Huge trade tasting organized by Elia Gazzar at the Hotel Dolder in Zürich on Thursday, April 22.
Needless to emphasize, all the 2009s poured partly by the Château owners or representatives, partly by hotel staff (the volcano in Iceland preventing air travel), were barrel samples, as far as I could see all dated April 19, in other words, three days old.
Notes presented in alphabetical order, not how Oliver and I went about the tasting. We did not manage to taste above a third of the wines, unfortunately time was limited (slots), and I preceded leisurely as usual.
Have not yet tasted enough wines, hate jumping to conclusions, certainly another promising vintage with some relative standouts that, depending on the price, may or may not be worth owning; good freshness of fruit and acids on average for three days-old barrel samples, well-balanced wines for the most part.
A word of caution: I love barrel samples (if not so much as mature wine, then easily as much as mostly everything in-between). In some respects (especially in some wine-growing regions, not necessarily Bordeaux), I even prefer them to the finished product. Experience tells me that on average, I do not tend to underrate wine based on barrel samples. In fact, I am trying to think of one where I did – maybe a highly botrytised sweet wine or two. But dry red? Hmm...
Château d’Aiguilhe Côtes de Castillon 2009
Barrel sample. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, from a yield of 25 hl/ha. Opaque purple. “Fruit juice with alcohol and chocolate aroma”, Oliver said. An Aussie-like level of ripeness, unfortunately along with the aritificiality of some. Medium-short. Still needs to sort itself out with barrel age. I have no problem admitting I have a problem with the style. Rating: (81-83)
Château d’Aiguilhe Côtes de Castillon 2006
Medium ruby-black. Tannin expressionless, but nice lightly oaky, early-mature, lightly artificial (in Oliver’s words “kitschy”) fruit, bit tightening on the medium-short finish. Rating: 84+?
Château Angélus St. Emilion 2004
Totally opaque purple like Port. Extracted to the limit, no doubt, should in all likelihood work out fine, though. Balanced, firm, full-bodied for the vintage, quite complex, a bit nutty with oak, some green tobacco, quite long on the finish. Rated consistently with a bottle two and a half years ago. Rating: 92(+?)
Château Angélus St. Emilion 2007
Medium purple-ruby. Lighter and higher-acid. Walnutty and coffee-tinged rather closed fruit, nice tobacco. Just short of overdone. Rating: 89(+?)
Château Beychevelle St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. Opaque purple-ruby, faint rim. Pure nose, good subtle terroir expression, slightly overripe fruit, touch of nutty oak, finely-grained and a bit grey-peppery tannin, medium length at best. A faintly oxidative sample? Rating: (88-90?)
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Totally opaque purple. A higher-acid 2009, quite concentrated, not too complex, but quite fruity-dense and pure. Extremely finely-grained tannin, integrated oak. Rating: (89-90)
Château Canon St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. Plummy purple, red at the rim. Fruity, not too attractive or interesting, faintly stony/pebbly minerality, some hazelnut oak, tight tannin but not mean, slightly more tightening on the finish. Rating: (87-88)
Château Canon-La Gaffelière St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, from a yield of 30 hl/ha. 90% new oak. Already better sense of vinosity than the bottled 2007, a somewhat less obvious Canon-La Gaffelière than usual in recent years, and yet, some artificiality again. Not a bad, dominated by dark chocolate (and faint coffee) at this stage. Brighter and longer than the 2007. The 14% alcohol is quite well integrated. Both Oliver and I found this almost unusually convincing (with the usual modernistic Neipperg/Derenoncourt wine-making style caveat) for Canon-La Gaffelière. Rating: (88-90)
Château Canon-La Gaffelière St. Emilion 2007
Tiny bit evolved colour. Another a slightly lighter and higher-acid 2007. Cedary-walnutty and light fruit, relatively unartificial for the Château, but a bit alcoholic. Medium length. Rating: ~86
Domaine de Chevalier St. Estèphe 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot. Ironically, this looks, smells and tastes filtered!? Ruby-red-black, even slightly transparent. A lighter and higher-acid 2009, relatively bright and pure, no doubt, with pretty tannin, not a bad wine at all, not easy to judge, but seems to lack depth. Rating: (88-91?)
Château La Conseillante Pomerol 2007
Ruby-red-black. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Lovely for the vintage, if a touch light. Ash try top note again but integrated at this stage, bright acids but not too high for comfort. Bit cedary with oak. Bit dry tannin. Tempting to say it is a high-end gastronomy medium weight, unfortunately no one around here serves wines like this by the glass. Rating: 89+/~90?
