Chronicle 40. The 100 best Bordeaux wines from the 1995 to the 2006 vintages

The 100 best Bordeaux wines from the 1995 to the 2006 vintages Chronicle n° 40 (May 15th, 2007) Are you getting ready to purchase some 2006? I am delighted to provide you with a list of the 100 best Bordeaux wines along with an index that express the quality progression that is computed based on the analysis of my tasting notes between 1995 and 2006. Châteaux Note Prix moyen HT/b Progression 1 L’Extravagant de Doisy Daene, Barsac 95,0 358 € 0,0 2 Château Margaux, Margaux 94,8 393 € 0,3 3 Château Latour, Pauillac 94,0 439 € 0,5 4 Château Petrus, Pomerol 93,7 1 534 € 0,2 5 Château Leoville Las Cases, St Julien 93,7 141 € 0,3 6 Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac 93,5 407 € 0,3 7 Château d'Yquem, Sauternes 93,0 272 € 0,2 8 Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac 93,0 267 € 0,4 9 Château Cheval Blanc, St Emilion 92,9 345 € 0,2 10 Château Nairac, Barsac 92,5 39 € 0,2 11 Château Trotanoy, Pomerol 92,5 111 € 0,1 12 Château Ausone, St Emilion 92,5 726 € 0,5 13 Château Haut-Brion, Pessac Léognan 92,5 287 € 0,3 14 Château Palmer, Margaux 92,2 109 € 0,4 15 Château Lafleur, Pomerol 92,2 503 € 0,6 16 Château Troplong Mondot, St Emilion 91,8 60 € 0,3 17 Château Montrose, St Estèphe 91,7 72 € 0,3 18 Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol 91,7 88 € - 0,3 19 Château Angélus, St Emilion 91,7 121 € 0,1 20 Château l'Eglise Clinet, Pomerol 91,4 133 € 0,1 21 Château La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Léognan 91,4 153 € 0,2 22 Clos l'Eglise, Pomerol 91,4 83 € 0,5 23 Château de Valandraud, St Emilion 91,3 240 € 0,4 24 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac 91,2 90 € 0,1 25 Château Hosanna, Pomerol 91,1 109 € 26 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse), St Emilion 91,1 46 € 0,3 27 Château Ducru Beaucaillou, St Julien 90,9 83 € 0,1 28 Château La Conseillante, Pomerol 90,7 82 € 0,2 29 Château Magdelaine, St Emilion 90,7 48 € - 0,2 30 Château Pape Clement, Pessac Leognan 90,6 75 € 0,1 31 Château L'Evangile, Pomerol 90,6 119 € 0,1 32 Château Pavie, St Emilion 90,6 134 € 0,4 33 Château Leoville Barton, St Julien 90,5 68 € 0,2 34 Château La Mondotte, St Emilion 90,4 227 € 1,1 35 Château L'Hermitage, St Emilion 90,4 54 € 36 Château Le Pin, Pomerol 90,3 1 245 € 0,8 37 Château Grand Puy Lacoste, Pauillac 90,3 45 € 0,1 38 Château Brane Cantenac, Margaux 90,2 45 € 0,1 39 Château Haut Bailly, Pessac Leognan 90,1 41 € 0,1 40 Château Pavie Macquin, St Emilion 90,1 52 € - 0,1 41 Château Leoville Poyferre, St Julien 90,0 58 € 0,4 42 Château Branon, Pessac Leognan 89,9 72 € 43 Château Rauzan Segla, Margaux 89,9 48 € 0,2 44 Château Certan de May, Pomerol 89,9 57 € - 0,2 45 Château Guiraud, Sauternes 89,7 35 € 0,2 46 Château Lagrange, St Julien 89,7 36 € 0,1 47 Château La Fleur de Gay, Pomerol 89,7 68 € - 0,5 48 Château Cos d'Estournel, St Estephe 89,7 91 € 49 Château Climens, Barsac 89,7 107 € 0,4 50 Château Rol Valentin, St Emilion 89,6 52 € 0,3 51 Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac 89,4 64 € 0,2 52 Château La Fleur Petrus, Pomerol 89,4 102 € - 0,5 53 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac Leognan blanc 89,3 56 € 0,0 54 Château Magrez Fombrauge, St Emilion 89,3 138 € 55 Château Pontet Canet, Pauillac 89,1 43 € 0,2 56 Château Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan blanc 89,1 346 € 0,7 57 Château Lynch Bages, Pauillac 89,0 69 € 0,1 58 Château Rabaud Promis, Sauternes 89,0 27 € 0,2 59 