Bordeaux Futures 2006: Fourteenth Report

2006 : Graves and Pessac-Léognan redFourteenth report, April 20, 2007The Pessac-Léognan region is the only one to have received less rain in September. Yet, I did not find the wines very concentrated in the mouth. I did not perceive there, either, the light final acidity which bothered me in other vineyards. To the nose as in the mouth, very ripe flavors dominate. The wines have much charm and a "Graves" type induced by their smoothness and their absence of tannic firmness at the finish. They are tender without being fat. As often with this vintage, a sunny nuance is missing mid-mouth. Let us remember the cool and not very luminous August. I loved the noses. I find them also typically " Graves " in their aspect of wet leather, pine wood and a smoother note evoking honey. It remains to see what aging will bring then in the next months. Haut-Brion and Mission Haut-Brion largely dominate the vintage. Haut-Bailly is Léognan's success. Among the properties on the rise, I note the good results of Haura at Illats (superb terroir, but the vines are very young) and of Seguin at Canéjan. Luchey Halde at Mérignac, whose aromatic expression I adore, lacked a bit of presence mid-mouth. In a few days, I will publish a statistic analysis to better situate this vintage in relation to others in this region. BOUSCAUT Pessac-Léognan 87 During two tastings, I found it to have a very lovely nose, pure, fine, fruity, and very typically "Graves". In the mouth, the wine presents roundness and tactile meticulousness. Caressing, flavorful, it finishes with smooth tannin and a very good aromatic presence. BRANON Pessac-Léognan 90 - 91 Beyond its beautiful color, it is, above all, the nose that is enchanting, with its intensity and nuances. In the mouth, the wine starts smoothly and evolves graciously, with taste, a lovely touch and fine, aromatic tannin. Very lovely, flavorful finish. A success. BROWN Pessac-Léognan 87 - 88Estate on the rise. Very lovely dark color. Fruity nose. The mouth offers roundness, fruit, and pulp with a lovely taste and ripe tannin. Very lovely, flavorful finish. CARBONNIEUX Pessac-Léognan 86 It has one of the darkest colors seen in primeur wine on this property. Fruity nose, ripe, slightly smoky, very typically "Graves". Delicious mouth, fruity and delicately fleshy. It has a tender body and tannin that is ripe, hidden and aromatic. Very pleasant. CHANTEGRIVE Graves 85 After a difficult period, since 2005 the estate is beginning to recover by presenting a 2006 with a more precise, pure nose than usual. This precision is also found in the mouth, in the taste, density, and above all, the structure without harshness due to tannin or to wood. A return in grace. CLOS FLORIDENE Graves 85 - 86 Lovely dark red color. Discreet nose, fresh and fruity. Tender mouth, very fruity, with an elongated structure and accompanied by a slightly lively note at the end. Normal length. COUHINS LURTON Pessac-Léognan 86 Lovely color, dark red. Fruity nose, at the same time creamy, and at the same time vivid. In the mouth, the wine is especially tender. In the middle, I missed the burst of fruit, but the structure is well built. Aging should make it more attractive. COUHINS Pessac-Léognan 85 - 86 Wine with a discrete mouth, suave, average body and length. CRABITEY Graves 85 - 86 I appreciate this increasingly industrious property. In 2006, the Merlots were harvested before the rains. The color is lovely, the nose is very fruity and above all, very ripe. The mouth seems very tender, caressing, with a taste resembling that of figs. The body is normal and the tannin perfectly hidden. DE FIEUZAL Pessac-Léognan 85 - 86 Colorful wine with a discreet nose, a mouth that is tender, fruity, caressing and almost without tannin. It lacks body. Average length. DE FRANCE Pessac-Léognan 86 Lovely color. Discreet nose, but fruity, fresh and pure. For several vintages, this wine seems more precise in its taste construction. In 2006, after a lovely entry, the wine is round, flavorful, and, especially with tannin grain more nuanced than usual. DES FOUGERES Cuvée La folie de Montesquieu, Graves 85New estate advised by Stéphane Derenoncourt. Lovely dark red, good intensity. fruity, smoky nose. Touches of leather and underbrush. Mouth smooth, caressing and aromatic, developing with good consistency and a tender, but present, structure. Tannin particularly hidden and fine grained. Good normal length. Very good return in mouth, delicately creamy. It is a delicious wine. Domaine de CHEVALIER Pessac-Léognan 88 - 89Estate on the rise. Lovely dark color. Nose fruity, fresh and slightly creamy. Lovely entry, delicately pulpy. The wine evolves very flavorful, very fruity, juicy, aromatic, with a good constitution and refined tannin. It is delicious and unspittable. HAURA Graves 87Estate on the rise.This very young estate, for which this is the fourth vintage, is located on a very lovely brow of gravel at Illats. Since its birth, I have been very sensitive to the aromatic qualities that this estate expresses. 