Château La Conseillante Pomerol 2009
Barrel sample. Full ruby-black, purple hue. “Cashmere” is what Oliver exclaimed. Ripe, complex, backed by flavourful tannin for young Conseillante. A little oak. Impressive, also finesseful and still lightly Burgundian as one has come to expect. If not as concentrated as some 2009s, then still clearly so for Conseillante. Nice fruit subtlety, soft tobacco, but already hints at that cold ash tray top note that especially in lighter vintages can turn out off-putting as the wine matures. Undeniably pretty, but chances are, it will be too expensive for what it is. Rating: (92-94)
Château Figeac St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. Deep ruby-purple, watery ruby-red at the rim. Whiff of sulfur, admittedly a bit more difficult to judge fairly. Touch of ink and some oak to subdued/as if slightly closed high-acid fruit, medium-weight wine at best. Rating: (88-90)
Château Figeac St. Emilion 2005
Full plummy/pruney ruby-red. Lovely nose, softly oaky, complex fruit, pretty autumnal fallen leaves and fermenting tobacco leafiness, perhaps a bit evolved for its young age, but delicious and quite long on the palate. “Wonderful extract sweetness”, Oliver said. Rating: 92+/93?
Château La Fleur-de-Boüard Lalande-de-Pomerol 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium purple-ruby. Nice ink and sweet violety fruit, pretty and fresh if lightly Port-like. Nice tannin and acidity. Quite lush, if ultimately a bit simple. The 13.5% alcohol is well integrated. Fair enough length. More likely to remain a fair QPR than some other 2009s, even so, Oliver was not convinced. Rating: (88-89)
Château Fleur Cardinale St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. Opaque purple-ruby. Firm but Port-like, easy-going but quite precise. Emphasis on pit fruit/prune. Soft youthful bitterness to the tannin, something we encountered surprisingly rarely that day. All in all not much depth, slightly superficial, too. Medium-plus length. May turn out to be a comparatively fair QPR buy, though. Rating: (88-89)
Château Fourtet St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. Deep lightly purple ruby-black. Lightly tannic medium-plus weight, good crisp fruit, nice minerality, slightly dry and grainy but positive tannin, long finish. Rating: (89-91)
Château Gazin Pomerol 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Almost opaque ruby-purple, faint rim. Complex fruit, quite firm, tiny sulfur note. Not too expressive but firm and peppery tannin. Good thickness and sweetness on the back end, fairly long. Not quite as easy to judge as most, may be giving this the benefit of doubt. Rating: (92-94)
Château Gazin Pomerol 1999
Somewhat evolved mahogany ruby-orange colour. Tobacco, cedar and smoky fruit, touches of blood orange and marmalade. Pretty if mature for the vintage. Rating: 90-/89
Château Gilette Sauternes Crème de Tête 1986
The greener golden colour of the two. Slightly medicinal white glue botrytis. Intense but not too concentrated, emphasis on grassy-medicinal green banana. Rating: 87-/86(-?)
Château Gilette Sauternes Crème de Tête 1983
Deeper gold. A bit oaky and stale, faintly mushroomy if not mouldy, and yet, more attractive. Significantly more evolved, but gluey-viscous, more concentrated, sweet and rich than the 1986. Rating: 87+/88(-?)
Château Giscours Margaux 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. Opaque purple, lighter rim. Firm, a bit tight. Relatively noble tobacco. Medium complexity, freshness, raciness and length. Disappointing when one thinks of e.g. the 2000. Rating: (87-89)
Château Grand Mayne St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. Purple ruby-black. Smells and tastes like Vintage Port, with touch of violet, almost like young (lighter of course) Taylor’s. Very ripe, oaky, faintly inky, lightly furry tannin, more fruit than terroir but not (too) dull, fairly long but oaky finish. Rating: (88-89)
Château Guiraud Sauternes 2009
Barrel sample. Pale green-gold. Lovely viscous glue, good complexity of waxy-honeyed and a bit appley/orangey roasted pineapple. Pretty little grassiness. Touch of vanilla from the oak. Tiny blue currant top note due to botrytis. Nice ripe acidity. Very long on the finish. Went back here twice, tasting the wine three times. Quite possibly the finest Guiraud I have ever tasted, but then, this is a barrel sample. Rating: (92-94)
Château Guiraud Sauternes 2007
Lighter Guiraud, gluey, faintly medicinal, medium bitter note, medium-short on the finish. Rating: 86(+?)
