couhins Lurton, Cruzeau, Haut Bacalan and Le Sartre, all rated 88p.
In Pomerol - Rouget 90p, Vieux Maillet 89-90p, Fayat, Feytit Clinet, La Clemence, and Mazeyres, all four rated 89p. La Commanderie 88-89p, Lecuyer 88+p and Beau Soleil 88p.
In St.Emilion - Fleur Cardinale 94p, Bellefont Belcier, Fombrauge, Grand Corbin Despagne, Sansonnet, and Villemamaurine, all with a score of 90p. Cap de Faugeres 89p and Destieux 89p.
Jonathan Maltus
An intense tasting moment with Jonathan Maltus
I first met Jonathan Maltus during primeur tastings last year (2015), so it was my second visit this time. After tasting his excellent 2015 wines, he took us to the vineyards of Le Dôme and Vieux Chateau Mazerat, which are close to Angelus vineyard and have the same soil. All wines mentioned here except Le Nardian are from St.Emilion.
Teyssier - aromatic, round, silky fruit and tannin, seductive, charming, and easygoing. Well-made. 90-91p.
Laforge - delicious with delicious fruit, fine aromas of black fruit, silky texture, well-structured and complex, fine fruity finish. 91p.
Le Carre - is situated close to Canon. Powerful, tight yet fruity, silky fruit and tannin, fine complexity, depth, and length. Impressive. 91-92p.
Le Pontet - tighter and more concentrated than Le Carre, rich, perfect maturity of fruit and tannin, great length. 92p.
Les Asteries - similar to Le Pontet, very impressive wine indeed. 92p.
Vieux Chateau Mazerat - monster wine, very concentrated with discrete oak, neither overblown nor over-extracted nor overdone, just perfect wine work, great complexity, structure, and finish. 95+p.
Le Dôme - beautifully scented nose, incredibly well-constructed, voluptuous, precise, and focused, with amazing structure, complexity, and length. Cabernet Franc (80%) rules here! Great, great wine. 96+p.
Le Nardian (white) - acacia flower, freshness, nice acidity, pleasant, round, and tasty. 90p.
Domaine de Chevalier
Usual procedure concerning dinner at Chevalier. First, wine tasting from new vintage and recent vintages, then dinner with wines, where the ending digit in the year for the vintage is 6. As some guests invited for dinner were Russian wine people, Anne and Olivier Bernard prepared Russian vodka and caviar as a welcome (see below).
Olivier Bernard told me he was happy with the 2015 vintage, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon, which was allowed to hang on wines until perfect maturity inside and outside. Because of the ideal weather in September/October, there was no need to hurry harvest.
2015 Lespault Martillac - well-made with silky fruit and tannin, aromatic black fruit, fine structure, and length. 90p.
2015 Domaine de Chevalier - splendid fruit and acidity, silky fruit and tannin, great complexity, and long finish. 95+p.
2015 Clos des Lunes Lune Blanche - fresh, very good acidity, acacia flower, and lemongrass, nicely composed, softly fruity finish. 89p.
2015 Clos des Lunes Lune d'Argent - more intensity and length here than in Lune Blanche. 90p.
2015 Clos des Lunes Lune d'Or - edges Lune d'Argent concerning depth and structure. 91-92p.
2015 Lespault Martillac white - powerful, lot of acacia flower and green apple, splendid acidity, and long finish. Same quality as in the 2014 vintage. 91p.
2015 Domaine de Chevalier white - as always refined and sophisticated, with excellent acidity, complexity, and structure. Slightly under the 2014 vintage in quality. 96p.
2014 Domaine de Chevalier white - great acidity, intense, rich, enormous potential. 97+p.
2013 Domaine de Chevalier white - fine acidity and concentration, everything is fine, but not up to the level of 2014 vintage. 94p.
2015 Suau (Sauternes) - Olivier Bernard took this property in Sauternes on 18 years' rent in 2015. Pineapple, fine sweetness, and acidity. Elegant and well-made. 92-93p.
During dinner, I tasted 11 wines; look below. I didn't take notes on them all, but the interesting and good ones which caught my attention were three reds from 1966 vintage, Palmer (94p), Domaine de Chevalier (92p), Figeac (90p) and one Sauternes, 1936 Yquem (90p).
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Sunday the 3rd of April
Magondeau
This property is situated close to Fontenil, just outside Saillans village. Three different red wines are made and offer good quality for money.
2015 Magondeau - normal cuvée aged in vats. A nice and fruity wine with excellent acidity, well-balanced. Good value. 88p.
2015 Magondeau Beau Site - partly aged in new oak. More ripeness and sweetness of fruit, more precise, greater depth, and length. Very aromatic wine. 90p.
2015 Passion - from best parcels of the vineyard, 45 years old vines. More complexity and concentration than in the Beau Site version. 91p.
2014 Magondeau - round, tasty, flowery, good structure, acidity, nice finish. 87p.
2014 Magondeau Beau Site - spicy, oak, strong, well structured, firm finish. 88p. Same wine fined with potato protein tasted purer.
Passion 2010 - more concentrated, complex, strong backbone, plummy. Persistent finish. 90p.
Pavie Macquin
Nicolas Thienpont and David Suire succeeded in making high-quality wines in 2015; some of these are fabulous ones.
Puygueraud (Francs Cotes de Bordeaux) - ripe fruit and tannin, earthy flavors, good intensity, and concentration. 88p.
La Prade (Francs Cotes de Bordeaux) - fresher and fruitier than Puygueraud, more fruit sweetness here, soft texture, fruity aftertaste. 89p.
Alcée (Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux) - fine acidity, very nice intensity, and complexity, well-defined and with good length. 89-90p.
Berliquet - aromatic with black cherries and blackberries, fine sweetness in fruit and tannin, well-polished, tasty, and fruity wine. 91p.
Larcis Ducasse - blueberries, well-packed with ripe fruit, precise, great complexity and structure, very long finish. 94-95p.
Pavie Macquin - similar in style to Larcis Ducasse, maybe more concentration here, better acidity, beautiful aromatic nose, and velvety texture. Sublime effort. 96p.
Puygueraud white - freshness, pineapple aroma, acacia flower, lemongrass, fine acidity, splendid balance, and finish. 91-92p.
Charmes Godard white - similar to Puygueraud, maybe less concentrated. 91-92p.
Pavie
Dessert served during dinner at Chateau Pavie
I was very impressed by the 2015 range of wines from Perse. The winemaking staff decided to use much less oak in 2015 (also in 2014) compared to recent vintages.
L'Esprit de Pavie (Bordeaux) - aromatic, soft fruit and tannin, accessible, tasty and smooth on the palate. 88-89p.
Lusseau (St.Emilion) - potent, well-packed with ripe fruit, spicy flavors, nice structure, and length. 88-89p.
Angelique de Monbousquet (St.Emilion) - earthy flavors, slight dryness on the palate, but well-balanced and tasty. 88p.
Aromes de Pavie (St.Emilion) - quite oaky, but the fruit is well-structured, potent, and strong. Delicious second wine. 89-90p.
Monbousquet (St.Emilion) - tight and dense, loads of fruit and tannin kept in fine balance, fine structure, and complexity, firm finish. 91-92p.
Clos Lunelles (Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux) - gentle extraction, strong tannin, spicy fruit, well-structured, fine length. 90p
Bellevue Mondotte (St.Emilion) - dark fruit, tannin very well complimented by sweet ripe fruit and as ripe tannin, excellent complexity, and structure. Rich with a strong backbone. Impeccably made. 95-96p.
Pavie Decesse (St.Emilion) - similar to Bellevue Mondotte with more intensity and concentration. Stupendous effort. 96p.
Pavie (St.Emilion) - sheer power, excellent fruit on the nose and palate, succulent and vibrant fruit, excellent complexity and backbone. Rich and lush. Long fat finish. Who said over-extracted wine - zero of this here! This is just stunning wine and highly impressive! 97-98p.
After tasting, a dinner was prepared by Hostellerie de Plaisance's staff. It was the art of cooking at a very high level.
