Chronicle 112. Bordeaux 2010 - What to expect? The art of tasting : palate over nose

2010 - What to expect? Montrose 2010, Clos Manou 2010, Nairac 2010 and 2009 The art of tasting : palate over nose Price evolution between 2006 and 2010 for 90 Bordeaux top labels from the 1996 to 2005 vintages Chronicle n° 112 ( March, 2nd 2011) 2010- What to expect? From all the reds I have tasted, and even before the blends are finalized, the style of the 2010 vintage appears to be different from that of 2009, though climatically both years showed great similarities. Neither of the vintages shows any greenness or harsh tannins thanks to the excellent maturity of the berries at the time of picking and above all to the drought that lasted from July to September. 2009 is superbly baroque – a firework of incredibly generous sensations. 2010 is immediately elegant and loftier, with a sound structure but boasting less breadth on entry and on the mid palate than the 2009 vintage. It even runs the risk of being so discreet that its true character might be overlooked during the upcoming en primeur campaign. 2009, on the contrary, was immediately more attractive but showed signs it could potentially become slack, as a loosely woven cloth would, or indeed a baggy suit - a risk that is still there now the wine is going through the elevage. In 2010, the cabernets sauvignons and cabernets francs steal the show. They appear to be a tight and perfect fit, with finely grained and refine tannins doubled with a high concentration in aromas brought about by the September weather. And that makes the 2010s’ identity undoubtedly Bordeaux. But I will deliberately avoid the use of « classic » to qualify the new vintage, as the word suggests the presence of square tannins - and there are none in 2010. How’s that for success! Wines that are generally more rustic may appear more elegant; those that are usually generous in their volume could well lose a little breadth but gain in length; traditionally thin wines could well boast more pulp – as flesh seems to be a common trait for the vintage. The other vital point is the sapidity of the 2010s. To give you an example, when Montrose was presented last month, I enjoyed the 2010 more than I did the 2000 - over the delicious shepherd’s pie that Jean-Pierre Vigato from the Apicius had prepared for us. Is this another special treat impossible not to swallow – as the 2009 vintage this time last year?And yet, the Montrose 2010 is highly concentrated in tannins (IPT:85); but the coating is absolutely stunning! The 2010 vintage will also favour all the producers who strive to improve the standard of their wine. Some of them even told me that their 2010 was already superior to their 2009. Well, we’ll see, but as more money is being invested for better selections, I expect second wines to set a new benchmark. You will find below my notes on Clos Manou, a rising star, Montrose, and Nairac in Sauternes. As for prices, it is still too early to say, as always this time of year. The carnet n°61 on price evolution between 2006 and 2010 for 90 Bordeaux top labels from the 1996 to 2005 vintage is now available on line . Prices have gone up! I expect the upward trend will have an impact on the 2010 release prices - but how much? Don’t miss this report, an absolute must-read if you wish to be one step ahead for the best financial returns for 2010. As for how to appraise wines en primeur, the article “the art of tasting: palate over nose” at the end of this report will give you a taste of my book, to be published soon. MONTROSE 2010 Saint-Estéphe: 17.5 // 94 This is a top Montrose: gorgeous deep red, delicate, subtle and elegant on the nose- the nose of a first growth, really! And this is exactly what impressed me most; ripened yet superbly fresh fragrances of raspberry mingle beautifully with scents of blackcurrant - a trait which is so rare and incredibly hard to achieve. After such a fantastic nose, I must admit I expected a more vigorous entry. The wine picked up power and breadth gradually and particularly on the mid-palate. Then it literally melted away, dense and ethereal in the mouth, before ending on one of the best weaves of tannins for Montrose since the 1996 en primeur –only this time even more mature and sophisticated. Mighty finish, where aromas take the structure over. This 2010 Montrose is sheer aesthetic bliss for our senses. It is the most polished vintage since the new management took over. Its effort for precision and balance bears the Delmas-mark and reminds us of how Haut-Brion is built. It is also the least subdued vintage that the estate has ever presented in mid-February. The work and effort put in so as to raise quality are truly praise-worthy. I must admit I failed to understand the changes fully when they were brought about and judged the 2006 and 2007 presentations too discreet, linear even. Today, the estate is rethinking just about everything and a new cellar is being put in place. Always tuned in to nature’s rhythm, Montrose is slowly but surely taking its due place among Bordeaux top labels. No doubt it is destined for great heights. For information, this time last year I awarded 17 points to the 2009. A blend of 53% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 9% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Alcohol content: 13°8. IPT:85. pH: 3.7. AT:3.4 CLOS MANOU 2010 Médoc: 16.25-16.5 // 89 - 90 A lovely coloured wine, fruity, clean and delicate on the nose. On the palate, its frame is different - not only due to the vintage itself but also to Stéphan Dief’s choices: fewer saignée, a lesser yield (45 hl/ha for the 53 hl/ha allowed), lower temperatures during vinification, a subtler extraction. Soft, velvety and dense on entry with more emphasis on length than on breadth. The finish is what really makes this 2010 Clos Manou stand out from the previous vintages - it boasts one of the finest weaves of tannins I have ever come across for the estate. Beautiful length in a truly elegant Pauillac style. Yet another success - in a less extroverted style - and really delicious. Go for the magnums, where it will no doubt become a wonder. (A wine gains in breadth when it is aged in magnums). A blend of 40% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc et petit verdot. Alc 13°8, IPT 82, PH 3,35, AT 3,35 Sauternes Barsac The notes on Nairac show 2010 to be quite another successful year for sweet white wines but as for reds, matching the standard of the 2009 vintage, which I personally believe to be a mythical year for sweet white wines, will indeed be a challenge. To show how 2010 compares to previous vintages, here are the scores for the last four vintages, sampled side by side last month. 