Chronicle 33. 2005: Léoville Barton versus Léoville Poyferré Top Pick: the fabulous château Latour 2001

2005: Léoville Barton versus Léoville Poyferré Top Pick: the fabulous château Latour 2001 Lafleur Peyrabon 2001 Rapprochement between château Belair and J.P. Moueix A progress report on Pichon Baron Reward For the festive season: my favorites in 1991, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 83, 82 Chronicle n° 33 (december, 15th 2006) 2005 : LEOVILLE BARTON VERSUS LEOVILLE POYFERRE (This is the follow-up of the tasting of April 10th.) If you remember, one of the major events of the 2005 vintage was the very early harvest at Pétrus on the Right Bank and at Léoville Barton on the Left Bank. It was so early at Léoville Barton that they had finished when their neighbour, Léoville Poyferré, was scarcely beginning. On April 10th, I remarked on the brilliant nose of Léoville Barton, but also its overly firm tannins at the finish which I interpreted as not being ripe enough. I remember that Anthony Barton told me that he had harvested early because of forecasts of rain. A lot of tasters, including some of my friends, adore Léoville Barton 2005. In my opinion, they have let their judgement be carried away by the very lovely nose. They forget that the mouth does not have the velvetiness typical of 2005 and, especially, that the final tannins remain too firm. When I tasted Léoville Poyferré as a Future, I regretted the absence of aromatic brilliance at the nose. On the other hand, I pointed out the lovely mellowness of the tannic substance in the mouth. All things considered, I did not judge the wine of Léoville Poyferré to be radically better than that of Léoville Barton. I found fault with both these wines. How has maturing influenced the tannin of one and the aromas of the other since April? Here is my report, made two weeks ago. LEOVILLE BARTON 2005 ............................................................................................... 89 The colour is lovely and the nose complex, with the extraordinary brilliance of fresh fruit. However, I can smell a note of tea (the sign of imperfect grape maturity) which is totally unexpected in a dry and rather hot year. The mouth begins silky, but the tannin quickly shows its presence, and its harshness bothers me at the finish. It is unusual in this cru. Overall, maturing has not altered the face of things. My score has dropped slightly. Only fining can make a difference now. As for Langoa Barton (88), always less refined than Léoville Barton, the finish is frankly austere. LEOVILLE POYFERRE 2005 .......................................................................................... 95 The colour is dark. The nose has gained in intensity, freshness and complexity. Nevertheless, it still has slightly less brilliance than that of Léoville Barton. On the other hand, the mouth has become majestic: powerful, ample, very caressing, rich, flavourful, very long and, especially, without an ounce of firm tannin. Here is a great bottle in perspective. The score goes up from 91-92 to 95. I tasted this wine three times at this level in September, October and November. This score places Léoville Poyferré 2005 above the 2003. For me, it is the best wine made on the estate since 1990. You will also notice that, since the Futures, the blending has changed slightly. The amount of Cabernet Sauvignon has gone up from 64% to 67%, that of Petit Verdot down from 10% to 7%, while that of Merlot remains unchanged at 26%. TOP PICK: THE FABULOUS CHATEAU LATOUR.................................................... 96-98 In 2005, during a vertical tasting of Latour (a shop-bought bottle, served blind), I gave this a score of 96-98. I have just tasted it again twice at the estate, once in comparison with the 2004. I gave both the wines the same score (96). The second time, I compared it to the 2002 which I hold in high esteem. The 2001 won! 2002 scored 96. Its nose is exceptional. It smells of fruit, butter, cedar and a creamy nose typical of Pauillac. The mouth is a symphony of tactile nuances and flavours. 2001 has the advantage over 2002 in two parts of the mouth: - the middle is fatter and less lively - the finish offers an incredible, sophisticated, complex length. Less highly thought of than the 2000 and the 2002, this wine is currently the best bargain among the First Classed Growths of Bordeaux. In addition, it can be served after having been decanted for an hour or two. LAFLEUR PEYRABON 2001 Pauillac Cru Bourgeois................................................... 88-89 Here is another 2001 which is better than the 2000 (score 85-86). I find it enchanting for its pleasant grace, typical of 2001, its Pauillac strength and especially the tannic elegance essential for noble wines. This cru has truly progressed in this sense since 2001. Before, it was much more rustic. The 2001 is suave and very aromatic, and a success which I recommend to you for immediate drinking, after an hour’s decantation. It will keep until 2015-2018. On sale at Millésima for 17.42€ a bottle. TECHNICAL RAPPROCHEMENT BETWEEN CHATEAU BELAIR (Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé) AND THE ETABLISSEMENTS J.P. MOUEIX After the death of Madame Dubois Challon, Pascal Delbeck inherited Château Belair. Christian Moueix, president of the firm of wine merchants, Jean-Pierre Moueix, which also owns Pétrus, Trotanoy, La Fleur Pétrus and Magdelaine (Premier Cru in Saint-Emilion, next to Belair), has just invested in Pascal Delbeck’s company. The technical teams from Jean-Pierre Moueix will work with Pascal Delbeck who is already a great friend of the excellent Jean-Claude Berrouet. As for me, I would be very happy to be taste a more corpulent Belair. I am convinced that, given the terroir of the cru, a little more strength will never take away its natural refinement. To be continued. A PROGRESS REPORT ON PICHON BARON Since Christian Seely became manager of the estate in 2001, my scores have been going up with the newer vintages. The wines are purer at the nose, “less animal”, more precise and more refined. The body now has density which comes from the grape rather than from extraction. The woodiness is more nuanced, the tannins are more delicate and the sensation of alcohol more mellow. To sum up, Pichon Baron offers a previously unknown serenity in its flavours. The main reason for this lies in the reduction of the number of bottles produced. For those who do not understand what I mean by “serenity in the flavour”, I recommend careful tasting of the 93 after aeration. Such serenity is cruelly lacking in that wine. This new approach is part of an upward movement in quality particular to the years since 2000. Did not Château Latour, the neighbour over the road, prepare the way in 1999 by deciding to stop putting batches of Merlot into the blending when they had always been added up until then? I am impatient to taste the Pichon Baron 2005 in the next few weeks. 