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Monday the 4th of April
Petrus
2015 Petrus is a sublime wine that benefitted from 4 dry months, April, May, June, and July. Harvest was prolonged and finished at the end of September. Subtle, with a lot of finesse, sophisticated, and incredibly complex. Not the most powerful and concentrated vintage of Petrus, but 2015 has stupendous elegance and richness instead. 97-98p.
Le Gay
Henri Parent is much more than satisfied with the 2015 vintage here. Pre-fermentation at 5 degrees Celcius is carried out for seven days to get maximum flavors out of grapes and freshness.
La Graviere (Lalande-de-Pomerol) had earthy tones, ripe fruit, tannin, fine acidity, structure, and length. 90p.
Montviel (Pomerol) - similar style with more fruit sweetness and longer aftertaste. 90p.
Manoir de Gay - had a fine intensity of black fruit (blueberries), velvety texture, sweetness, and soft silky tannin. 90-91p.
Le Gay (90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc, yield per ha 30 hl, vinified in 100% new oak) - aromatic nose of sweet blueberry/blackberry fruit, stylish, well-knitted, silky fruit, and tannin, long finish. Quality here seems close to 2005 vintage. 94p.
La Violette - grapes from 50 years old vines vinified entirely in Saury barrels and aged in the same barrels for 15 months, 100% Merlot, 29.9 hl/ha. Strict selection produced powerful wine with great intensity, length, depth, excellent complexity, and structure. This wine has a fabulous future. 95+p.
Corbin Michotte
Splendid 2015s!
2015 Calon (St.Georges de St.Emilion) - fruity, nicely structured, fine balance and length. 90p.
2015 Calon (Montagne St.Emilion) - more intense fruit here, more concentrated, and longer finish. 90-91p.
2015 Corbin Michotte - velvety texture, perfectly ripe fruit, and tannin with seductive sweetness, fine acidity, balance, and length. Certainly a wine of Grand Cru Classe quality!! 93+p.
2015 Cantelauze - very aromatic nose of black cherries and blueberries, splendid acidity, sufficient oak to balance the fruit, well-composed and long. Splendid effort for the vintage. 93-94p.
2011 Corbin Michotte - very aromatic with fine concentration, focused, complex, and persistent finish. 92p.
2011 Cantelauze - splendid fruit and acidity, well-structured and well-balanced, fine complexity and length. 92p.
La Conseillante
2015 is the debut vintage for Marielle Cazaux, technical director, who switched to La Conseillante from Petit Village in the summer of 2015. I expected much more from 2015. It was a pretty wine with sweet, silky fruit and tannin, but it lacked, imho a bit more intensity and concentration. I sincerely hope it will gain concentration, depth, and intensity while aging in the barrel and then in the bottle. 93p. Duo de Conseillante, the second wine, was round, charming, and easy-going. 88p.
Climens
As usual, tasting several lots and blends of 2015, 12 in all, it's always a great lesson for one's tasting abilities to taste these. In addition to the 2015 samples, we were treated by several older vintages of Grand Vin.
2015 Climens - based on tasted samples, it's easy to say that this vintage can be as stunning as 2014. It doesn't have the acidity of 2014, but its intensity and depth are slightly bigger in 2015. We will see in ca. five years. 96-97p.
2014 Climens - exceptional promises, fabulous acidity, richness, and sweetness. 96-97p.
2013 Climens - great intensity of botrytised flavors, great acidity, rich sophisticated, very long finish. Lighter than in 2013. 95p
2011 Climens - potent, with great acidity and minerality, intense botrytised flavors of orange peel and almonds, sophisticated touch, richness, and great length. Awesome effort. 96+p.
2010 Climens - entertained with incredibly intense fragrances of acacia honey, honey, melon, and orange peel, sophisticated touch, a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, stunning complexity, and mega long aftertaste. 99-100p.
2009 Climens was a twin sister of 2010, slightly spicier on the palate, as mind-boggling. 99-100p.
Sauternes & Barsac
Generally, the quality of tasted 2015s is below the 2014 vintage and, in many cases, below the 2013 vintage. But please don't worry about the quality because the 2015 vintage is just fine.
Doisy Daëne - a big one, a lot of everything, like the sweetness of fruit and acidity, complexity, structure, and length. Finishes with an acacia honey flavor. 94p. de Fargues - similar, spicier. 94p. Lafaurie Peyraguey - flavors of red grapefruit, sweet mandarines, oranges, discrete but fine acidity, well-constructed, refined with a long finish. Very pretty wine. 94p. Rieussec - more heavy and sugary than the above wines, strong structure, and marked acidity. 94p.
Coutet, Rayne Vigneau, and Suduiraut - rich in botrytized aromas of grapefruit, splendid sweetness and corresponding acidity, fine structure, and balance. 93+p. Caillou - surprisingly well-made wine with an intense nose of botrytized flavors (red grapefruit, mandarines, and oranges) and fine acidity to support sweetness. Long honeyed finish. Doisy Vedrines - similar to Caillou. 93p. De Malle, de Myrat, Sigalas Rabaud, Nairac, and La Tour Blanche - a lot of pineapples, elegant with finesse, fine acidity and sweetness, complex and long. 93p.
Guiraud and Suau - significant pineapple flavor, aromatic, fine intensity on the palate, elegant and well-balanced. 92-93p. Clos Haut Peyraguey, Filhot, Lamothe Despujols, and Rabaud Promis - similar quality as Guiraud and Suau, a bit lighter. 92p. Bastor Lamontagne and Romer du Hayot - also here pineapple flavor, fine intensity and concentration, acidity, well-supporting sweetness, acacia honey finish. 91-92p.
D'Arche, Broustet, and Romer - very good effort, nice load of botrytized flavors as f.i. pineapple and red grapefruit. Fine acidity and a sweet finish. 91p.
Lamothe Guignard - on the light side but very charming, round, and tasty. Very pineapple. Some finesse. 90p.
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Tuesday the 5th of April.
UGCB at Matmut Stadium in Bordeaux Lac - 2015 Graves/Pessac-Leognan in red and white+ 2015 Saint Emilion and Pomerol
Graves/Pessac-Leognan red - one of the most successful applications in 2015.
Smith Haut Lafitte - strong, powerful, tight, great quality of fruit and tannin, excellent structure and complexity, rich, great depth, and awesome finish. Fabulous stuff. 96+p. Domaine de Chevalier – splendid fruit and acidity, silky fruit and tannin, great complexity, and long finish. 95+p.
Pape Clement – potent, quite some oak, powerful, staffed with fruit, great structure, and length. 94-95p. Carmes Haut Brion – as impressive as tasted five days before at the property, great fruitiness, sweet, splendid complexity and structure, velvety. Long finish. 94+p
De Fieuzal, Larrivet Haut Brion, and Malartic La Graviere – sweet fruit and some oak. Fine structure and depth. Well-made and focused wines. 93p. de France + La Louviere. – sappy, well-made with fine complexity, structure and length, fine acidity and taste. 92-93p. Latour Martillac + Olivier– like de France with more oak evident. 92p.
Haut Bergey – quite some oak and fruit, fine depth and length. 91+p. Picque Caillou - similar to Haut Bergey. 91-92p.
Bouscaut, Carbonnieux, and Rahoul – more acidity here, nicely made, very nice balance and length. 91p. Chantegrive, Ferrande – nice fruit, round and supple, good structure and balance. 90p.
Graves/Pessac-Leognan white - slightly under 2014 vintage in quality.
Smith Haut Lafitte – a monster, great stuff, impressive acidity, and complexity, rich and sophisticated. Very impressive indeed. 96p. Domaine de Chevalier - not as expressive as Smith Haut Lafitte, but more elegance and finesse here. 96p. Pape Clement – oaky but with enough acacia fruit to compensate, pineapple and acacia. 94p. Larrivet Haut Brion – elegant and complex with fine acidity. Very mineral and refined. 94p.
