Thoughts on Médoc 2007

I've spent the last week and a half thinking about Bordeaux 2007 (well, somebody has to) after the annual UGC tasting of the wines at two years of age which was held at Covent Garden in London last week. I've just finished writing up my Médoc notes, which for Bordeaux was where I cut my teeth before discovering Graves and - much more recently - the Right Bank. Here is a brief synopsis of my thoughts on Bordeaux 2007, with specific reference to the Médoc.

It is perhaps expected to provide some indication of which commune has been victorious, which one should take the title of most successful for 2007. Other than saying each of the communes displays a remarkable ability to disappoint, however, I am not sure what accolades should be handed out.

First off the blocks therefore is St Estèphe, a chronically under-represented commune in the annual UGC tastings as Montrose, Cos d'Estournel and Calon-Ségur do not engage in UGC activities. That leaves just four estates flying the flag, the only two remaining cru classé properties and two 'lesser' estates, for want of a better description, After all, it is not unusual for one or both of the latter pair to outshine the first two. In this tasting, however, none really shone at all.

Moving onto Pauillac, the tone of the vintage began to ring clearer and clearer as I moved along the wines. There are only so many ways that you can write the word 'lean'. There was one notable success in this commune though, from Pichon-Baron, a harmonious offering which was attractive, perfumed and certainly a super effort in the context of the vintage. Its stablemate Pichon-Lalande as well as Pontet-Canet also showed a little promise and all three will benefit for a little time in the cellar, although not too long for the Pichon twins, this is not a vintage that will benefit from extended cellaring. Pontet-Canet, with its thick background of tannins, may need a little longer to soften up though; I only hope the fruit holds out.

Further south again and I thought I found a little more uniformity in St Julien, where as a group the wines displayed a smidgen more substance and flesh, and the classic St Julien trio of Langoa and the two Léovilles (by which I mean Poyferré and Barton - like the St Estèphe super-seconds, Léoville-Las-Cases does not partake in UGC events) all showed good efforts. But they are only good in the context of the vintage of course. And in truth I think Pichon-Baron is superior to all of these efforts.

These first three communes seemed to establish a trend of improving quality, starting with the dismal wines of St Estèphe, before the less than admirable Pauillacs and the slightly more uniform St Juliens. If this trend was real, Margaux should offer something brighter and more appealing, surely? The first few samples seemed to suggest this might be so, with half-decent wines from Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Brown, Dauzac and Desmirail. Sadly, the situation degenerated from there onwards, with the commune showing the usual Margaux unreliability, and in truth Rauzan-Ségla is the only estate in the commune worthy of any significant comment. My tasting finished up with two of the five Haut-Médoc cru classé chateaux, La Tour Carnet and Cantemerle. Neither sent any shivers down my spine.

The best (acknowledging that many top properties - the first growths for instant - are always absent from these tastings):

Chateau Pichon-Baron 2007: Dense fruit, a little creamy oak, more expressive aromatically than Pichon-Lalande which I tasted alongside. An impressive palate for the vintage; supple and lightly creamy in terms of texture. A very appealing style, harmonious, with integrated tannins. Balanced, and overall showing very well. A good firm finish and even a little length. 16.5+/20

I thought about adding "the worst" to the end of this post also, but I found myself over-faced with the array of possibilities!

On the basis of my limited tastings, 2007 seems much more successful in whites than in reds on the Western side of France as far North-East as Burgundy. I know that the red Burgundies have their fans but I was not wild about a few Bouchard P&F's which I tasted earlier this month.

To unearth the better reds one will need a lot of guidance and/or tasting.

Chris

A further thought now having read your detailed report in Wine Doctor. I like the observation "patate chaude" about the vintage from a commercial point of view. Together with the Parker boost to the 2008 vintage and a coming "year of the century" in 2009, this seems to indicate clearly that, in a few months/years time, there will be many offers of 2007s at much lower than their present prices as merchants seek to reduce their otherwise unsaleable inventories.

It should then be possible to pick up some nice "luncheon clarets" (a much better term than "restaurant wines") at much more acceptable prices; your detailed TNs should be a useful guide then. Something similar happened with the 97s.

Thanks for your thoughts Tim. This is certainly what should be happening with the vintage; but it will be very difficult for those holding the stock. They have paid high prices for these wines and they will be trying hard not to let them go at a loss.

For me personally, they would have to be very good deals for me to buy. I've got too many 2002s which - although I haven't tasted them much myself yet (must get around to those soon!) - I believe are light and for drinking early, so a similar 'purpose' as the 2007s. And also there are just so many other wines to be had, not least from the Loire of course.

You are right, Chris, to remind us of the excellent value for money (QPR) to be found in the Loire valley and nowadays I buy far more of them than of Bordeaux. Nevertheless, if I were to see, say, that Pichon Baron 2007 on fire-sale for around €30, I would be seriously interested. I bought some comparable 1999s for around that price and they have given me a lot of classy pleasure.