Day 5. 3rd April 2009
Today we completed our week of tastings by venturing into St. Estephe and visiting two notable Chateaux in St. Julien before the obligatory mad dash to the airport. The excitement centred on Cos d'Estournel. Not only has Jean-Guillaume Prats overseen the installation of one of the most impressive winemaking facilities I have seen in Bordeaux, but his team have produced an exceptional wine of First Growth quality. Exuding ample black fruit, fine tannins and a wonderful vibrancy, this was truly stunning, a very pure precise wine. Pagodes de Cos, the second wine ranked as one of the finest we have tasted. Both these 2008s were made in the new cellar which is entirely dependant on a gravity-fed system. Already paying dividends you might say with one of the finest wines of the vintage. Calon-Segur showed in a very natural wine with fresh juicy black cherry fruit. Montrose was perhaps more subdued and outshone by its two near neighbours, good as it was. As for St.Julien, Saint-Pierre looks set to be one of the key values of the vintage and anyone reading this is urged to take note. Scented cassis fruit, such silky fine tannins and admirable freshness - Saint-Pierre is punching above its weight, a very fine 2008. And the last visit of all? Ducru-Beaucaillou, supremely elegant, silky fine and so pure, this was a classical style with sweet ripe Cabernet dominant fruit. A very good note with which to sign off our week.
Day 4. 2nd April 2009
Today's appointment list consisted of some very important tastings, not least of which was our visit to La Mission Haut Brion to taste the Haut Brion stable of wines. The two whites were exceptional: Laville and Haut Brion Blanc, both exhibiting tremendous mineral fruit with a mouth-watering acidity and a more taut linear nature than the superb 2007s. The reds came through well in 2008, the fresh, pure fruit was helped by the deft hand of the Delmas winemaking team. Juicy fine-tuned and wonderfully mineral. The Grand Vin really stood out.
These wines were exceptions in a rather drab Pessac-Leognan showing. Too many wines with too much extraction, and harsh unyielding tannin resulting. The whites were a different story, very successful, full of zesty fruit and mouth-watering acidity, with Domaine de Chevalier stealing the show, closely followed by de Fieuzal and Bouscaut.
We found time to visit the exceptional Troplong Mondot before heading to taste the Moueix wines. Troplong showed impressive stature, structural for the vintage, with deep fruit. A high proportion of Merlot, but a firm style that looks destined to age well.
At Moueix our views of Pomerol were confirmed, fine fruit, silky tannins, and terrific freshness were noted continually as we tasted the range. Certan de May continued its rich vein of form, with Lafleur Petrus and Hosanna coming through. The newly acquired Belair, now Belair-Monange, in memory of Christian Moueix' grandmother showed a deeper nature, but the same unerring mineral vein that we have come to associate with the wines of this well situated property on the Côte next to Ch. Ausone. We will be intrigued to see where prices come out.
If common sense prevails there will be some very good buys this year. Time will tell. The late summer conditions and fine autumn, as well as the reduced yield on account of poor fruitset, have done much to save this vintage. Growers today alluded to vintages such as 1988, though stressed that winemaking and viticultural practices have moved on so far that the comparison concerns the overall nature of the vintage more than the resultant wines.
Day 3. 1st April 2009
Heading into the right bank proved very interesting. St.Emilion was its usual mixed bag, not on account of quality as such, but as a result of wildly differing approaches to wine-making. Trottevieille proved a real stand out at the UGC, with a lush core of fruit and fine sense of balance. The wines of Nicolas Thienpont also showed well, more modern, but very well-made, with Larcis-Ducasse and Pavie-Macquin deserving special praise. Ch. Canon met with expectation as we had heard comments concerning this vintage, suggesting a strong showing. A visit to Ausone confirmed that in the right hands this vintage has much to offer. Not as tight or bold as some vintages, but it showed beautiful succulent fruit and a typical mineral vein. A very fine example indeed. Cheval Blanc exuded classic refinement and elegance, understated, but not lacking density.
In Pomerol, the quality revealed by the leading Châteaux was far above expectation. L'Evangile, L'Eglise-Clinet, La Conseillante and Vieux Ch. Certan are unlikely to struggle to receive favourable reviews. Each shone at our tastings, revealing ripe fruit, but equally terrific freshness and purity. Clearly there is something of a sweet spot in Pomerol this year, with so much owing to a late harvest permitted by fine late-season conditions. Though the summer of 2008 was cool, the wines do not show leanness; instead they show crisp, pure fruit.
Our views are evolving as we taste further, however - as things stand - the key successes feature in St.Julien, Pauillac and Pomerol, with a couple of stunning efforts in St.Emilion from the very finest of Châteaux. So much depends on positioning of price. There are many rumours doing the rounds, as you can expect, but it has become clear that the quality in the glass is not the issue. Instead it concerns the Châteaux owners’ ability to heed the message from the market concerning timing and pricing of releases.
Day 2. 31st March 2009
Today the focus was the commune of Margaux. Aside from the main UGC tasting we visited Ch. Palmer and Ch. Margaux itself. At each property, conversations about the vintage soon led to discussion of the classic styles associated with vintages such as 2004 and 2006.
Ch. Margaux showed us 2006 alongside the 2008. Both vintages hinge on a higher proportion of Cabernet and, while the 2006 is voluminous, the comparison seemed valid. Focused ripe fruit, elegant and refined with fine, gently assertive tannins. A visit to resurgent Ch. d'Issan proved very worthwhile - a fine, classically Margaux style: fragrant and elegant, certainly a wine to watch if pricing proves favourable.
Into Pauillac and we found both Pichons have performed well. Longueville looks like a very strong candidate with its deep, generous black fruit and quietly imposing stature.
In Saint-Julien the character of the vintage has led to a beautiful Beychevelle - all fine-tuned red berry fruit and mineral notes. Saint-Pierre continues to draw our interest with its recent form. The 2008 does not disappoint with its higher Cabernet producing a wine of fine fruit and impeccable balance. The Barton stable is sure to be followed well; classic well expressed and with natural unforced characters. Given their pricing policy over the years these could prove key values.
The day ended in Sauternes and Barsac where Chateaux reported dramatically low yields. Quality is certainly well behind the very fine 2007s with just a handful of wines standing out for consideration.
We will see what tomorrow brings as we head to the right bank, but the impression in the key appellations of the Left Bank is positive. An attractive, classically styled vintage with far better quality than was first assumed.
Day 1. 30th March 2009
A busy day's tasting on the Left Bank across the communes of St.Julien and Pauillac. The wines certainly revealed the benefit of the Indian summer that did so much to shape the nature of this vintage. Harvest commenced around two weeks later than the norm, but did much to aid the ripeness of Cabernet in particular. Many estates showed data relating to temperature and rainfall, which underlined the fact that this is a classic vintage - conditions did not differ wildly from the norm. And as in any such vintage, there is sufficient scope for wines of above average quality.
Notable highlights today included a fine, linear Latour with richness, yet elegance. Lafite was the epitome of refinement and Mouton continued its resurgent form, with a wine that exuded ripe fruit and cassis. Lynch-Bages is an undoubted success of the vintage, with a vibrant, glossy textural example with a wealth of generous fruit. Grand-Puy-Lacoste showed in a very natural vein, with fine silky tannins.
Drawing vintage comparisons is always tricky and clearly we are only on day one, but Châteaux owners ventured an array of vintages including 2001, 2004, 1996 and 2006. Not that 2008 replicates any of these vintages, merely that it shares some of the classic hallmarks, namely freshness, substance, fine tannic structures (albeit perhaps softer in impression) and fine acidities. Moreover, the ripeness on show is not overblown, but cool and well poised. There are many attractive wines on show, but as we know so much rests with price. Rumour has it that we can expect significant reductions on 2007 despite the fact that 2008 is a finer vintage. We will wait to see. We may not need to wait too long. An early campaign has been ventured by various sources.
Simon Larkin MW