Chronicle 69. Two days in Bordeaux with amateurs: From Gadras 2003 to Latour 2001 through Malartic and Haut-Brion

Two days in Bordeaux with amateurs: From Gadras 2003 to Latour 2001 through Malartic and Haut-Brion Chronicle n° 69 (November, 17th, 2008) LAST MINUTE UPDATE Boarding to Bordeaux! The next update will be published on Wednesday November 19th. Bordeaux 2006: A new review of the Bordeaux 2006 vintage covering over 300 retasted wines will be published in December. Bordeaux 2008: Despite my accident falling from my roof and current restricted mobility, I have had a chance to taste multiple wines of the new vintage. A complete article on this topic will be published in the next chronicle. ______________________________________ TWO DAYS IN BORDEAUX’S VINEYARDS Last October, I received five amateurs of wines and fine dining, willing to have a great time and understand what is quality in the taste of the wines of Bordeaux. In their eyes, Bordeaux meant a particular taste that could only be found in bottles of 15 years and older. To me, Bordeaux has never made so much great wines since 2000. What I mean by “great” is both with a rich potential and accessibility in its youth. This notion is sometimes misunderstood. People who are now aged between 45 and 60 years old, those who are able to spend on great wines do not imagine having pleasure in tasting a great wine while young. No doubt they have in mind Bordeaux wines from a long time ago that had a mandatory requirement to be kept: at the time, few people knew how to make wines that would be good both young and older. I took the challenge, considering that I would be able to win it. Remember that two years ago in Geneva, some wealthy people of a certain age preferred drinking Latour 2002 rather than Latour 1998 Below is a list of wines that we started tasting blind in order to introduce some reference of quality. GADRAS 2003 Bordeaux………………………………… 14,5 // 85 Very good wine that becomes ready to drink, with slightly firm tannins. It is better enjoyed with food. REYNON 2003 Premières Côtes de Bordeaux………….. 15 // 86 Its nose of coffee surprised everyone. Its caressing palate, very merlot in its expression, along with its lack of edgy tannins is very pleasant. There is in this wine a notion of being a model regarding the brightness of its fruit. And yet, 2003 was a difficult vintage. PRIEUR DE MEYNEY 2004 Saint-Estèphe……………... 11 // 72 What is shocking in this wine is the total lack of fruit. What quality standard is the appellation standing for? LANESSAN 2004 Haut-Médoc…………………………… 13 // 80 It lacks body, tannins are too apparent and ageing will not do anything to it. CLAUZET 2005 Saint-Estèphe………………………….. 16,5 // 90 This is a real Saint-Estèphe, rich in fruits, pure and precise with a fat, abundant and tannic palate. Very good length. Superb Price Quality Ratio. (Between 15 and 20 euros). This wine shows itself to the group as a standard and gives them back some tasting reference points. Everyone measures the lacks from other previous wines to meet this level despite not necessarily being cheaper. LAROZE 2003 Saint-Emilion………………………………. 16,5 // 90 This wine has the assets of Reynon, with some additional density, volume and aromatic freshness that is unique for the vintage and a finish made of fine tannins reminding of beautiful cabernet franc. 80% merlot makes most of the palate sensations and 20% of Cabernet franc accounts for the remaining. While tasting it, one can measure what is lacking to Reynon of the same vintage to become a greater wine. By comparing Clauzet to Laroze, the former offers all the freshness of the cabernet sauvignon from the Medoc on the nose while the finely exotic ripe fruit character of merlot distinguishes the later. Yet, when tasted alone, the nose of Laroze 2003 shows nothing exotic. It is once served opposite to their contrary that the characteristics linked to their regions of origin stand out in each of these wines. HAUT BAILLY 2004 Pessac-Léognan……………………... 17 // 92 This wine shows what lacks to Clauzet to be a greater wine: an additional complexity on the nose and a more nuanced character. On the palate, as a paradox, this wine is both denser and more refined. Its tannin has no grainy aspects and its finish is very aromatic. It is already very enjoyable despite not being ready to be served with food. There are good old wines only those that are good young . In about ten to fifteen years, this wine will be candy like. After that morning tasting, our friends started considering that if chosen well, a young wine can deliver pleasure. The next tasting would definitely take away any doubts and preconceived ideas. ______________________________________ MALARTIC LAGRAVIERE red 1986, 1995, 2001 and 2005 1986……………………….. 15 // 86 What makes this wine special is that it has the typical aromatic signature of the estate, a smoky perfume with a cherry characteristic. Nobody can remain unmoved by this slightly coppered color and so typical nose. On the palate, age has given the wine a silky texture, a caressing sensation and a melted aspect: all the signs of time that has passed. One can enjoy it, yet by applying the tasting techniques to this glass, and paying attention the second time it is on the palate, one can then find a disturbing acidity that breaks the melted character on finish. In 1986, there was neither any second label nor green harvesting, and the owner at the time, Mr. Marly who was a man of great faith in god could not conceive throwing away a single grape. For him, every grape was literally a gift of heaven. Economic issues did the rest. 1995……………………….. 15 // 86 The color is midway between an aged wine and a young wine. Similar on the nose, smelling mocha, caramel and evoking cabernet sauvignon grown on dry gravel stones . The wine is caressing on the palate from a lack of extraction. Winemakers must have bewared of an imperfect ripe harvest. From knowing this place at the time, I also do think that they lacked enough space to make each vat macerate long enough before emptying them out and bringing in additionally harvested fruits for maceration . It is not so much about tannins being thin, but rather that the wine is slim. If grapes are not well prepared, indeed it is better not to extract. From this other time of different economics, many people from Bordeaux kept a sacred scare of extraction. While I am not in favor of over-extraction, I am similarly concerned by under-extraction. 