2006 is a good success. Very lovely color, vivid and purple. nose very fruity and fresh, accompanied by a sophisticated note evoking cedar. Mouth has a refined texture, with bursting fruity aromas, with a delicately smooth body. The wine is built, and, what is more, it is delicious. It can be drunk young. HAUT BAILLY Pessac-Léognan 90Estate on the rise. Very colorful wine and very aromatic to the nose. It distinguishes itself even more by its meticulously constructed mouth, very fruity, flavorful, which presents body and tight texture with fine tannin. Moreover, after the middle, the mouth offers additional presence and complex flavors. It also has one of the longest lengths of the vintage. Lovely! HAUT BERGEY rouge Pessac-Léognan 88 Very lovely dark color. Nose smoky and very, very fruity, presenting a hint of blackberry jelly. Superb entry, rather fat and juicy. Good construction with a fine touch. good tannic finish, but aromatic. Another beautiful work realized by the Garcin family.LA CHAPELLE de LA MISSION HT BRION Pessac-Léognan 88My best score given to this wine as a future.I have never seen a second wine this good! I estimate it to be superior to the 2005. The color is lovely and the nose fruity and ripe. The mouth is distinguished by its smoothness, its aromas, a fine touch and a taste of blackberry liqueur. Finish with flavorful tannin and precise as never before. Delicious wine. It will certainly be a good deal! Blend: 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 28 % Cabernet Franc, 22 % Merlot.LA LOUVIÈRE Pessac-Léognan 86 Lovely color. Good fruity nose, rather fine. The entry is smooth. The wine develops on the fruit, with taste and a slightly firm tannin at the finish. Average length. LA MISSION HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan 93 - 94Superb wine that I have not seen so well constructed since 2005 and 2000. The color is dark, the nose discreet, fruity and smoky. Everything happens in the mouth, with a superb, full, fat entry, followed by a development that is pulpy, juicy, silky, flavorful, with good density. Remarkably hidden tannin. Very lovely sappy length, with a nice return of aromas, of fruit and sappy sensations in the persistence. It is lovely! It is probable that this result is also due to the integration of the best soils of Latour Haut-Brion into the Mission. Blend: 59 % Merlot, 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 % Cabernet Franc. Degree of natural alcohol: 14°3 - PH: 3.8 - Total acidity: 3.24 - IPT: 76. I remember that the merlots were harvesrted starting September 7, in full heat and before being diluted by the rains.LARRIVET HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan 83 The color is lovely, but the nose has very evolved aromatic nuances. With this sample, the mouth lacked the burst of fresh fruit, the taste was missing. But especially, this wine left me a hint of salt in the persistence. To retaste. LATOUR MARTILLAC Pessac-Léognan 87 - 88 One of the darkest colors ever seen for this estate. Nose with ripe fruit, and with freshness. The mouth is round, with relief and good flavor. The burst of fruit is very present mid-mouth. Finishes flavorfully and very, very pleasant, with round, ripe tannin. Good construction. Good length. LE BAHANS du Ch. HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan 87 This will be a lovely, charming wine, with a lovely color and a fine, fruity nose. The mouth is flavorful, very fruity with normal fullness. It finishes with fine tannin and a good aromatic length. Blend: 34 % Merlot, 34 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot.LE SARTRE Pessac-Léognan 85 - 86Estate on the rise. New: since 2005, the estate is autonomous with respect to Carbonnieux. It finds a splendor that I have not known since the 90 vintage. Colorful and aromatic, it presents a tender, smooth mouth with particularly pleasant tannin. LE THIL COMTE CLARY Pessac-Léognan 