Bordeaux 2010 en primeurs results (Part 3)

Saint-Emilion 2010: a stunning vintage (Part 2)A true gem and an outsider: A nos Amours de Lafont-Fourcat Third Report (April 6th, 2011)BALESTARD LA TONNELLE St-Emilion Grand Cru 15 // 86 Supple and soft on the palate, with fruit, aromas, taste and oaky tannins. BARDE HAUT St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 - 16,75 // 90 - 91 Brightly coloured wine. Beautifully fresh and refined nose of ripe fruit and spice - with a subtly southern character. Velvelty and dense on the palate with wonderfully coated tannins. Utterly delicious, sappy, multi-layered and long finish. This Barde Haut is the compelling result of the cru's powerful character and skilful dedicated work. BELAIR-MONANGE St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,75 // 91 My best score for the estate en primeur. The estate is picking up again! 2010 is tighter and more powerful than the past years whilst remaining aromatic and tasty with finely grained tannins. The score could well go up once the press wine is added to the blend as it could give him a little more power. BELLEVUE St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 90 The merlot is at 98% but the wine shows no excessive weightiness - an achievement given the year and the high percentage of merlot. Clean and creamy nose of fruit. Beautifully chewy on the palate, the wine fills out the mouth but shows no heaviness. Good finish. A pity the estate does not grow more cabernet franc - but they probably will in the future. CARILLON DE L'ANGELUS St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,75 // 88My best score for the estate en primeur. A scrumptious wine that melts on the palate and boasts well-coated tannins. Good length. CHAUVIN St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,75 // 88 Deep colour with good intensity. Refined nose of ripe fruit, creamy and crammed with aromas - so is the palate. Creamy tactile feel on the palate, with plenty of taste and well-coated, finely-grained tannins. Long and mighty finish, a touch warm. A winner. CHEVAL BLANC St-Emilion Grand Cru 18,5 // 96 Brightly coloured wine. Deep, powerful and clean nose of cocoa and raspberries. Magnificent, wonderfully detailed entry. Instantly magical tactile feel on the palate. The wine melts with grace and power. Lifted and deep. Mighty complex finish unfolding layers of gorgeous savours. Terrific! Blend: 55% cabernet franc and 45% merlot- selected yield: 55% - alcohol content: 14.5 % - pH: 3.8 - IPT:84 CLOS BADON St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,5 // 87 - 88 The cabernet franc is at 30% and gives this wine a superbly aromatic character, a wonderfully lush palate with vibrant fruit and beautifully refined and subtle tannins. A high pleasure score. Impossible not to swallow! CLOS DES JACOBINS St-Emilion Grand Cru 15 // 86 Unctuous on the palate but somewhat lacking tension throughout. Average length. CORBIN St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 90My best score for the estate en primeur. The first time I see a wine on sandy soil perform better than some on limestone; the work of Annabelle Cruse-Bardinet has led to spectacular results. Apparently the sandy-clayey terroir of Corbin has done well out of the drought. Beautifully intense dark hued wine. Refined nose of fruit – with hints of wild blackberries. Velvety tactile feel on entry leading to a broad and powerful palate. Rich and well-built on the mid-palate, juicy and tasty throughout. Elegant compelling finish with sophisticated and finely grained tannins. Utterly delicious and above all, impossible not to swallow. Superb length. Alcohol content: 14.8, pH:3.75, TA: 3.30, IPT: 80-91 DAUGAY St-Emilion Grand Cru 15 // 86 My best score for the estate en primeur. Pretty and brightly coloured wine. Nose of fruit and cream. Soft and pulpy on the palate, with fresh and clean savours and well-coated tannins. Average length. FAURIE DE SOUCHARD St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,5 // 87 - 88 My best score for the estate en primeur. Beautiful, intensely deep red. Creamy nose of ripe fruit with hints of raspberry and cherry liqueur. Ripe and poised nose. Juicy and suave on the palate, laden with fruit. Lifted, elegant aromas and tactile feel in the mouth. Good length and well-coated finish. FLEUR CARDINALE St-Emilion Grand Cru 15 // 86 The estate built its reputation on its successful gambles at the time of harvest up to now. Unfortunately it went too far in 2010; the nose is already baked and showing distinctive notes of figs. It was definitely brought in too late! So may I recommend a stop to this late picking trend - or else connoisseurs may well lose their faith in the cru. L'ARROSÉE St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,5 // 87 - 88 Deep colour with good intensity. Delicate fruity nose of raspberry, plum and wood. Supple, creamy and aromatic on the palate. Average length and very attractive finish. LA CLOTTE St-Emilion Grand Cru 17 // 92 Beautiful and intensely deep red. Complex and refined nose of ripe fruit - with attractive notes of black cherry. Broad and generous on entry then revealing layers of aromas, a powerful character, notes of cocoa and liquorice and fat. Elegant tactile feel throughout. Superb mid-palate. Mighty, complex and lingering finish over finely-grained tannins. A grand vin indeed ! LA MARZELLE St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,75 - 16 // 88 From a relatively unknown yet superb terroir in Saint-Emilion which gives a fresh and fruity nose to the vintage with notes of blackberry and an interesting exotic twist. Lovely entry, quite fat. Tight, juicy, tasty and compelling on the palate. The wine is focused and polished. Gorgeous lingering and tasty length, a touch tannic. Delicious. LA SERRE St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,25 // 87 Perfect for those who favour light and aromatic wines. I personally believe it lacks body. Will be enjoyed young. LA TOUR DU PIN St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,75 - 16 // 88 My best score for the estate en primeur. A success - better than the 2009 vintage. Still a little subdued on the nose but boasting fresh and ripe fruit. Mellow on entry then wonderfully aromatic and laden with taste; lovely tactile feel on the palate with a beautiful weave of tannins. Lush tasty length. Alcohol content: 14 % - pH: 3.7 - IPT: 85 LARMANDE St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 89 This 2010 took me back to the great Larmande 1982. Deep red. Ripe, fruity, elegant nose with hints of red fruit liqueur and whiffs of violet. Supple and aromatic on the palate, really savoury and complex from the mid-palate. Revealing a juicy and elegant character and a refined tactile feel in the mouth. Wonderfully aromatic finish. A truly scrumptious wine - chewy and hedonistic. LAROQUE St-Emilion Grand Cru 16 // 88 - 89 My best score given to the cru en primeur. One of the darkest colours I have ever come across. Refined, fruity, creamy nose with scents of vanilla and cherry. On the palate, such fat is a novelty but the usual style of the wine is unaffected and remains more linear than broad. As pulpy and crammed with fruit on the mid-palate as ever. Mighty finish over finely-grained tannins. A stunner. LAROZE St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 - 16,75 // 90 – 91My best score for the estate en primeur. Beautifully intense dark hued wine. Suave and refined nose of ripe fruit. Mellow on entry, pulpy throughout, utterly hedonistic. Voluptuous and rich on the palate with lift and plenty of aromas. Long complex and elegant finish. Utterly delicious and more hedonistic than ever. A true winner. LE VALLON DE CH. BARDE HAUT St-Emilion Grand Cru 15 // 86 This second wine has been crafted so as to be enjoyed young. It shows clean aromas and is mellow on the palate with no harsh tannins and plenty of savours. Judging from the way the 2009 is evolving, I believe it would be a real asset on a restaurant wine list. MAGDELAINE St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 - 16,75 // 90 - 91 Beautiful deep colour. Nose of fruit and truffle. Elegant pulp, delicate fat and gorgeous aromas on the palate. Good classy and tasty length. The score could well go up once the press wine is added to the blend as it could give him a little more power. PETIT CHEVAL St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,75 // 91 The standard of Petit Cheval has gone up steadily since its beautiful 2008. For once, the blend is particularly marked by merlot. Superb nose: fresh, refined and clean. Fleshy from start to finish, with body, savours, laden with fresh fruit aromas and an exotic twist on the palate. Blend of 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. Alcohol content: 14.5° - pH:3.8 - IPT: 84 PETIT FAURIE DE SOUTARD St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,25 // 87 Deep red. Nose of fruit liqueur and vanilla. Density well balanced by flavours, voluptuous tactile feel on the palate, average intensity of aromas in the persistence. Hints of cocoa. Lovely! PRESSAC (DE) St-Emilion Grand Cru 15 // 86 Dark-hued wine. Yet again I have found a cold note of blackcurrant on the nose but the wine is pleasantly juicy and reveals smoky savours on the palate. Tannins still present on finish. QUINAULT L'ENCLOS St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,5 - 15,75 // 87 - 88 Savoury, suave and well-structured, with fruit and well-coated tannins in the persistence. SAINTAYME St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,25 // 87 Denis Durantou has crafted a deliciously mellow and tasty wine crammed with aromas. The way the wine glides through the mouth is quite unique. Utterly delicious! SANCTUS du Ch. La Bienfaisance St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 90 The estate has recently invested in a new vat house equipped with smaller open-top wooden vats and hydraulic presses. It is tucked away in a lovely 12th century street at Saint-Christophe des Bardes. The wine evokes a delicate liqueur. Beautiful nose of cream, vanilla and fresh fruit - lovely cherry fragrance. Melting on the palate, with a fatty, almost oily, tactile feel in the mouth. Superbly dense, generously savoury and intense leading to notes of liquorice and truffle on finish. A delight. SOUTARD St-Emilion Grand Cru 16 // 88 - 89 I expected Soutard (grown on limestone soils) to be better than Larmande (grown on more sandy soils). Beautiful, intensely deep red. Subtle, elegant nose of ripe fruit. Very classy tactile feel on the palate, packed with aromas and fruit. A brisk note on finish. Average length. VALANDRAUD St-Emilion Grand Cru 16,75 - 17 // 90 - 91 Beautifully deep dark-hued wine. Nose of black fruit with truffle overtones. Magnificent on entry leading to a broad, generously aromatic and juicy character. A touch firm- not an unusual trait. Well-coated tannins and gorgeous aromas in the persistence. Good length. VIRGINIE de Valandraud St-Emilion Grand Cru 15,25 // 87 Denser than usual - slightly more austere too - but extremely fruity. ___________________________________________ A TRUE GEM AND AN OUTSIDERA NOS AMOURS DE LAFONT FOURCAT Bordeaux rouge 15,75 // 88 Jacques Prévert would have loved it! It is so utterly delicious and affordable! A wine to fall in love with. Gorgeous colour. Superb nose of white fruit with touches of truffle and cream overtones. Utterly magical on the palate: dense, melting, alive with vibrant fruit, juicy and impossible not to swallow. Fantastic tactile feel on the palate. The best Bordeaux AOC that I have ever come across. And what a name! An absolute must-have! Many thanks to Monsieur Pierre Marie Morillon for his work and dedication. You should also taste his white wine (Lafon Fourcat) made from Muscadelle 100 year-old vines (score 15). You can get it at Thuvenin in Saint-Emilion Kind regards 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.

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Bordeaux 2010 en primeurs results (Part 3)

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