2001……………………….. 16,5 // 90 The vintage of renewal is 1998 at Malartic. Mr. And Mrs. Bonnie took hands-on leadership. Wines gained body presence while keeping the aromatic signature of the estate. Variations among vintages are dependent on the climate nature of each year. Some have more ability than others to naturally produce body and richness. Yet, the setup of a more precise viticulture since 1998 demonstrates that even during average climate vintages, fatness can be obtained in wines. I had plenty of pleasure to retaste this vintage already tasted this past May. The color is Intense, the nose is very aromatic and appears complex. Very lovely perfumed touch, rich with a powerful finish of licorice flavor, full of bright fruit and fine tannins. A must of the moment. From this vintage onwards, I invite my friends to apply tasting techniques -that is to say- not to restrict them to the immediate felt pleasure. The idea is to check the presence (or lack) of fundamental sensations that are indicators of the greatness in the taste of wine. Therefore, I propose to retaste 1995 and 1986 again, which they initially enjoyed so much. The presence of the 2001 as a model, a reference blows their initial perceptions. They now point out by simple concurrence of sensations, the thin aspects of the two previous vintages, and by then their lack of charm and real potential. In terms of wine, ageing does not only reside in its ability to resist against time . One can witness that some vivid structures maintain the wine alive, yet prevent it to ever improve itself. Ageing of red wines cannot exist without the notion of enhancement. 2005……………………….. 17-17,25 // 92-93 The rating is nice. I frequently taste it consistently at 17 // 92. The proximity of the previous vintages raises the rating of the 2005. Great nose, showing ripe, fresh, fruity and fine. Oh, how smooth is this wine on entry! Oh how fruity it is on the mid-palate! The wine melts, while remaining rich, with a great, tasty and suave persistence. It is wonderful. Here we are, having spent five hours together and the myth of the aged Bordeaux superior to the young Bordeaux has fallen. We now move on to Haut-Brion and Latour. BAHANS HAUT BRION 2001…………………….. 15,75 // 88 If it is not decanted, this wine is delicious and almost spiritual, rather in perfume than body. Once decanted, it picks up a superb fat on the mid-palate and this extension to the body and aromas raises the rating. Fine tannins. Its slight vividness suggests drinking it during the hot season. HAUT-BRION 2001………………………………… 17,75 // 94-95 At Haut-Brion and after tasting at Malartic, the especially smoky aromatic signature is even more precise than Malartic. The main difference lies within the depth of aromas and the texture of tannins. The latter appear more refined and ethereal while being more present at the same time. This is the paradox. Here is a complex and subtle wine, delicious and melting, with taste and power on the finish. It has a unique personality. Despite those qualities, the idea that its body could be even better touched my mind, which explains the high yet not exceptional rating. It shows and rates similar decanted and non-decanted. ______________________________________ LATOUR 2004 and 2001 : The quest for power PAUILLAC 2004…………………………………….. 15,5 // 87-88 Very enjoyable wine, both uniform and juicy on the palate. There are no reasons not to drink it now. FORTS DE LATOUR 2004…………………………. 16,25-16,5 // 89-90 Decanted, it offers the beginning of a bouquet, along with a hint of cedar, some fruit and elegance. Silky on entry and distinguished, it remains of average power on the mid-palate. The wine finishes long, tasty and delicious, rather open at this time. Taste it now. LATOUR 2004 ……………………………………….. 18 // 95 From tasting the Grand Vin, power adds up to the previous qualities of the second and third labels, and doing so without losing other qualities such as refinement. Discreet nose, showing both fine and fresh. The palate opens up, all made of tannic class. Juicy and subtle in its touch, the wine picks up another life from the mid-palate onwards and finishes particularly long, full of presence and totally impossible not to swallow. A must. LATOUR 2001……………………………………….. 18,75-19// 96-97 The nose offers the hint of a bouquet, with subtle cedar flavors and becoming creamy upon swirling. Ample from entry on the palate, the wine develops juicy, with volume, appearing tannic, yet with plenty of fat. With a strong coverage of the space on the mid-palate, it then opens up into a great, noble and powerful finish, which I cannot help, but swallowing. One more time, this wine is superb! It can be enjoyed now. Good ratings of these 2001 fuelled back the debate with the 2000. I was recently talking with Didier Cuvelier about Léoville Poyferré 2000 that I served during a dinner in kazakhstan. - « Slightly firm on finish» did I told him. Straight ahead he responded: - « Harvests lacked ripeness… plenty of volume… » It is possible that this well-known firmness in Bordeaux melts with time. And then, the wine will become better In parallel, one shall not underestimate the suavity of 2001. I am especially thinking of those people who imagine that it comes from a faster evolution than the 2000. In my opinion, it will always provide 2001 a mellowness and seduction that 2000 (not all of them) risks hiding for a long time. It is not because a wine is good while young that it will not sustain growing and developing older . Above all, it is matter or ripeness of the grapes. In the debate between 1961 and 1959, concentration and firmness of the 1961 made people expect a bright future. In opposition, mellowness and smoothness of the 1959 seemed to make it fragile. Now almost 50 years later, some 1961 have never emerged while the mellowness of the 1959 is marvelous and not declining. To be continued. Note : Underlined sentences in the text indicate key ideas of my philosophy of wine tasting and education. The next chronicle will be published on Monday December 1st, 2008. 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

2008 Chronicles

Chronicle 69. Two days in Bordeaux with amateurs: From Gadras 2003 to Latour 2001 through Malartic and Haut-Brion

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