85 - 86 Very lovely red, purple, dark. Very good intensity. Pure nose., Fruity, ripe wine accompanied by hints of wood. Smoky touches when swirled. The entry is remarkable. The wine develops full but also refined in its touch until the middle. Then, it returns an aromatic animal note, a little surprising. Firm tannin in the persistence. LES CARMES HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan 88 - 89The Merlots were harvested very early, September 7 and 9, and the Cabernet Franc around the 15th. Nose very intense, fruity and pure. Subtle alliance of raspberry and hints of smoke. Very lovely entry, suave. The wine develops caressing in the middle, evolves with fine, aromatic tannin, as well as good fullness. Good length, a tiny bit woody. Finish always flavorful. Delicious and very pleasant wine. LUCHEY HALDE Pessac-Léognan 87 - 88 Very lovely color. Nose fine, fruity, pure and subtle. Mouth immediately flavorful and delicately smooth; it presents a lot of taste. However, I missed the fullness in the middle. On the other hand, the wine sets out again fat at the finish with a fine tannic grain and much charm. Personality. MALARTIC LAGRAVIERE Pessac-Léognan 88 Lovely color. Nose fresh, fruity, ripe and pure, average intensity. In the mouth, the presentation is different than usual. The wine presents a smoothness evoking Pomerol. Caressing, tender, silky, suave, it finishes with good, flavorful length. MIREBEAU Pessac-Léognan 86 Colorful wine, fine nose. It presents a delicious mouth, with a fine touch and rather aromatic. Distinguished tannin. Difficult to spit out. OLIVIER Pessac-Léognan 86 Lovely color. Nose fruity, fresh, ripe and suave. Average fullness. Fine, aromatic tannin with a good burst of fruit. Normal length. PAPE CLEMENT Pessac-Léognan 90 - 91 Very dark color. Fine nose, rather intense, fruity, smoky and complex. The mouth has a tender structure, suave and very fat in the middle. The wine is delicious at the back of the palate, very hedonistic, before finishing with good, aromatic length and fine tannin. PICQUE CAILLOU Pessac-Léognan 85 - 86New : Paulin Calvet is now invested at 100 % on the property. He chose Denis Dubourdieu as consultant. The impact is immediate on the quality of the nose, much more distinguished than previous vintages. The mouth is better constructed, with a more fleshed-out body. Good length with fine tannin and taste. I look forward to the next vintages. RAHOUL Graves 84 - 85 The color is dark, the nose smoky and fruity, the body tender, the taste a bit woody, the tannin discreet, the expression average. SEGUIN Pessac-Léognan 88Estate on the rise.In 2006, the people in charge did not panic faced with rainy weather, choosing to wait for optimal maturity. A good choice because this wine really has a mid-mouth. Very colorful wine, with a fruity nose, ripe, fresh, smelling of blackberry jelly. Round mouth with sappy smoothness. Very good constitution for the vintage. The final tannin is well-hidden, with woodiness that will become supple with aging. Normal length. A success. SMITH HAUT LAFITTE Pessac-Léognan 89 - 90 Lovely dark color. Nose intense, fruity and vivid. Mouth full and smooth, becoming caressing, suave and rather aromatic in the middle. The taste evokes blond tobacco, cherries,. Perfectly hidden tannin. Normal length. EventsMay 10, 2007 in Paris Commented tasting of the 30 best wines of the 2006 vintage. Place: Hotel Westminster Registration open to all readers. Limited places. May 31 and June 1 in Bordeaux Training course on the art of tasting primeur wine. Taste the 50 best wines of the year and visit the most successful châteaux. Inscription open to subscribers having already taken a training course. June 4. Hôtel Ritz in Paris Exceptional dinner Léoville Barton versus Léoville Poyferré and for the first time in the presence of the two owners. Registration open to friends. June 6, Magnin vins - Swizerland (Cully) Commented tasting of the 30 best wines of the 2006 vintage. Registration open to all readers at : magnin.vins@bluewin.ch Thank you for letting us know about your interest. We will enclose the necessary information. Have a good weekend. We will be back with new updates on Monday.Jean-Marc Quarin ______________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright: 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

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Bordeaux Futures 2006: Fourteenth Report

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