Chronicle n° 101. Leading 2005s: Leave your corkscrew alone!

Leading 2005s: Leave your corkscrew alone! Chronicle n° 101 (September 1st, 2010) This splendid public tasting was held in London late in 2009. The wines were decanted an hour before being served, in the order below, and were all provided by the same wine-merchant. On the whole, this outstanding vintage is not performing as greatly as it did before bottling - the wines are currently going through a closing phase - and I would advise against opening the bottles now. Too many people still believe that in Bordeaux a grand vin is synonym of instant gratification. How wrong! In Bordeaux, a young leading wine means great potential that only time will reveal. Here lies the challenge of assessing young wines during such tastings. That some bottles should under-perform compared to before bottling is hardly surprising. But if you still want to give in to the temptation, go for the right bank (more merlot) rather than for the left bank (more cabernet). About the results: Montrose and Latour both lack depth. The 2009 vintage will be superior to the 2005. The three best buys in the data base are as follows: Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse, at around 60 euros - a ridiculously low price given what you will find in the bottle! Mark my word and let’s talk about it again in a decade or so! Leoville Poyferré, at around 90 euros - a price that has soared since the en primeur. Laroze, at around 31 euros . Go for it, particularly in magnum! _______________________________________________________________ LA VIEILLE CURE Fronsac………………………………..15,25 // 87 Good, rather full, fruited and somewhat animal wine. Savoury and full on the palate with marked tannins – as often noted for this wine. And as 2009 has not been bottled yet, 2005 is so far the best vintage for this estate. We’ll have to wait for a decade. LAROZE Saint-Emilion…………………........……………..16,5 // 90 Here is an outsider that performed very well indeed in the tasting. Dark colour, fruity nose - still a little shy but very clean. Appealing thanks to its fatness, its velvety touch and its well-coated tannins. The lingering finish is a real asset. From 2015 and get it in magnum while the price is still so good! BERLIQUET Saint-Emilion………………………………..16,5 // 90 What surprised us most was the vibrant aromas on the nose. Bourgogne wine lovers should take a closer look at this wine. It could have offered more flesh and volume on the palate but its delightful taste makes up for it. The tannins are refined and the length good. From 2015 and get it in magnum to compensate for the frustration. BEAUSEJOUR DUFFAU LAGAROSSE Saint-Emilion…18 // 95 The wide range of aromas on the nose and the mighty palate make this wine stand out - I did not find the tannins as firm as I had found them a couple of months before in a bottle from my own cellar. Mellow on the mid palate, the wine ends complex and lingers on over a beautiful length. You should wait for it to soften out a little, from 2015 and before 2050. It is still quite a bargain to look out for. ANGELUS Saint-Emilion……………………....…………..17,75 // 94 The wine was a little more firm than when tasted at the Château later on (score = 18.5 // 96). There is still a way to go before it is ready to drink. Beautiful colour; still a little subdued on the nose; full and polished body and so a touch tannic, but boasting a fabulous length. From 2015 and before 2050. PAVIE Saint-Emilion……………………………..........….. 16,25 // 89 Beautifully coloured but the nose is over-powered by typically southern oxidation notes and fruit liqueur instead of offering fresh ripe fruit. What we have here is a similar pattern to the harsh 2004! Tight, compact and pleasant on entry, the wine quickly stiffens and the taste of wood takes over. There is far too much of it, a real shame for such a prestigious terroir! TROPLONG MONDOT Saint-Emilion …………………..18,5 // 96 Beautiful dark red colour. Extremely deep, sophisticated, fresh and fruity nose. A brilliant future ahead! The wine is characterised by depth on the palate too: broad, full, laden with fruit and dashing, yet quite soft. A few days before in Switzerland and during the series of last Winter tastings the wine had performed a little better. And yet it displays no harshness but is simply less expressive than when I awarded it a 100/100 score. Bearing in mind it is still very young, it was to be expected. But that did not prevent four of us from going through a whole bottle at the aperitif last June! From 2015 and before 2050. HOSANNA Pomerol…………………………............…….. 16,75 // 91 Dark colour. Subdued, peppery, fruity and animal on the nose. Pleasant and aromatic on the palate, quite appealing to the public during the tasting thanks to its accessibility for its age. Gorgeous silky touch but I would have liked more body. From 2015. CHEVAL BLANC Saint-Emilion…………………...…….. 18,25 // 95-96 The first bottle, though not obviously faulty, was not convincing. I asked for another one- a strain on the budget, but a great bonus for the tasters: fabulously complex and subtle nose, mellow, full-bodied, punchy and savoury palate with amazing complexity. The texture of the tannin is divine, the length wonderfully subtle. And yet I would advise to wait for the extra bonus spark that will come with age. From 2015-2020 and before 2050. LEOVILLE BARTON Saint-Julien………………....…….. 