Picque Caillou - aromatic, mineral, acacia flower, and lemon, tasty and with a fine fruity finish. 93+p. Olivier - similar style as PIcque Caillou. 93-94p. Carbonnieux, de France, Haut Bergey, La Louviere, Latour Martillac, and Malartic Lagraviere – splendid, aromatic, acacia flower, honeyed aftertaste. 93p.
Chantegrive, Ferrande, and Rahoul – nice, fine acidity, pineapple, acacia, fruity, aromatic, and smooth aftertaste. Delicious. 92p. De Fieuzal - similar style to wines mentioned before. 90-92p. Bouscat - significantly lighter than the wines mentioned above. 90p.
Pomerol - also a very successful appellation in 2015.
Clinet – as impressive as during the tasting at the property four days earlier. Huge and powerful wine (90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc) with a lot of perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, very concentrated, great complexity, and a long finish. 96p.
La Cabanne – pretty wine with silky fruit and tannin, splendid acidity, structure, and fine finish. 93p. Gazin – fruity, round, pretty, silky texture, fine aftertaste. 92-93p. La Croix de Gay and La Pointe– like Gazin concerning style but less intense. 92p.
Beauregard - aromatic, fruity, silky, quite dense, strong backbone, fine concentration and length. 91p. Bon Pasteur - oak and oak and oak, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When oak has integrated with the fruit, there will be fruit to taste. 91p.
Saint-Emilion - successful, but with several ups and downs.
Pavie Macquin - similar to Larcis Ducasse, with more intensity, depth, and concentration. 96p. Larcis Ducasse - blueberries, well-packed with ripe fruit, precise, great complexity, and structure, very long finish. 94-95p.
Clos Fourtet – a well-knitted, lot of sweet fruit and tannin, very complex, deep, and long. Impressive. 94p. Franc Mayne – similar to CF, less intense, and not that long. 92-93p.
Canon – light, doesn’t quite sing, dry tannins; where are the characteristics of 2015 vintage?? 91+p??
Larmande. Soutard and Trottevieille - aromatic structure and depth, fine length and balance, fruity finish. 92p. Balestard La Tonnelle, Beausejour Becot, and Canon-La-Gaffeliere – splendid ripe fruit, acidity, fine structure, and length. 91-92p.
Berliquet, Cap de Mourlin, La Couspade, Dassault, and Grand Mayne – splendid sweet fruit and tannin, good kick and structure + length. 91p. La Gaffeliere - similar, a little dry on the finish. 91p. La Dominique – oaky, not easy to find out what this wine offers. 90p. The same can be said about La Tour Figeac and Villemaurine. 90p.
La Lagune
Always an exciting visit, not only because of the owner, Caroline Frey, but also because the wines are well made and reasonably priced, and the owner is generous with offering vintages to taste.
2015 - normal blend, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Well-packed with fruit, very stylish, sappy and refined, silky texture, precise and well-composed. Excellent effort, close to 2010 and 2005 vintage in quality. 94p.
2015 - a blend of Cabernet Sauvignons - a lot of acidity, more power here than in a normal blend, more depth here than in a normal blend barrel sample. 94+p. It will be interesting to see if and how much of this special blend will go into the final blend.
2014 - delicious with splendid acidity, freshness, precise, enchanting sweetness, balance, and long fruity aftertaste. Very stylish, and this wine is a great success for the vintage. 93p.
2012 - delightful wine with a very aromatic nose, seductive, tasty on the palate, fine acidity, and complexity, long aftertaste. 92p.
2010 - tightly knitted, excellent intensity and concentration, long fruity finish, quite firm. Fat fruit and tannin. Very expressive wine with a beautiful future. 95p.
2009 - sweeter fruit on the nose and palate than in 2010, elegant and tasty with a meaty finish. 93-94p.
2005 - very aromatic wine and complete with cacao powder, tasty chocolate, and a long finish. Excellent stuff. 94+p.
Palmer
This property succeeded excellently in 2015. Alter Ego had an aromatic nose of black fruit, silky fruit, and tannin, velvety texture, excellent acidity, great depth, and length. 93p. Grand Vin was as always aristocratic with its refined and sophisticated touch, richness, intensity, structure, and long finish. Fabulous future waits. 96+p.
Labegorce/Marquis d'Alesme
Marquis d'Alesme's new cellar - stylish, isn't it?
Wines from both properties have been on a very stable track in recent vintages, and the 2015 vintage confirms further improvement.
Labegorce displayed deliciously aromatic fruit well-integrated with velvety tannin, smooth and complex palate, fine backbone, and splendid finish. 92p. Marquis d'Alesme was more refined and sophisticated than Labegorce, with significantly more depth and length. Impressive effort. 94p.
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Wednesday, the 6th of April
UGCB at Matmut Stadium in Bordeaux Lac - 2015 Listrac, Moulis, Haut Medoc, Medoc, Margaux, St.Julien, Pauillac and St.Estephe. Left Bank is more or less as successful as Right Bank, in my opinion. I haven't found significant wine dilution because of massive rains in north Medoc in September 2015.
Listrac
Fourcas Dupre – more fruity with better acidity, silky fruit, and tannin, well-made. 89p. Clarke, Fonreaud, and Forcas Hosten – good fruit and tannin, nice acidity and structure. 88p.
Moulis
Chasse-Spleen and Maucaillou - fruity with fine acidity, silky fruit, and tannin, well-made. 90p. Poujeaux - weaker in intensity and acidity than Chasse-Spleen and Maucaillou. 89p.
Haut Medoc
La Lagune – the same appearance as a day before tasted at the property. Well-packed with fruit, very stylish, sappy and refined, silky texture, precise and well-composed. 94p. La Tour Carnet – as always, big fruity wine with a good portion of oak and fruit. A very good balance. 92p.
Cantemerle and Citran - sappy, fine acidity, intense flavors, fine structure, well-balanced, very good finish. 91p. Camensac and Coufran - similar but lighter. 90p. Beaumont – pleasant, fruity, round, charming, tasty. 89-90p. OK wines - Lamarque 88p and Belgrave 87p.
Medoc
La Tour de By – good concentration, fruity, round, charming, tasty. 90p.
Margaux
Brane Cantenac, Cantenac Brown, and Giscours – all three potent with strong backbone, well-packed with perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, well-balanced, silky with great acidity and length. Excellent effort. 95p. Best vintage for Cantenac Brown yet, imho.
Malescot St.Exupery – modern style, lots of fruit and oak. Black fruit, well-balanced. 93-94p. Lascombes - big, full, complex, more concentration and power than usual. Precise and focused wine with pretty fruit and tannin. 93p. Kirwan, Preurie Lichine, and Rauzan Segla - made more elegantly, well-balanced, and with a caressing finish. 93p.
Labegorce and Marquis de Terme - pretty load of fruit and tannin, strong structure, nice complexity, and length. 92p. Monbrison, Rauzan Gassies, and du Tertre – very nice acidity and fruit, fine balance, sappy, and with a long aftertaste. Well-made. 92p.
Ferriere and Siran - similar to du Tertre but less intense. 91p. Dauzac and Desmiral – oaky, very good acidity and structure. 90-91p. Angludet – aromatic fruit, velvety texture, nicely balanced and fruity finish. Not bad. 89-90p.
St.Julien
Leoville Barton and Leoville Poyferre - stylish, splendid fruit and tannin, well-packed with perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, well-structured and complex, long finish. 95p. Beychevelle - pretty and as excellent as Leoville Barton/Poyferre; the only difference is intensity and length. 94+p.
Lagrange - very focused, fruity wine with a velvety texture, fine complexity, balance, and persistent fruity finish. 93+p. Gruaud Larose and Saint Pierre – loads of fruit and oak, potent and strong, long aftertaste. 93-94p. Gloria and Langoa Barton – fruity, sappy, complex, silky texture, smooth finish. 93p.
Branaire Ducru - low-scaled Gloria. 92p. Talbot – oaky, a bit anonymous. The fruit is well-hidden. 91+p.