Château Haut Bailly Graves 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Medium ruby-purple, “lighter-looking” (if such an attribute exists – not just a matter of the darkness of the colour, more an aspect of saturation) than most. Soft but pretty terroir expression. Soft oak, too. Some white pepper. Medium weight, medium length. Rating: (87-89)
Château Lagrange St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot. Full purple-ruby-red. Sweet marzipan oak. Pomerolian pink marzipan, lingonberry jam, rowan berry purity. Pure and clean. Round tannin. Bit Port-like on the finish. More noticeable alcoholic warmth (at 13.5%) than most. A ripe and smooth wine that its maker nonchalantly referred to as facile. More depth would have been nice. Rating: (89-91)
Château Lagrange St. Julien 2007
Medium ruby-black. Oakier/nuttier, lighter, higher-acid and tighter tannin despite better density than some 2007s. Some early, if not autumnal maturity given its tender age. Medium-short. Rating: 85(+/-?)
Château Langoa Barton St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc, from a yield of 40 hl/ha. 60% new barriques. Purple-ruby-red. Sweet, medium-light cherry chewing gum fruit. Dolcetto-like, I thought – Oliver would have loved to see Anthony Barton’s reaction if I told him. Friendly if faintly dry tannin. Medium-short. Rating: (84-86)
Château Léoville Barton St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22.5% Merlot, and 0.5% Cabernet Franc, from a yield of 40 hl/ha. Opaque purple-black. Oli finds this dry, I thought it expectedly old-style (at least compared to most), true to style, as it should be. Reticent subtlety, Port-like whiff of partial overripeness. Sappy, potentially sweet yet firm blackcurrant and green tobacco leaf. Firm, dry, evenly distributed tannin without astringency. Long and firm (noted this twice – LOL!) on the finish. Long-term cellar candidate, the kind of which one rarely encounters in Bordeaux anymore. Rating: (93-95)
Château Léoville Barton St. Julien 2007
Medium purple-ruby. Albeit again lighter and higher-acid, this is more concentrated and firmer than the average 2007, longer, too. Some complexity. Rating: 86(+?)
Château Léoville Poyferré St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Medium-deep purple. Noticeably softer than the Barton, of course, but also displaying greater subtlety. Relatively oaky. Nicely complex, even accessible. Lightly Fonseca-like fruit. Lovely soil notes. More cedary, new-oakier tannin. The 14% alcohol is quite well integrated. Ultimately a bit soft? Prefer Barton’s style, but seem to prefer Poyferré’s terroir. Rating: (91-92)
Château Léoville Poyferré St. Julien 2004
Last tasted this from barrel, have not had it since. Medium evolved ruby. Lead pencil and cedar, pretty but not too fruity, let alone dense – even a bit light. Medium tannin and length. Rating: 87
Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2006
Slightly evolved ruby-black. Nutty-cedary, medium fruit, some lead pencil. Firm, fair enough, if slightly expressionless, but finely-grained enough black tea tannin. Faintly dry finish. Rating: 88+/89
Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2007
Fractionally less evolved ruby-black colour. Lighter and higher-acid. A bit tougher, lesser expression and depth. Some nice lead pencil. Medium-short on the finish. Merely fair enough. Rating: 86+/87?
Château Malescot St. Exupéry Margaux 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Opaque purple. Vanilla oak, lightly Napa Valley like fruit, quite Port-like ripeness, with the tannin ripeness at the limit. Milk chocolate, faint lead pencil, some alcoholic warmth, sweetly chocolaty finish. Trying a bit hard, and so modern-styled, it is impossible to tell whether it is Margaux or something else. Apart from this “flaw” (= debatable whether “style” is one – the wine critics, I was told here, obviously could not care less) not a bad wine. Rating: (89-90)
Château Montrose St. Estèphe 2004
A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Still lightly purple ruby-red, soft black hue. Early-mature (almost shockingly compared to what it was like at release – which does not seem so long ago, or does it?), nicely nutty-oaky, quite complex fruit and tobacco, nice soil notes. “Pretty terroir expression”, Oliver said. A bit bretty/sweaty/leathery perhaps. Medium leady tannin for the vintage, faint bitterness. Relatively soft acidity. Medium length. Earthy aftertaste. Appear to have overrated this at release, the gastronomic character of the vintage was less apparent early on than with the 2001 (which I have nonetheless preferred from the beginning). Tasted twice (that is, from a second bottle later on) to make sure. Rating: 88+/89(+?)
Château Montrose St. Estèphe 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Opaque purple. Dense and round fruit bomb at present, fresh and lively, complex and quite deep. Some fresh green tobacco leaf. Lovely acids. The 13.7% alcohol is very well integrated. Impressive (potential) terroir expression. Modern but not offensively so at all (“again a bit different in style”, Oliver muttered). Quite long. Tasted twice (that is, from a second sample bottle later on) to make sure. Asked Oliver after the tasting (when he referred to it as his favourite sample of 2009 that day) if he thought this as good or better than the 2003 – he said no! I agree. Hmm... Rating: (94-96)
Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan 2004
A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot. Medium-plus ruby-black. Evolved and a bit oxidative. Fairly concentrated, at least somewhat expressive, some grey pepper and pipe tobacco. Medium-minus length. Rating: 87-/86
Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, from a yield of 43 hl/ha (not too low). Purple-ruby, opaque at the center, watery rim. Lightly Port-like/violety nose. Long, subtle, complex, quite deep – and yet, no fruit bomb. The 13.5% alcohol is very well integrated. With its faintly salty extract, nice minerality and comparative depth, intensity and expressiveness, this came across like a special selection from a parcel of old vines – the kind of sample that makes me, well, a bit cautious? But, if this sample is indeed representative, this may turn out to be on of my favourite Pape Clément to date. Rating: (92-94+?)