2004 ....................................................................................................................................... 89-91 A nuanced, aromatic wine which offers taste, charm and sappiness. Medium strength. Wait until 2012. 2003 ....................................................................................................................................... 92-94 A great complex wine. The mouth is pulpy at the start and more tannic at the end. A great finish. For drinking now, decant four hours before; otherwise wait until 2010. 2002 ....................................................................................................................................... 90 A fine success. An appealing nose. An elegantly fat mouth. Plenty of taste. Wait until 2009-2010. 2001 ....................................................................................................................................... 91 Lots of charm at the nose and in the mouth. Impossible to spit out. Drink it after an hour’s decantation and before 2020. 2000 ....................................................................................................................................... 95 A great success. A great wine with a complex nose. A pulpy, melting mouth. A great finish. Lots of personality. A great improvement in the score since bottling. Decant an hour before drinking or wait until 2010. 1999 ....................................................................................................................................... 87-88 An animal nose. The mouth is slightly fluid but has taste. Drink without decanting and before 2012. 1998 ....................................................................................................................................... 88 Better when drunk after an hour’s decantation than not decanted. An aromatic wine with a medium body. I did sometimes find notes which lacked ripeness. With 80% Cabernet Sauvignon in a Merlot-styled vintage, it would be best to keep it until 2010. 1997 ....................................................................................................................................... 87 An evolved wine. The aroma is quite delicate, and the body still woody. Better if decanted. Drink before 2010. 1996 ....................................................................................................................................... 88-91 Irregular notes. Too woody at some tastings, very good and fat at others. A very animal nose. Wait until 2010. 1995 ....................................................................................................................................... 87 Decantation removes a tannin which is slightly dry and too woody. Wait until 2010. 1994 ....................................................................................................................................... 88-89 A fine success of the vintage. The beginning of the bouquet of ageing. The mouth is both caressing and tannic. Begin drinking it now and before 2012-2015. 1993 ....................................................................................................................................... 84 It becomes thin when decanted. The taste is too neutral. 1990 ....................................................................................................................................... 92 The nose is delicate, fruity and strong, and the mouth rich, but still firm. Wait until 2010. 1989 ....................................................................................................................................... 94 A great wine of which the quality has been consistently high since it was made. The nose is fresh and very young. The mouth is velvety and noble. Make the most of it now and before 2020. REWARD On 7th November 2006, the Chamber of Commerce of Bordeaux awarded me a "Best of Wine Tourism" in the category “Discovery of the World of Wine”. I do indeed offer a module in discovery of the taste of wine for consumers, with a talk which dusts down and simplifies without becoming simplistic, and which takes away any complexes the taster might have. I give this presentation in wine clubs, in companies and to groups of friends. Why not give it a try? WHICH WINE FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON? Enjoy yourself with wines which have developed the bouquet of ageing. Only time can confer it. Choose wines older than the 91 vintage. HERE ARE SOME OF MY PREFERENCES 1991 - Margaux, Latour, Palmer, Léoville Las Cases 1990 - Cheval Blanc, Margaux, Pétrus, Yquem, Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse, Lafite, Lynch Bages, Coutet, Montrose, Troplong Mondot 1989 - Yquem, Pétrus, Lafleur, Haut-Brion, Guiraud, La Mission Haut-Brion, Latour, Pichon Longueville Baron, L'Angélus, La Conseillante 1988 - Yquem, Lafite, Certan de May de Certan, L'Eglise Clinet, Lafleur, La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion, La Tour Blanche, Monbrison, Pavie 1987 (in a magnum for preference) - Latour, Le Tertre Roteboeuf, Mouton Rothschild, Troplong Mondot, Le Bon Pasteur 1986 - Mouton Rothschild, Le Pin, Léoville Las Cases, Lafite, Mission Haut-Brion, Margaux, Montrose, Pichon Comtesse, Sociando Mallet, Latour 1985 - Cheval Blanc, Margaux, Canon, Haut-Brion, La Conseillante, Mouton Rothschild, Le Tertre Roteboeuf, Palmer, L'Eglise Clinet 1983 - Yquem, de Fargues, Margaux, Latour, Mouton 1982 - Yquem, Latour, Pétrus, Mouton Rotchschild, Cheval Blanc, Calon Ségur, Lynch Bages, Léoville Las Cases, Grand Puy Lacoste, La Mission Haut-Brion Season’s greetings to all of you. We will meet again for the Chronicle on Monday, 15th January 2007. Jean-Marc Quarin ___________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright Alls 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, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@wanadoo.fr.

2006 Chronicles

Chronicle 33. 2005: Léoville Barton versus Léoville Poyferré Top Pick: the fabulous château Latour 2001

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