Pauillac
Pichon Comtesse – amazing in every aspect, delicious fruit, ripe tannin, complex and focused. Stunning balance and length. 97+p. This wine was overshadowed by a mile or more of other wines tasted.
Batailley – also well-equipped wine here with loads of fresh fruit and tannin. Meaty finish. 93p. Grand Puy Ducasse – much oak but also a lot of fruit, concentrated and long. 93p. Lynch Bages – fresh, splendid acidity, modern style with a lot of oak. 93p. Lynch Moussas – fine, delicate fruit and tannin supported elegantly by tannin, aromatic, and well-made. More precise than ever. 93p.
Clerc Milon – fine concentration and complexity, obvious acidity here, aromatic fruit well-supported by tannin. 92+p. D'Armailhac and Haut Bages Liberal - delicate and fruity nose, blackcurrants and blueberries, fresh and splendid acidity, well-integrated on the palate with complexity and long aftertaste. Splendid effort. 92-93p.
Croizet Bages - not up to the standard of wines mentioned above; however, it's correctly made wine without any faults, lacks more concentration, focus, and length, and the fruit is nice and tasty. Maybe it improves in the bottle. 91p.
St.Estephe
Phelan Segur - very aromatic with significant aromas of blueberries and blackberries, well-knitted, splendidly balanced, sweet fruit, refined and complex with a long fruity aftertaste. Impressive. 93+p. Lafon Rochet – well-packed with fruit and tannin, quite complex, tight, strong structure, luscious. 92-93p.
Cos Labory, de Pez and Les Ormes de Pez - oaky, sufficient with fruit. Delicious on the palate with tight structure and meaty finish. Well-made. 92p.
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Lafleur
Before visiting this property, I heard from my colleagues from wine media that the 2015s from Guinaudeaus were stunning. Unfortunately, that wasn't my impression from visiting this property that day. Bad samples? It seems I've to retaste all wines as soon as possible.
Grand Village red - rather light, good fruit and tannin. 90+p?
Acte 7 - fruity, good acidity, reasonable structure. Surprisingly lean. 89+p?
Pensées de Lafleur - very oaky, difficult to assess. 89+p?
Lafleur - surprisingly light in color, lot of oak; the fine potential is unquestionably there, but not proved at all during my tasting that day. 92+p?
Grand Village Blanc - pineapple, acacia flower, excellent acidity and fruity finish. 90p.
Les Champs Libres - more substance, intensity, structure, and length here than in Grand Village. 92p.
VCC
This property made a knock-out wine in 2015, and Alexandre Thienpont and his son Guillaume can be proud of their achievement. It's not a coincidence that Thienponts compare the 2015 VCC to the 2010 vintage. 2015 was harvested in 8 days, 17-18.09, 22-23.09, and 28.09-02.10. The blend is 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and the degree of alcohol is 14.6%. Incredibly intense on the nose with blackberries and blueberries, iron-dirt (truffy taste), tight and very concentrated on the palate, with great richness, depth, and structure. Perfectly ripe fruit and tannin covered in silk. Simply stunningly fabulous wine! 97-98p.
Mangot
Todeschini brothers are doing wonders here and made thrilling 2015s. But they have excellent soil (Mangot) to make wines from!
2015 La Brande - earthy and flowery flavors, good fruit intensity, and nice length. 88p.
2015 Mangot - fine focused fruit, fine tannin, freshness, fine acidity and complexity, fine backbone and balance, persistently fruity finish. 92p.
2015 Mangot Todeschini - more of everything than in normal cuvée, a substantial amount of oak kept quiet by loads of ripe fruit. Excellent effort. 92-93p.
2014 La Brande is earthy and spicy, with good concentration, structure, and a nice length. 88p.
2014 Mangot - fine acidity, luscious fruit, complexity, balance, and length. 91p.
2014 Mangot Todeschini - produced since 2008 vintage) - sweet fruit and tannin, powerful and intense, fine structure, meaty finish. 91+p.
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Thursday, the 7th of April
Ausone
The line-up of 2015s at Ausone - everything is prepared
Simard - sweet and ripe fruit, fine structure, good acidity, well-balanced with a soft finish. Very good quality. 89p.
Fonbel - flowery flavors of violets with some scent of roses, nice complexity, fine structure and length, and velvety texture. Well-made. 89-90p.
Haut Simard - a lot of silky and aromatic fruit here, fine backbone and structure, good depth and length, well-composed. Splendid effort. 91p.
Moulin St.Georges - splendid nose of blackberries, very intense on the palate, delicious with splendid balance, and quite complex. A strong effort, indeed. 91-92p.
La Clotte - purchased by Alain Vauthier in 2014. Delicious fruit, elegant and finely constructed, round and tasty. A very seductive wine. 90p.
Chapelle d'Ausone - well-knitted and complex wine with a big backbone and considerable depth and length. Excellent for a second wine. 92p.
Ausone - immense wine with a healthy dosage of oak, stunningly refined and sophisticated, classy elegance, silky fruit, and tannin. Fabulous balance and finish. Truly remarkable wine. 97-98.
Cheval Blanc
For the first time in many years, this property didn't produce a second wine, Le Petit Cheval, in 2015. While visiting Cheval Blanc during harvest in September 2015, I could taste several samples taken out from vats/barrels before fermentation, mainly Cabernet Franc ones. Cheval Blanc's technical director, Pierre Olivier Clouet, said to me that the potential of different cuvées (parcels) was amazing. So it didn't surprise me that they skipped the second wine in 2015.
2015 Quinault d'Enclos had earthy flavors, reasonable structure and length, silky fruit, and tannin. A tasty and seductive wine. 89-90p. 2015 Cheval Blanc showed pure elegance and finesse, great richness and depth, sophisticated touch, and velvety texture. Great concentration and length. Incredibly stylish and classy wine, which imho will improve from further aging in barrels. 97+p. 2011 Cheval Blanc had excellent purity, finesse, and complexity. A rich wine with a long aftertaste. 96p.
La Confession
The owner, Jean-Philippe Janoueix, can't complain about his 2015s - he did an excellent job and should get more accolades from wine media for his stable and clever work.
Croix Mouton - fresh, very nice acidity, round, aromatic fruit, good fruity finish. 89p.
20 Mille - more intense and bigger structure here than Croix Mouton, deeper and longer on the palate, fine balance, fruity aftertaste. 91p.
Cap St.Georges - loads of ripe sweet fruit, sappy, fine acidity, velvety texture, smooth finish. Splendid effort. 91+p.
Sacre Coeur - plenty of dark fruit and ripe tannin, well supported by oak, the scent of truffles, concentrated, complex, and long on the palate. Firm finish. 93p.
La Confession - tight, packed with perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, strong structure and great depth, potent, finishes fruity and long. 94-95p.
La Croix St.Georges - big structure, powerful, loads of dark berries, great complexity, and length. Excellent stuff. 94-95p.
Bourgneuf
2015 - same splendid impression as at Grand Cercle tasting. A beautiful, aromatic wine, elegant and well-defined, velvety texture with silky fruit and tannin. Great complexity and a smooth fruity finish. 94p.
2014 - succulent and stylish wine, intense black fruit and violets, fine acidity and structure, terroir taste (crasse de fer - iron dirt), long finish. 93-94p.
2013 - very little to be excited about. Light, charming, round, and short on the palate. This vintage is bonkers in Bordeaux. 86p.
2012 - gained a lot from aging in barrel. Seductive and aromatic, fine ripeness, silky fruit, and tannin, fruity finish. 91-92p.
2010 - fat and very concentrated, great depth and structure, great complexity too. A lot of terroir on the palate here, many nuances, and a persistent finish. It seems that this wine is gradually putting on weight in the bottle. This is undoubtedly the best vintage ever at Bourgneuf since present winemaker Frederique Vayron took over from his father in 2008. 95+p.
L'Eglise Clinet
Denis Durantou can be proud of what he achieved in the 2015 vintage. He hasn't put a foot wrong for ages.
Saintayme St.Emilion - nose of black cherries, plenty of tannins, fresh acidity, very good length. 89-90p.