16,25 // 89 Superb nose of fresh and apparently ripe fruit but this Barton vintage lacks lift and fat on the palate as well as complexity on finish. The grapes were brought in too early hence the lack of body. LEOVILLE POYFERRÉ Saint-Julien ……………………..18 // 95 Beautifully coloured wine that boasts an intense, well-ripened and deep nose. On the palate the wine is juicy, rich, savoury and tasty. The tannins are refined and extremely well-balanced, the length is very good. The general feeling is that of softness. A fine wine indeed, now superior to the 2003. From 2015 and before 2050. LEOVILLE LAS CASES Saint-Julien ……………………..18,25 // 95-96 Glamorous dark red. Fresh, aromatic, deep, complex and surprisingly expressive for such a young LLC. Splendid broad entry followed by layers of complex aromas, fat and a great frame. The wine is still austere but is long and powerful and shows great balance and potential. From 2020 and before 2050. When I tasted it again last June, the wine, which had been decanted, scored 18.75 // 96-97. MONTROSE Saint-Estèphe………………………………..16,75 // 91 The colour is slightly evolved, the nose quite shy. On the palate, the wine is pleasant, tight and without harshness but not terribly bouncy. The average length on finish is definitely below my expectations - given the year and my comments on the wine as a future. From 2015 and before 2035. When I tasted it at the château in April 2010 I only granted it a 16.5 // 90 score due to tannins I thought too sharp. The potential score has gone down since the wine was bottled – from 17.5 // 94 to 16.5 // 90. That particular vintage was the transition year between two owners, which could explain a lot. COS D'ESTOURNEL Saint-Estèphe ……………………..16,5 // 90 Lovely dark shimmering colour. Fine, subtle nose of excellent fruit and wood balance with an unexpected hint of truffle. On the palate, the wine starts slowly revealing delicate fruit expression and aromas. The body remains of average intensity on mid palate but tightens at the end. Given the quality of the nose I expected a more exuberant performance on the palate. From 2015 and before 2035. LATOUR Pauillac………………………................………..17,25 // 93 The first bottle was corked. The tasting confirmed that Latour 2005 lacks breadth on the mid-palate. But it performed much better on finish, displaying savours, fat and fine tannins. From 2015. Château MARGAUX…………………………............……..19,25 // 97-98 Deep red youthful colour. Outstanding, extremely classy and deep nose! Wonderful complexity of fruit and coffee beans. Definitely the nose of the tasting! The wine is silky on entry, then broad, revealing complex layers of aromas with sap and incredibly precise tannins on mid-palate. My only regret is (I awarded it a 100/100 score before bottling) a hint of unexpected sharpness on the mid palate. A superbly mighty and classy finish. A great wine indeed! Since then I have tasted it again twice and I believe it is closing a little. The happy few will be those of you who have bought it in magnums, if ever you drink them! From 2020 and before 2060 for the bottles. MOUTON ROTHSCHILD Pauillac………………………..18,5 // 96 Magnificent wine – and I must say that I am really proud to have noted its amazing leap forward with this 2005 vintage as early as the en primeur campaign. With the 2005s came new tactile feelings and a higher quality of touch - and yet the traditional aromatic pattern and the complexity of the estate were unaltered. Superb and subtle finish. Wait till at least 2020 and before 2050. LAFITE Pauillac ……………………………..................…..18,25 // 95-96 Beautiful dark red colour. Elegant and clean nose of raspberry. On the palate the wine is run through by creamy and refined touches and melts with finesse and class. Still, it could have been fuller on mid-palate. It picks up again on finish over a beautifully aromatic and complex length. From 2015 and before 2050. LA MISSION HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan……..……..18,75 // 96-97 The amazing poise and balance between aromas and body make this wine incredibly impressive. It starts off with a fabulous smoky nose. The leading Mission Haut Brion always immediately shine by their sumptuous entry but here the velvety touch and the fat are quite unique. The wine is mellow and polished and melts on the palate over fine tannins and an admirably long finish. It is absolutely delicious, age-worthy and hard not to swallow. From 2015 and before 2050. HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan……………………....……..18,25 // 95-96 Similar nose to that of La Mission Haut Brion but a touch colder, more blackcurranty. The fresh note is to be found on the palate too right from the entry- the wine is not as broad but more caressing. It displays a complex range of savours, a polished and elegant tannic texture and finishes over a superb length of fine tannins. And yet I thought that had the grapes been more mature when brought in, the wine would have been truly sublime. VIEUX CHATEAU CERTAN Pomerol……………………..18 // 95 Slightly evolved colour. Superbly complex and truffled nose. Mellow, elegant, complex and aromatic on the palate without too rich a body as the 2005 Lafite. Great aromatic length with finely textured tannins. From 2015 and before 2050. PETRUS Pomerol …………………………..................……..19,25 // 97-98 Dark coulour, slightly evolved. Fruit laden nose, a touch subdued. Tight entry then revealing rich layers of fat, aromas and fruit over a complex mid-palate. Deep and subtle, yet quite mighty, the wine ends over sumptuously textured tannins. A truly glamorous and enticing fine wine. But we will have to be patient- from 2020 and before 2060. Cheers . Jean-Marc Quarin ___________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2010. This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, BP 40, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@wanadoo.fr. The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, www.quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin (JMQ) is shown as the Copyright holder.

2010 Chronicles

Chronicle n° 101. Leading 2005s: Leave your corkscrew alone!

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