Château Beausejour Becot, St Emilion 88,9 42 € 0,1 60 Château Canon la Gaffeliere, St Emilion 88,9 57 € - 0,1 61 Château La Tour Blanche, Sauternes 88,9 37 € - 0,2 62 Château Calon Segur, St Estephe 88,9 56 € 0,0 63 Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac 88,9 96 € 0,1 64 Château d'Issan, Margaux 88,8 35 € 0,4 65 Château Branaire (Ducru), St Julien 88,8 43 € 0,0 66 Château Clos Haut Peyraguey, Sauternes 88,8 31 € 0,5 67 Château Saint Pierre, St Julien 88,8 32 € 0,2 68 Clos Floridene, Graves blanc 88,7 12 € - 0,1 69 Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac Leognan 88,7 38 € 0,1 70 Château Nenin, Pomerol 88,7 41 € 0,4 71 Château Coutet, Barsac 88,7 33 € 0,2 72 Château Lafon Rochet, St Estephe 88,6 27 € 0,2 73 Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac 88,6 35 € 0,2 74 Château de Berliquet, St Emilion 88,6 27 € 0,3 75 Château Figeac, St Emilion 88,6 68 € 0,2 76 Château Latour, Pomerol 88,5 55 € 0,0 77 Château Malartic Lagraviere, Pessac Leognan 88,5 26 € 0,3 78 Château Kirwan, Margaux 88,5 36 € 0,1 79 Château Le Moulin, Pomerol 88,5 57 € 0,0 80 Château Croix de Labrie, St Emilion 88,5 95 € 81 Château Doisy Daene, Barsac 88,5 27 € 0,0 82 Clos du Marquis, St Julien 88,5 36 € 0,0 83 Château Sociando Mallet, Haut Medoc 88,5 38 € 0,1 84 Pavillon rouge, Margaux 88,5 71 € 0,3 85 Château Langoa Barton, St Julien 88,4 35 € 0,2 86 Château La Gaffeliere, St Emilion 88,4 40 € - 0,1 87 Château Cos Labory, St Estephe 88,3 24 € - 0,2 88 Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux 88,3 26 € 0,1 89 Château Trottevieille, St Emilion 88,3 48 € 0,3 90 Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien 88,3 50 € - 0,2 91 Château Malescot Saint Exupery, Margaux 88,3 41 € 0,0 92 Château Monbousquet, St Emilion 88,3 47 € - 0,5 93 Château Gazin, Pomerol 88,3 48 € 0,0 94 Château Duhart Milon, Pauillac 88,2 32 € 0,1 95 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac Leognan 88,2 35 € 0,2 96 Clos Fourtet, St Emilion 88,2 45 € 0,2 97 Château Pape Clement, Pessac Leognan white 88,2 73 € 0,6 98 Château Pavie Decesse, St Emilion 88,2 74 € - 0,1 99 Château Laville Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan white 88,2 118 € 0,4 100 Château Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes 88,2 22 € 0,1 THE 100 BEST WINES PROGRESS TWICE FASTER THAN OTHERS This progression corresponds to the average yearly increase of tasting score for the past twelve years. For the overall Bordeaux wines, the increase is of +0.1 point. On the other hand, for the 100 best wines, that growth is double at +0.2 point per year. The gap is widening between the best wines and the others. NEGATIVE PROGRESSION INDEX This index means that those wines obtained better notes between 1995 and 2000 than afterwards. NO PROGRESSION INDEX When no index is available, it means that there was not enough tasting notes to compute it. This is quite often the case for recent wines. THE ONES WITH EXTRAORDINARY QUALITY INCREASE Those appear in bold in the table LATOUR You know how enthusiastic I am on every vintage since 2000. Even the cheapest one has a great quality level. In February 2007, I compared 2000 and 2001. The result was: 2000 non-decanted: 94-95 / 2001 non-decanted: 96 2000 decanted: 95-96 / 2001 decanted: 97. This result will come as a surprise for many of you. It can be rationally explained considering that Latour first used its new vat cellar in 2001. It helps performing better lot selection. MOUTON ROTHSCHILD It has now been almost two years since I first asked you to pay attention to the renewal of this wine. It is both becoming fuller and more refined. The unanimous acclaim for the 2006 will most likely fuel the increase on prices of other vintages. There was no vintage to pass on since 2001. AUSONE Since 2000, every vintage is at a very high level with exception to 2004 with too much of a tannic finish. PALMER The progression appears spectacular since 1999. Only 2003 appear to be behind. 