La Chenade Lalande de Pomerol - more fruit sweetness here, sappy and complex, impressive ripeness of fruit and tannin, long fruity finish. 91p.
Les Cruzelles Lalande de Pomerol - a true copy of La Chenade with a little more concentration. Impressive stuff. 91+p.
Montlandrie Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux - earthy flavors, ripe cherry fruit, fine support by oak. 90p.
La Petite Eglise Pomerol - well-knitted, fine balance, impressive complexity, structure, and length. 91-92p.
L'Eglise Clinet Pomerol - excellent ripeness and acidity, black cherries everywhere, powerful, deep, and stunningly rich. Bull's eye effort. 98p.
Tertre Roteboeuf
It's maybe a long-standing cliché, but yet again, Francois Mitjavile produced one of the best wines of the 2015 vintage.
2015 L'Aurage - his son, Louis Mitjavile, owns this property in Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux. Earthy and tannic, well-constructed and well-balanced, ripe fruit, firm aftertaste. 90p.
2015 Domaine de Cambes - fruity and tasty, round and seductive, soft and fruity aftertaste. 89p.
2015 Roc de Cambes - as usual, filled with dark fruit on the nose and palate, potent and with a strong backbone, earthy flavors on the palate, and long aftertaste. 92+p.
2015 Tertre Roteboeuf - stunning appearance, complete and refined, excellent structure, incredible personality. 97+p.
Belle Brise
This micro-property close to Libourne center and railway Bordeaux-Paris produces silky wines, which are immensely popular in Asia.
2015 here is delicate, refined, tasty black fruit and splendid length. 93+p. Harvest took one day in the middle of September, and imho grapes would have benefitted from hanging one week more on vines before harvest. 2014 was very stylish and sophisticated, with silky fruit and tannin. Simply delicious wine. 93p. 2012 had a seductive cherry nose and velvety texture with splendid complexity, finesse, and fine length. Tasted a bit lighter than one year ago. 92-93p.
Troplong Mondot
I tasted a 2015 barrel sample here just before dinner at Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot. It was a powerhouse of a wine with an enormous concentration of fruit and tannin, fatness, and chocolate flavor, added extraordinary complexity, depth, and length. 96-97p. The degree of alcohol landed at whole 15.5%, but I'm not worried. Vines at the property usually produce grapes with high alcohol, it's naturally made, and with time, it will merge with fruit and tannin and disappear. We have often seen this (in vintages 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2010). Grape varieties in 2015 - 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.
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Friday the 8th of April
d'Yquem
Anne, our very knowledgeable guide at Yquem.
2015 d'Yquem was tasted on three separate occasions, twice at the property and during an event in Opera, Bordeaux: unctuous, fabulous acidity and richness, intensity and concentration, fantastic complexity, depth, and length. Heavenly stuff! 99p. Y de Yquem (dry white) had great acidity, freshness, fine depth, the aroma of pineapple and acacia, honeyed finish. 92p.
Lafaurie Peyraguey
Eric Larramona, Lafaurie Peyragueuy's manager, welcomed us, and we did quick sightseeing inside the chateau before tasting wines. Very pretty Interieur.
2015 dry Lafaurie - 70% Semillon + 30% Sauvignon Blanc. Production is 5000 bottles. Fresh pineapple, good acidity, tasty. 88p.
2015 - flavors of red grapefruit, sweet mandarines, oranges, discrete but fine acidity, well-constructed, refined with a long finish. Very pretty wine. 94p.
2014 - striking acidity, impressive stuff, so long, fresh, intense, and refined/sophisticated. Very long finish. 94-95p.
2013 - different aroma here than in 2014, brown sugar, lighter, elegant but a bit four-square, nice aftertaste. 92p.
2011 - candied orange peel, candied mandarines, candied figs, long, rich, and refined. Honeyed aftertaste. Excellent stuff. 94p.
2009 - very intense and concentrated, amazing intensity and depth, sweetness and acidity, just sublime wine. Big improvement since I tasted this wine last time (March 2014). 95-96p.
Raymond Lafon
The jovial Jean-Pierre Meslier told me that Mesliers are pretty satisfied with their efforts in 2015, a vintage they consider to be among the best ones they have made at the property.
2015 - refined and sophisticated, orange peel and pineapple, excellent sweetness, complexity, and length. Rich. On the level with 2014. 95p.
2014 - striking acidity, fresh oranges, peach, mango, grapefruit, citrus, great balance, complex and refined. Great effort for the vintage. 95p.
2013 - a very elegant wine with much finesse, on the light side, very good acidity and balance, nice complexity, and a honeyed finish. Overshadowed by 2014 and 2011. 93p.
2011 - aromatic with acacia honey, sophisticated, long, great intensity of aromas (mango, honey melon) and great acidity. Very long honeyed aftertaste. Excellent effort for the vintage. 95p.
2010 - vast quantities of pineapple and grapefruit aromas, sophisticated and rich, exquisite balance. Utterly impressive stuff. 97p.
2009 - quite spectacular on the nose and palate with a great range of botrytised flavors like almonds, pineapple, pear, apricot, acacia flower, exquisite sweetness, and acidity. Extremely long on the palate with an exquisite honeyed aftertaste. Fabulous stuff. 96p.
Nairac
Here, 2015 is just splendid and close to 2013. I tasted 2013, 2010, and 2005 in addition to 2015.
2015 - a lot of pineapples, elegant with finesse, fine acidity and sweetness, complex and long. 93p.
2013 - a powerful grapefruit, apricot, and honey melon flavor, an excellent match between sweetness and acidity, refinement, complexity, length, and honeyed finish. Splendid effort. 93+p.
2010 - big range of botrytised aromas like grapefruit, almonds, lemon peel, pineapple, and pear. Distinguished and long on the palate with great sweetness, acidity, and graceful aftertaste. Stunning complexity. Very precise and thoughtful winemaking. Exquisite effort. 96p.
2005 - displayed intense nose of apricots, a lot of botrytised flavors on the palate like pineapple, guava, and honey melon, sublime richness, sophisticated touch, and long lingering aftertaste. Extraordinary stuff. 95+p.
In the evening, we dined at Claude Darroze in Langon restaurant and had a dinner accompanied by 1962 Mouton Rothschild (not a perfect bottle, quickly faded in the glass) 90p and a half bottle of 1958 Haut Brion (better wine than MR, quite lively and tasty). 92p.
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Saturday the 9th of April
Smith Haut Lafitte
Fabian Teitgen tells us a story about the 2015 vintage and how the wines fared, in his opinion.
I was invited with friends to an extended visit and tasting in Cathiard's private house, and we finished with lunch. The 2015 vintage marks the 25th harvest for Cathiards; they bought Smith Haut Lafitte in 1990 without too much thinking. At the same time, this property celebrates 650 years of jubileée. Both celebrations are marked by new labels (black with gold letters) for the 2015 vintage for both red and white.
Before lunch, we had a very informative round-up of the 2015 vintage by Smith Haut Lafitte's technical director, Fabien Teitgen. He is enthusiastic about the 2015 vintage, and so are Cathiards!
2015 Cantelys - 65% Cabernet Sauvignon + 35% Merlot, deep gravel (suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon). Fresh, violets on the nose, round, smooth, and well-balanced. Seductive wine. 88-89p.
2015 Le Thil - soil consists of clay and limestones, 100% Merlot. Cathiards have been proprietors here since 2012. Deliciously fruity, sweetness, silky fruit, tannin, good structure and length, Caressing fruity aftertaste. 90p.
2015 Les Hauts de Smith - 55% Merlot + 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Kind of like second wine. This wine is an exclusivity of the negociant firm Duclot. Tight, fine structure and depth, enough oak to complement the fruit, fine length and finish. 90-91p.