2010: 17.25 // 93 – 2009: 19 // 97 – 2008: 16.75 // 91 – 2007: 17 // 92 As for its style, the 2010 vintage manages to retain a superb ethereal character despite a lesser sugar content than 2009. (For Nairac) NAIRAC 2010 Barsac: 17.25 // 93 Yellow with green hues. Clean nose of oak moss - typical of botrytis. Precise and refine on entry then melting, ethereal and run through with beautiful savours of pineapple, ginger and delicate spices. Melting, lingering and sapid finish. A blend of 92% sémillon, 6% sauvignon and 2% muscadelle. 14° alcohol. Residual sugar : 135g per litre. Ph : 3.8 . Overall acidity : 4.1. Yield : 14.10hl/ha. Will go through the elevage in 50% new oak barrels. NAIRAC 2009 Barsac: 19 // 97 Yellow with green hues. Intense, complex and deep nose of delicate ginger, nutmeg, pineapple and aniseed notes. An absolute stunner on entry, then broad, generous, sophisticated and wonderfully ethereal. Lingers on with style over a sappy finish with spicy touches balancing its sucrosity remarkably well. Impossible not to swallow. A true grand vin. A blend of 92% sémillon, 4% sauvignon, and 4% muscadelle. 14° alcohol. Résidual sugar : 185g. pH : 3.7. Overall acidity 4.7. Yield : 10.5hl/ha. Only 10% new oak barrel. _____________________________________________ The art of tasting: palate over nose In 1970, the INAO, the French body in charge of regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origins, and the AFNOR, the French organization for standardization, designed a new tulip-shaped wine-tasting glass, which eventually replaced traditional tastevins and run-of-the-mill round-shaped glasses. With it also came a new need: sniffing and appraising the nose of the wine. Since then, people’s interest in wine has grown and so has glassmakers’ creativity. Today, nose appraisal of the wine is enjoying an incredible boom. Who has never felt out of place at a tasting when scents of cassis, musk, apricot – or even apricot from California - were being mentioned? (Apparently not so unusual an experience in well-reputed master classes with people attending not even yet able to sort rose fragrances among floral notes). And although, as a wine taster, I am particularly sensitive to fragrances, smells and aromas, I don’t really believe scents should be the focal point of communication on wine, unless perhaps among specialists. For people who are not so familiar with wine, smells and aromas are usually very personal interpretations and cannot possibly lead to an objective analysis of the wine. What’s more, for Bordeaux wines, particularly when they are still young, the over-intensive appraisal of the nose is not relevant. When appraising Bordeaux, tannins matter far more than fragrances and aromas. When a Bordeaux wine is less than 3 years of age, there often is an opposition between the intensity of its nose and the presence of tannins: the more fragrant the nose, the thinner the body – the less fragrant the nose, the denser the body. But a grand vin cannot be without a strong and solid structure and if it is, it appears diluted, thin, and unable in time to do credit to its origins and terroir. If too much emphasis is put on the nose, wine tasters run the risk of choosing the second wine over the grand vin when they are tasted blind side by side and so may well overlook the better one of the two, the crafting of which has demanded the winemakers and owners’ very best skills and energy. A young grand vin is less boisterous and less fragrant; it is broodier, denser, more tannic and less easy to understand and that is precisely why the only way to analyse it is through its palate, where tactile feelings can be read and interpreted. They give out vital clues and clear indications on the structure of any wine and on its potential. We must also remember that Bordeaux wines are sold en primeur, i.e before the elevage is over, 12 to 16 months before bottling, and so at a time when the nose is not yet finalized- and won’t be for another good 10 months in bottle. For the best vintages, it will take an extra 15 to 20 years for the wine to find its best expression. It will then be impossible to ignore the standard it has reached and a tasting method, the purpose of which is to determine the wine’s potential, will no longer be of any use. And so, though it may sound odd to you, if you wish to learn how to taste young Bordeaux and decide whether to cellar them or not, I suggest you avoid thinking in terms of savours - scents, aromas and savours are all very much intertwined in tasting. The main thing is to concentrate on the physical presence of the wine in the mouth. Experience has shown that when the palate is well structured, the nose generally follows suit. So, how to go about it? Find out more in le Guide Quarin des Vins de Bordeaux, to be published soon. My next report will be available on line from March 15th. 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.

2011 Chronicles

Chronicle 112. Bordeaux 2010 - What to expect? The art of tasting : palate over nose

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