2002 is the current bargain. In a blind tasting side by side to Pétrus and Le Pin, I ranked it number one (96). LAFLEUR Since the estate was taken back over by M.Guinaudeau in 1995, the wine is progressing. It gained density without losing its refinement. The 2001 hustle the hierarchy. CLOS L¿EGLISE Magnificent climbing since 1997. This wine is in the forefront of its appellation for every vintage since 1998. VALANDRAUD With no given terroir upon its beginning, the estate has settled down next to Fleur Cardinale in 1999. 2000 was the first vintage produced using this terroir. Yet, every vintage shows great regularity in quality since 1998. The 1999 is a high class wine for the vintage, drinking deliciously right now (rated 91). PAVIE Rates are rising since 1998. LA MONDOTTE The level of increase can be explained by the fact that the wine only became "grand" since 1996 (1995 is a very banal wine). I rank La Mondotte 1997 has the best wine of the vintage. LE PIN My ratings show improvement since 1998. To taste a great and young Le Pin at the best price, pick the 2004 (rated 94 and available at 835 euros VAT excluded per bottle). For drinking today, go for the 1994, the wine of the vintage (rated 94-95 and available at 1,000 euros VAT excluded per bottle) LEOVILLE POYFERRE The quality is top notch since 2002. Best bargain: 2004 rated 92 and available from 25 to 30 euros VAT excluded per bottle. COS D'ESTOURNEL The estate shows quality improvement since 2002. CLIMENS This wine made its way back to a very high level since 2002. The 2003 is excellent (rated 95-96). HAUT BRION blanc Notes are increasing since 2002, since when the ageing process seems less oxidative than before. D¿ISSAN I recommend every single vintage since 2000, and 1999 for immediate consumption CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY The wine gains hedonism since 2002. Since then and for every vintage the wine comes at the top of my tastings. NENIN The grades are climbing up since 1998, which was the first vintage fully under management of Jean-Hubert Delon. PAPE CLEMENT white The wine reveals itself since 2002. It has totally abandoned the excess of new wood and its tendency to appear oxidized and has stated to be one of the most beautiful personalities in Bordeaux and even from France in general. 2002 and 2006 are magic. LAVILLE HAUT-BRION Same perception as for Haut-Brion Blanc. CHATEAUX WHICH PRICES ARE UNDERRATED. (Compared to the others) The wines in italic are the ones that represent some strong consistent and even increasing gustatory values. You will find inside my database their best vintages and best quality price ratio. Average price in Euro and tax excluded. Source : winedecider.com Enjoy the Chronicle. Jean-Marc Quarin My next chronicle will be published on June 4th, 2007. ______________________________________________________________________________ © 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

2007 Chronicles

Chronicle 40. The 100 best Bordeaux wines from the 1995 to the 2006 vintages

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