2015 Le Petit Haut Lafitte - 60% Cabernet Sauvignon + 40% Merlot, the first vintage was 2008. Deliciously fruity with considerably more power, a stronger backbone, complexity, and length than LHdS. 91p
2015 Smith Haut Lafitte - 63% Cabernet Sauvignon + 33% Merlot + 2% Cabernet Franc + 2% Petit Verdot. 65% new barrels. Strong and powerful, tight, great fruit and tannin, sublime focus and precision, impressive depth and length, very long finish. Imho, this wine seriously rivals 2009 and 2010 versions of Smith Haut Lafitte. 96+p.
2015 Beauregard - Cathiards have become part owners of this property and have recently modernized its cellar. 75% Merlot + 25% Cabernet Franc. Aromatic, fruity, silky, dense, strong backbone, refined concentration and length. 91p. A noticeable improvement here.
2015 Cantelys white - 50% Semillon + 50% Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh with nice acidity, acacia flower, tasty and crisp, fine fruity aftertaste. 90p.
2015 Les Hauts de Smith white - 80% Sauvignon Blanc + 20% Semillon. Bigger acidity here than in Cantelys, and also more structure and length. Otherwise similar in style to Cantelys. 91p.
2015 Le Petit Haut Lafitte white - 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, tasty, and fresh, with very acacia flower flavor and some lemongrass, very good length and finish. 90-91p.
2015 Smith Haut Lafitte white - 95% Sauvignons + 5% Semillon. Powerful, very intense, impressive acidity and complexity, rich and sophisticated. Very impressive indeed. 96p. In the top three of whites in this vintage.
2015 Bastor Lamontagne - Cathiards are also co-owners here since July 2014. Pineapple aroma, good intensity and concentration, acidity, well-supporting sweetness, acacia honey finish. 91-92p.
We were treated with Smith Haut Lafitte white 1986 and red in vintages 1998 and 1990 during lunch. 1986 white was very drinkable and tasty. 87p. 1998 red had an attractive nose of truffles, roasted bacon, fine complexity, backbone, and caressing finish. 92p. 1990 red from the year of purchase of this property by Cathiards, impressed a great deal. Mature wine, lively and kicking strong and tightly structured, concentrated splendid balance, and long persistent finish. 93p.
Because of the rainy weather most of the day, we sadly didn't have the opportunity to bicycle around the property.
Wines for lunch
A rainy Saturday midday spent in excellent company - Daniel Cathiard is third from the left, and his wife Florence is second from the right.
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Sunday the 10th of April
Phelan Segur
During the 2015 harvest, wine staff at the property decided to wait as long as possible to harvest Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon until both grape varieties were perfectly ripe inside and outside (phenolic ripeness). it looks like this decision paid off, as 2015 Phelan Segur is probably the best vintage for the property in the last 30 years!
2015 - 53% Cabernet Sauvignon + 47% Merlot, 13.5% alcohol, was very aromatic with significant aromas of blueberries and blackberries, well-knitted, splendidly balanced, sweet fruit, refined and complex with a long fruity aftertaste. Impressive. 93+p.
2014 - displayed great acidity and complexity, strong structure, splendid length, and meaty finish. Very focused wine. 92p.
2012 - tasted delicious, round, fruity, sappy, and lengthy with fine structure. A real crowd-pleaser! 89p.
2011 - had splendid acidity, fine structure, and long finish. Reminiscent of 2014 but with less complexity and concentration. 90p.
2010 - it offered fat fruit and tannin, both perfectly ripe, with great complexity and depth. Excellent vintage here, but imho 2015 is richer, more concentrated, and has a long finish. 92-93p.
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Monday the 11th of April 2016
Chateau Margaux
Tasting 2015 Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux. From the left - Alex Rychlewski, Ivar Bjurner, Niko Dukan, Thibault Pontallier, Piyapa Bjurner, and Sebastien Vergne (Ch. Margaux's technical director).
With all three wines, this property hit the bull's eye in 2015. For the first time, Cabernet Sauvignon has reached 13 % alcohol here. One must remember that harvest was early enough and that this grape variety's biological growing didn't allow it to be overripe.
Pavillon Rouge represents 23% of the total crop and is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Probably one of the very best wines ever produced at the property. Big concentration, intensity, strong backbone, silky fruit and tannin, excellent acidity, and stunning finish. 93-94p.
Grand Vin is 38% of the total crop and comprises 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Exceptional concentration, richness, complexity, super-strong backbone, elegant and sophisticated, perfectly balanced, incredibly aromatic, extraordinary finish. For sure, this is a wine of the 2015 vintage in red. 98-100p.
Pavillon Blanc had a small yield, only 20 hl/ha, 100% Sauvignon Blanc which reached 14% in alcohol (perfect ripeness). The 2015 vintage is the first one with organic treatment in the vineyard. Aromatic and fresh with a significant scent of acacia and grapefruit, rich, refined, and with great acidity. Awesomely long finish. Best Pavillon Blanc ever for me. 94p.
Pichon Baron
2015 is an excellent vintage, and I couldn't find any sign of dilution in the wines!
Pibran - strong and tight, very good acidity, fine concentration, well-structured, fine balance, and meaty aftertaste. 91p.
Les Tourelles de Longueville - somewhat rusty and tight, quite some oak, good structure, and firm finish with a slight dryness. 88-89p.
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron - the powerful, strong backbone, very nice acidity, sappy, complexity, and length. 90-91p.
Pichon Baron - thick and tight, loads of fruit and tannin, everything balanced. Impressive mid-palate. Excellent ripeness, excellent complexity, and excellent finish. Fabulous effort. 96p.
I've to say a few words about Petit Village. Last summer (2015), its technical director Marielle Cazaux left for neighboring La Conseillante, and the sister-in-law of Olivier Berrouet from Petrus, Diana Berrouet-Garcia, took over winemaking responsibilities. Petit Village has, for a long time, been an underperforming property. But watch out - 2015 is a beauty and probably the best vintage ever for this property! What a debut vintage for the new winemaker!! 71% Merlot + 20% Cabernet Franc + 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. It showed much more intensity and concentration on the nose and palate than usual, excellent structure, depth, complexity, silky fruit and tannin, velvety texture, and a long fruity finish. An utterly expressive and impressive wine. 94-95p. This wine shouldn't be filtrated before bottling!
Blanc de Suduiraut- nice, round, and charming acacia flower, nice acidity, soft finish. 90p.
Suduiraut - pineapple, acacia honey, many botrytized flavors, very complex with great sweetness and corresponding acidity. Excellent effort. 94p.
Pichon Comtesse
Nicolas Glumineau, manager of Pichon Comtesse since November 2012
It was one of the most exciting visits during primeur, mainly because Nicolas Glumineau had time to explain his vision of improving Pichon Comtesse. He told me that one of the first things he did after becoming a manager was to ask the cellarmaster to prepare a tasting of as many vintages as possible to understand the character of the property. He explained that Cabernet Sauvignon was truly exceptional here in 2015.
2015 Pichon Comtesse - 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The final blend was already made in February. This wine was already a stand-out barrel sample at the UGCB tasting in Bordeaux Lac (Matmut stadium) 6 days before, and it showed the same at the property. It was packed with perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, with excellent complexity and length. More concentration, richness, depth, and length than usual, sophisticated and with a mega aftertaste. I don't remember Pichon Comtesse being that complex, rich, classy, and stylish in the last 25 years. In 2015, this stunning beauty seemed to have an extra dimension. 97+p.
2015 Reserve de La Comtesse - full of perfectly ripe fruit, deep and concentrated, dense texture, long aftertaste. Represents half of the total production. With the second wine that splendid, I'm not surprised by the exceptional Grand Vin. 92p.
2014 Pichon Comtesse - 65% Cabernet Sauvignon + 22% Merlot + 7% Cabernet Franc + 6% Petit Verdot. Great acidity here, great complexity and length, powerful with a strong backbone, remarkable depth and finish. Excellent for the vintage. 94+p.
2009 Pichon Comtesse - figs, voluptuous, splendidly aromatic nose, ripe fruit, spicy, Cabernet Sauvignon shining through, splendid length, excellent complexity. A little touch of heat in the aftertaste. 95p.