Château Pavie Macquin St. Emilion 2007
A blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium ruby-black, watery rim. Again lighter and higher-acid. The 14% alcohol is nonetheless well enough integrated. Some minerality. Relatively tight tannin. Not bad. Rating: 87
Château Pavie Macquin St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 84% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, from a yield of 30 hl/ha. Opaque purple-ruby-red. Relatively firm fruit (which Oliver called “dropsy” – as of German acid drops), tannin and tobacco, less exotic (and in that respect typical) than some vintages. Civilized and even if modern, not offensively so. “As if all American oak”, Oli muttered. The 15% alcohol is well enough integrated. Little but nice minerality. Quite long on the finish. Rating: (88-90)
Phélan Ségur St. Estèphe 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Slightly more evolved purple-ruby than most barrel samples that day, watery at the rim. Prettily Port-like, a bit sweet and warming, lightly viscous, some stony minerality, medium tightness to the backbone, medium length. Could be fresher, have more cut. Oliver loves it. Rating: (89-91)
Château Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac 2004
Slightly evolved ruby-red, black hue. Very ripe fruit (even though this could definitely fruitier), evolved and cedary, soft lead pencil. Medium-plus body and length. Medium weight at best. Oaky finish. Rating: ~87?
Château Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac 2005
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, from a yield of 35 hl/ha. Ruby-black. Quite complex and finesseful. Ever so lightly evolved nutty-leafy fruit. Lovely tobacco, lead pencil. Prettily flavourful tannin for Pichon Baron. Fairly reminiscent of the 2000, and qualitatively not too far off. Rating: 92+/93(+?)
Château Poujeaux Moulis 2002
Evolved ruby-orange colour. Evolved cedary and lightly Port-like fruit, medium-light. Rating: 86-
Château Poujeaux Moulis 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, from a yield of 40 hl/ha. Deep ruby-black. Elegant, quite sweet fruit, a touch metallic but ripe, good density. Rather ripe tannin, too, finely grained. Fair enough length. Rating: (89-90)
Château Rayne-Vigneau Sauternes 2005
Very gluey, a bit viscous, relatively nice bitter note as of fresh lemon rind, quite high-acid given the medium-plus at best concentration and weight, but there is certainly potential for complexity. Rating: 89(+?)
Château Rayne-Vigneau Sauternes 2009
Barrel sample. Pale yellow-green. A bit more balm-minty, fresh and white-gluy. Lighter and less exotic than the Guiraud, but fruity, a pretty Rayne-Vigneau. Rating: (89-91)
Château Smith Haut Lafitte Graves 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Purple-ruby. Charcoal-like toasted oak (an aspect I have always thought questionable about this producer’s wines). Nice density of fruit, a bit Port-like, some mineral and metal notes. Charcoal aftertaste. Even so, despite a style I may never warm up to, the finest Smith Haut Lafitte yet. Rating: (88-90)
Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc 2004
Ruby-black, a bit evolved. Intense nose of tobacco, walnut. Early-mature for the vintage (and young Sociando). A bit light and not to fruity. A bit tough, but sufficiently sweet tannin. Rating: 86
Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. Almost opaque purple-ruby. First sample: Lightly spicy Port-like nose, but duller on the palate, despite good density and medium-plus length – an oxidative sample. Rating: (88-91?) Second sample: Consistency of nose and palate, usually a sign of a pristine sample. Nice tannin, good acidity. Longer and fresher. Rating: (90-91)
Château Talbot St. Julien 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. Purple-ruby. Sweet, a touch inky and exotic medium weight, jammy, attractive earth and slightly pheasanty/gamy forest undergrowth. Medium length at best. Rating: (87-89)
Château Troplong Mondot St. Emilion 2009
Barrel sample. A blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Totally opaque purple-ruby-black. Fruit bomb type if not less open for inspection than most samples that day. Rather extracted. Violet and medium tobacco. Quite intense. Fairly long. Oliver finds this “too sweet” – a minor problem when one thinks of the sometimes coarseness of young Troplong Mondot. Rating: (91-93)
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti