Chronicle 21. Young or old, a great wine always pleases (see Latour 2002).

- YOUNG OR OLD, A GREAT WINE ALWAYS PLEASES - ASPARAGUS - ABOUT SECOND WINES - THE 2005 VINTAGE: FIVE WINES THAT I RECOMMEND YOU NOT TO MISS - THEY ARE OR WILL BE GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY Chronicle n° 21 ( May 15th, 2006) YOUNG OR OLD, A GREAT WINE ALWAYS PLEASES Latour 2002……………………………96 I never tire of praising this wine. I have tasted it four times from a bottle since last January with private individuals, either next to Lafite or next to Mouton. It has always reigned supreme, except for one tasting when Lafite came out equal. This wine is young, dense but elegant, very fruity and marvellously balanced. It stands out from the other Premiers Crus by its final depth and length. The most astonishing thing remains its drinkability. When tasted alone, one could think that it should be kept. This is true if one wants to appreciate the unique nose that a Latour presents between fifteen and twenty years of age. Now, I was Master of Ceremonies recently at a tasting which finished with a Latour 2002. A dinner followed this event. Everyone wanted to taste the Latour again and finally chose to drink it with the meal. I admit to having been surprised by the pleasure it gave to a public whose average age was between 45 and 50. It only goes to show that the new generation does not have the monopoly of consumption of young wines, from the moment that excellence presents itself! ASPARAGUS Fresh asparagus has been part of good dinners for a fortnight now. It can be served with a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay or a Sémillon; the most subtle match is with the Riesling Schlossberg 2004, Clos des Capucines, Cuvée L'Inédit (94) from the Domaines Weinbach . This wine is a late harvest wine. Beyond its very pure, fruity nose, the mouth is enchanting due to a subtle sense of touch. The wine melts, balanced by a meticulous texture. Its residual sugar goes unnoticed. Delicious and sophisticated! Contact: Ms Colette Faller and her daughters – Tel : ++33 (3) 89 47 13 21 – Fax : ++33 (3) 89 47 38 18 – E-mail : contact@domaineweinbach.com ABOUT SECOND WINES I have just tasted La Réserve de Léoville Barton 2002 (83). The colour and the nose are pleasing, but the mouth does not offer the tannic quality expected in a Saint-Julien: it is too firm! Unfortunately, this description and this disappointment can be applied generally to numerous second wines. The majority of them offend not by lack of flavour but by lack of balance and tactile elegance. Why? Well, either the owner considers that the second wine is too light and tries to give it fabric, or he simply wants to dispose of a few batches of press wine that could not be used in the first wine. The “press wine” is always different from what is called “free-run wine” by its blacker colour, its nose which is greener, less fresh and less delicate, and its strapping mouth with tannins which are always more in evidence, and even crude or dry. I know only one producer who told me that he systematically passes over the press wine for his second wine in order to guarantee the pleasure of drinking it: François-Xavier Borie of the Château Grand Puy Lacoste (he used to do the same with La Croix de Beaucaillou when he worked at Ducru Beaucaillou ). Let’s go back to La Réserve de Léoville Barton . Willy-nilly, I left the wine broached for twelve hours in the hope that aeration would soften the tannin, but it never truly lost its initial firmness. Finally, Latour 2002 remains a more accessible wine. A priori, the opposite would be expected. It only goes to show that access to pleasure, to hedonism in the taste of wine depends as much on the balance of flavours between each other as on the nature of the flavours themselves. A nice taste of blackcurrant over a dry structure does not really bring pleasure. Second wines should be the scale model of the first wine, certainly not as great, but still good. Now, they are too often made up of what is unacceptable for the first wine. Of course, this is not marked on the label. I must admit that I have difficulty understanding why the second wine is not as highly considered as the first by its makers. After all, it represents a gamble on the image of the château which is just as important. Does the satisfaction felt in tasting the second wine not make one inclined to taste the first? The quality of the second wines which I appreciate would not exist if the estates were not conscious of this. But it is something else to finance the management of the selection of the batches for the first wine and those for the second wine. To be blunt, a second wine is good when it is not the dustbin of the first, that is to say, when there is a third wine to depurate it. This last is sold in bulk and more cheaply than the second wine, and the temptation is therefore great to produce not too much of it... THE 2005 VINTAGE: FIVE WINES THAT I RECOMMEND YOU NOT TO MISS THEY ARE OR WILL BE GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY I have just tasted eighty wines of the 2005 vintage again. Here are some of my impressions of the wines you should not miss. Moulin Haut Laroque……………………………………....…..91 It is becoming more and more obvious that the 2005 resembles the best wine ever made on the estate. Its tannins are worthy of the greatest. Sold on 1855.com at 15,65 euros, tax not included. Barde Haut………………………………………………………92 In the midst of numerous Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés situated like this on limestone, this Barde-Haut shows an incredible success combining aroma, body and refinement, despite its great strength. Sold at the property at 29 euros, tax included. Contact: Mr et Ms Garcin, Château Haut Bergey – Tel: ++33 (5) 56 64 05 22 – Fax: ++33 (5) 56 64 06 98. Seguin……………………………………………………………...88 Whereas the 2005 vintage is rather tannic, this Graves presents a nice softness while offering its loveliest structure. Great fruity brilliance. Contact: Mr Darriet – Tel: ++33 (5) 56 75 02 43 – Fax: ++33 (5) 56 89 35 41 Among the Grands Crus Classés of Saint-Emilion, Berliquet……………………………………………………………93 Its velvetiness, its fruit, its elongated profile of the mouth and its finish with a fine grain are enchanting. There is something of Burgundy in this style. Contact: Mr Valette – Tel: ++33 (5) 57 24 24 17 – Fax: ++33 (5) 57 24 00 35 Finally, the Margaux appellation confirms its great success. D'Issan…………………………………………………………......93 It slips in just behind Château Margaux, Palmer and Rauzan Ségla. Contact: Mr Cruse – Tél: ++33 (5) 57 88 35 91 – Fax: ++33 (5) 57 88 74 24 As regards the contacts Numerous Bordeaux Châteaux do not sell their wines directly from the property, but they can give you the list of their retailers. Enjoy the report! Jean-Marc Quarin My next chronicle will be published on June 1st, 2006. ______________________________________________________________________ © All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author: Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, BP 40, 33320 Le Taillan-Médoc. France. Tél. 00 33 (0)5 56 35 83 93. Fax 00 33 (0)5 56 35 86 50. E-mail : jmquarin@wanadoo.fr

2006 Chronicles

Chronicle 21. Young or old, a great wine always pleases (see Latour 2002).

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