2005 Pichon Comtesse - cooler version of 2009; maybe the fruit is slightly drier and less sweet this time. 94p.
Latour
Famous tower in the vineyards of Chateau Latour, seen from Pichon Comtesse. Please notice Gironde river flows very close to vineyards.
Draconic selection resulted in only 30% of the production going into Grand Vin, 40% into Les Forts de Latour, and 30% into Pauillac.
2015 Pauillac - good concentration, sweet fruit, round and charming, good acidity and length, smooth and fruity finish. 90p.
2015 Les Forts de Latour - strong, fine concentration of fruit and tannin, fine structure, and complexity. Long aftertaste. 92p.
2015 Latour - 97% Cabernet Sauvignon + 3% Merlot. It was closed on the nose, a powerhouse on the palate, and great depth and complexity. It needs time to develop into something extraordinary. 96+p.
2010 Pauillac - big surprise! I had never tasted such impressive third wine! Very intense fruity nose, truffles, concentrated, chewy, and long. Persistent fruity finish. Simply delicious! 92p.
2009 Les Forts de Latour - chocolate, sweet fruit, and tannin, well-knitted with great complexity, sparkling acidity, and long fruity aftertaste. Impressive. 93p.
2000 Latour - monster wine with a fascinating nose of truffles, so fat on the palate that it can be cut in slices, almost oily texture, incredible richness, complexity, and sophisticated touch. 50+ years to live out the dream. A fantastic tribute to the vintage! 100p.
Leoville Las Cases
Leoville Lascases' cellarmaster since 1982, Mr Rolland, pours 2015 vintage in our glasses
Utterly impressive range of 2015s here, and I was also treated with very well-made 2012s. Magnificent quality of Cabernets in 2015!
2015 La Chapelle de Potensac - fruity, round and charming, tasty but somewhat four-squared. 85-86p.
2015 Potensac - fine concentration and acidity, well-structured, tasty fruit, well-balanced with fine length. 90p.
2015 La Petite Marquise - the first vintage of the second wine for Clos de Marquis. Splendid fruit and tannin, very seductive and tasty wine, soft and caressing finish. 88p.
2015 Clos de Marquis - blueberry compote, sappy with fine acidity, which perfectly links all elements in this wine, focused perfectly on ripe fruit and tannin. 93p.
2015 Le Petit Lion - very concentrated, tight, dense, velvety texture, long aftertaste. Fine second wine. 91-92p.
2015 Leoville Las Cases - 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. Another monster wine here, a fabulous nose of dark berries, extremely concentrated, deep and long on the palate, remarkable acidity, sophisticated, and with a mega, mega long finish. Bull's eye! 97-98p.
2012 Potensac - well-defined, fruity and tasty, very accessible, good length. 87p.
2012 Clos de Marquis - spicy fruit, meaty, complex, and long, tastes well, quite forward, great to enjoy now. 90p.
2012 Leoville Las Cases - impressive for the vintage, precise, great complexity and richness, and sublime finish. 94p.
Lascombes
Dramatic scene of the sun going down in the evening over Lascombes vineyard
2015 Merlot - robust and delicious fruit and tannin, concentrated.
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon - intense, tight, big concentration, long.
2015 Petit Verdot - mighty, strong backbone, spicy.
2015 Final blend - 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Big, full, complex, more concentration and power than usual. Precise and focused wine with pretty fruit and tannin. 93-94p.
2015 Chevalier Lascombes - 55% Merlot + 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Strong with big structure, oaky, compact, nice structure and length. 89-90p.
During dinner, I tasted the following wines:
2010 Lascombes - very tight, fat fruit and tannin, complex and rich, great balance and structure. 94-95p.
2006 Lascombes - mineral, grilled bacon. Tobacco leaves, a fine backbone and depth, elegant and with finesse. 93p.
2005 Lascombes - similar in style to 2010, very seductive, delicious. 94p.
One of my friends brought 1947 Lascombes with him, a negociant bottling, and we had it at the end of the dinner. It was old stuff, with oysters aroma/smell, but still good acidity and taste of extracted coffee beans. 90p.
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Tuesday the 12th of April
Lafite Rothschild
Chateau Lafite's cellar
Fine visit with excellent vines, but no Charles Chevallier to answer questions. The tasting went quickly, so we had much time and asked for a visit to the cellars, which was happily granted.
Duhart Milon - elegant, fine balance, well-knitted with good structure, depth, and length. Fine complexity. 92p.
Carruaders de Lafite - similar in style to Duhart Milon with bigger depth and length on the palate. Fine second wine. 91-92p
Lafite - 91% Cabernet Sauvignon + 9% Merlot. Incredibly refined and sophisticated, rich and complex, fabulous structure and length. 96-97p. Awesome effort.
Mouton Rothschild
Cellar work at Mouton Rothschild
My friends and I came too early for the visit, so there was enough time to visit the museum in the cellar. All wines tasted showed very high quality in their respective rank.
D'Armailhac - flowery and dark berry nose, polished, silky texture, well-balanced, fine smooth aftertaste. 92-93p.
Clerc Milon - more intensity and concentration, better structure and length on the palate than in D'Armailhac. 92+p.
Le Petit Mouton - well-made, tasty fruit, splendid backbone, structure, and fruity finish. 92p.
Mouton Rothschild - refined, sophisticated, rich, excellent complexity and structure, great acidity, and powerful finish. A complete wine. 97+p.
Aile d'Argent - white Mouton Rothschild. Fresh with acacia flower and lemongrass aroma, great depth, and structure, long finish. Splendid effort. 92-93p.
Pontet Canet
Future look of Pontet Canet
This time it was neither Alfred Tesseron nor his niece Melanie Tesseron, who tasted 2015 with us. Justine Tesseron, Alfred Tesseron's daughter, tasted with us. She started to work at Pontet Canet in November of last year with administrative duties.
2015 had evident oak on the nose, mellow construction, not as flashy as in 2009 and 2010, but a refined, sophisticated, long fruity finish. 95% of the production went into Grand Vin, and the yield per ha was 33 hl. 95-96p.
Montrose
I wonder if the big September downpours in Saint-Estephe impacted the 2015 quality at Montrose. This property has excellently drained gravelly soil, its vineyard is hilly, and just after downpours, north-eastern winds quickly dried up the air and soil. There was no reason to harvest soon after the rains, so the staff waited for a perfect opportunity.
Tronquoy Lalande - dense and tight, lot of fruit and tannin, concentrated and long. Well-made. 90p.
La Dame de Montrose - a voluptuous, lot of everything, big intensity, long and meaty finish. Excellent second wine, which hints at how masterly Grand Vin is. 92p.
Montrose - "iron fist in the velvet glove" or "wolf in sheep's clothes", boom, a big concentration of everything, enormous depth and length, fabulous complexity, and richness. Magnifique! Surely in my top ten of 2015 wines. 1. Growth quality. 98-99p. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 13,8% alcohol.
Calon Segur
On the right, the new label for Grand Vin
This property maintains its fine and stable quality. After excellent 2014s, wines are, imho even better in 2015.
Capbern - blackberries and blueberries, spicy acidity, a fine balance between silky fruit and silky tannin, well-structured and with a soft fruity finish. 91p.
Le Marquis de Calon - soft, aromatic, and round with tasty blackberries, fine fruit intensity, and a soft finish. 91p.
Calon Segur - 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.3% alcohol. Very fruity and stylish, with classy finesse and elegance, silky texture and great complexity, remarkable structure and complexity. 95-96p.
Beychevelle
Beautiful view from the terrace towards Gironde river
2015 vintage here is very successful, somewhat better than the excellent 2014. I tasted both vintages plus 2015 Beaumont.
2015 - polished, silky fruit, great finesse, remarkable length, velvety texture, and sweet aftertaste. Great future. 94+p. Tasted on two occasions with the same result. 2014 had the same characteristics as 2015, but the acidity was more obvious here. 94p. 2015 Beaumont was smooth and silky, round, and tasty. 89-90p.
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After Beychevelle's visit, I hastened back to Bordeaux to relax before dinner at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in Grand Hotel (opposite Opera), Le Pressoir d'Argent. The dinner was like drinking 1. Growth wine in an exceptional vintage - simply stunning!
Fantastic dish - "Asperges vertes de Jérôme Galis, condimentées de trois façons, truffle du Périgord, parmesan et Noir de Bigorre"
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RATINGS
Please notice that the +(plus) sign means that the given barrel sample can receive up to 2 points higher score if it very much improves when retasted before and after bottling. The same sign followed by one or two question(s) mark (?) indicates the actual score and that the sample wasn't in prime condition. The rating(s) in question can be much higher if the retasted barrel samples or bottled wine(s) show considerable improvement.
Sauternes & Barsac
Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes 91-92 Broustet Barsac 91 Caillou Sauternes 93 Climens Barsac 96-97 Clos Haut-Peyraguey Sauternes 92 Coutet Barsac 93+ d'Arche Sauternes 91 de Fargues Sauternes 94 de Malle Sauternes 93 de Myrat Barsac 93 de Rayne Vigneau Sauternes 93+ Doisy-Daëne Barsac 94 Doisy-Védrines Barsac 93 Filhot Sauternes 92 Guiraud Sauternes 92-93 La Tour Blanche Sauternes 93 Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 94 Lamothe Despujols Sauternes 92 Lamothe Guignard Sauternes 90 Nairac Barsac 93 Rabaud-Promis Sauternes 92 Raymond Lafon Sauternes 95 Rieussec Sauternes 94 Romer Sauternes 91 Romer du Hayot Sauternes 91-92 Sigalas Rabaud Sauternes 93 Suau Sauternes 92-93 Suduiraut Sauternes 94 Yquem Sauternes 99
Graves & Pessac-Leognan red
Bouscaut Pessac-Léognan 91 Cantelys Graves 88-89 Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan 91 Carbonnieux blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 Chantegrive Graves 90 Clos Floridene Graves 88 Couhins Lurton Pessac-Léognan 88 Cruzeau Pessac-Léognan 88 de Fieuzal Pessac-Léognan 93 de France Pessac-Léognan 92-93 Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan 95 Ferrande Graves 90 Haut Bacalan Pessac-Léognan 88 Haut Bailly 96-97 Haut-Bergey Pessac-Léognan 91+ Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 97 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 90 La Clarence de Haut Brion Pessac-Léognan 90 La Louvière Pessac-Léognan 93 La Louvière blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 95+ Larrivet Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 93 Latour-Martillac Pessac-Léognan 92 Le Sartre Pessac-Léognan 88 Les Carmes Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 94+ Le Clos de Carmes Pessac-Léognan 89 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan 91 Pessac-Léognan 91 Le Thil Pessac-Léognan 90 Les Hauts de Smith Pessac-Léognan 90-91 Lespault Martillac Pessac-Léognan 90 Malartic Lagravière Pessac-Léognan 93 Olivier Pessac-Léognan 92 Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan 94-95 Picque-Caillou Pessac-Léognan 91-92 Rahoul Graves 91 Seguin Pessac-Léognan 94 Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Léognan 96+
Graves & Pessac-Leognan white
Bouscaut blanc Pessac-Léognan 90 Cantelys blanc Graves 90 Carbonnieux blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 Chantegrive blanc (Cuvée Caroline) Graves 92 de Fieuzal blanc Pessac-Léognan 90-92 de France blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 Domaine de Chevalier blanc Pessac-Léognan 96 Ferrande blanc Graves 92 Haut-Bergey blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 Haut-Brion blanc Pessac-Léognan 96 La Clarté de Haut-Brion (white) Pessac-Léognan 92 La Louvière blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 La Mission Haut-Brion blanc Pessac-Léognan 95 Larrivet Haut-Brion blanc Pessac-Léognan 94-95 Latour-Martillac blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 Le Petit Haut Lafitte blanc Pessac-Léognan 91 Le Thil Pessac-Léognan 90 Les Hauts de Smith blanc Pessac-Léognan 90-91 Lespault Martillac blanc Pessac-Léognan 91 Malartic Lagravière blanc Pessac-Léognan 93 Olivier blanc Pessac-Léognan 93-94 Pape Clément blanc Pessac-Léognan 94 Picque-Caillou blanc Pessac-Léognan 92+ Rahoul blanc Graves 92 Smith Haut Lafitte blanc Pessac-Léognan 96
Bordeaux, Bordeaux Superieur, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux, Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, Cotes de Bourg and Francs Cotes de Bordeaux.
20 Mille Bordeaux Supérieur 91 Aile d'Argent blanc Bordeaux 92-93 Alcée Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 89-90 Ampelia Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 87 Bad Boy Bordeaux 89 Bad Boy Chardonnay 91 Bel-Air La Royere Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux 87-88 Clarendelle Bordeaux 87-88 Clos des Lunes Lunes Blanche Bordeaux 89 Clos des Lunes Lunes d'Argent Bordeaux 90 Clos des Lunes Lunes d'Or Bordeaux 91-92 Clos Lunelles Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 90 Cote Montpezat Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 88+ Croix-Mouton Bordeaux Supérieur 89 de Francs Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 88-89 Domaine des Cambes Bordeaux 89 Domaine Virginie Thunevin Bordeaux 90 G de Guinaudeau Bordeaux Supérieur 89+? Girolate Bordeaux 87 Grand Village Bordeaux Supérieur 90+? Grand Village blanc Bordeaux 90 Haut Bertinerie Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux 89 La Prade Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 89 Lafaurie-Peyraguey dry white Bordeaux 88 L'Aurage Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 90 La Brande Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux 88 Laussac Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 89 Laussac, Cuvée Sascha Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 89 Le Nardian (white) Bordeaux 90 L'Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux 88-89 Les Champs Libres (white) Bordeaux 92 Les Charmes Godard white Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 91 Montlandrie Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 90 Mont Perat Bordeaux 88 Pavillon Blanc de Margaux Bordeaux 94 Puygueraud Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 88 Puygueraud blanc Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 91-92 Reynon Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux 87 Roc de Cambes Côtes de Bourg 92+ Suduiraut blanc dry Bordeaux 90 Thieuley Bordeaux 88 Thieuley Reserve Francis Courcelle Bordeaux 88+ Tour de Mirambeau Cuvée Passion Bordeaux 88+ Valandraud blanc Bordeaux 92-93 Y de Yquem blanc 92
Médoc/Haut Médoc
Beaumont Haut Médoc 89-90 Belgrave Haut Médoc 87 Camensac Haut Médoc 90 Cantemerle Haut Médoc 91 Citran Haut Médoc 91 Coufran Haut Médoc 90-91 de Lamarque Haut Médoc 88 La Lagune Haut Médoc 94 La Lagune Les Cabernets Sauvignons 94+ La Tour Carnet Haut Médoc 92 La Tour de By Médoc 90 Potensac Haut Médoc 90
Listrac & Moulis
* On the 7th of September, I tasted several 2015s which I missed while doing several tastings in Bordeaux in April 2016:
d'Aiguilhe - 89p
Clos de la Oratoire - 91p
Haut Bailly - 96-97p
Other 2015s retasted were, for the majority, slightly better than four months ago. None of the retasted wines was below the quality in April 2016.
A sample of Canon (St.Emilion PGCC) was much better than the one tasted in April 2016, but for me, it's not 100p wine, merely 96p. Petit Village (Pomerol) hasn't lost anything since April 2016, and it's still a stunner wine for me.
I retasted the following wines - Beausejour Becot, Beychevelle, Branaire Ducru, Brane Cantenac, Canon-La-Gaffeliere, Cantemerle, Cantenac Brown, Les Carmes Haut Brion, Chasse-Spleen and Camensac, Coutet, D.d. Chevalier, Clinet, Giscours/du Tertre, Lafon Rochet, Larrivet Haut Brion, Lascombes, Latour Martillac, Langoa/Leoville Barton, Leoville Poyferre, Pichon Baron/Petit Village, Rauzan Segla, Smith Haut Lafitte and Talbot.