Chronicle 158: “delayed” cork taint. nto the limelight: Château Arnauld, Haut Médoc, a new Outsider. Château d’Yquem 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006

“Delayed” cork taint Research into cork taint Château d’Yquem 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2006 Into the limelight: Château Arnauld, Haut Médoc, a new Outsider Chronicle 158 (13rd November 2013) Intriguing cases of “delayed” cork taint Recently, I opened a bottle of Pichon Baron 1994. The cork a little greyish, springy, not very stained was in good shape. I smelled it. It had the musty smell of TCA. I got worried about the wine, poured it into a glass, smelled it: nothing. I tasted it: nothing! I decanted it slowly into another glass and smelled lots of fruit in it. I tasted it: very nice. I served it to two other people. One very sensitive person spoke of strawberries on the nose. Everyone approved of the quality. The meat course was served. I was about to take a proper mouthful and a pungent off-smell came off the wine. As I tasted it, it became clear that the wine was corked, but it wasn’t 5 minutes before. Why? I admit, I don’t know. Perhaps the molecules were given off in the volatile alcohol? I immediately thought back to the tasting we had at my Paris club last February. The Haut-Brion 2004 was corked, but when I checked it on opening, this wasn’t apparent. What was even weirder was that the cork betrayed nothing, so bear this in mind if you organise a tasting or choose a wine at a restaurant. (The programme of the Paris club for 2013-2014 is available by E-mail.) Research into cork taint Château d’Yquem now uses corks supplied by Cork Supply Group, which supplies cork closures guaranteed taint free at €1.30 per unit. So you can compare, the price of a cork starts at around 15 eurocents per stopper. Founded in 1981 in California, Cork Supply started doing business in France in 2003. It produces 800 million closures per year, including 300 million natural cork and colmated cork stoppers. For premium wines, Cork Supply offers the “DS100” inspection process. DS stands for “Dry Soak” and 100% means that 100% of the corks in a customer’s order are inspected and guaranteed that they are uncontaminated by TCA. What is special is that the test protocol involves a human nose, not a machine. So how do they do it? Every cork is sealed inside a jar with a few drops of purified water to hydrate for 24 hours. It is then opened and smelled for the presence of trichloroanisole contamination. Out of the 300 million corks produced, only 700,000 are inspected in this way, corresponding to a capacity of 2,000 corks per day. Cork Supply guarantees that these corks are not contaminated and undertakes to cover the cost of any bottle that is tainted. Great news for consumers, who have ever had the misfortune to open a corked wine! Half of these 700,000 corks are sold in the U.S. and the rest in Europe. It is worthy of note that Cork Supply sells more of this category of corks in Spain than in France. Do other cork suppliers offer the same guarantees? So why not produce to the same quality, but faster and therefore more? For Mrs. Ana Cristina Lopes Cardoso, who is in charge of research at Cork Supply, the difficulty is to invent analytical tools that can test the raw material quickly and non-destructively. The tools need above all to be extremely sensitive, because they have to be capable of detecting 2 to 4 nanograms per litre! The good news for people, who like drinking expensive wines, is that appropriate technology is in the pipeline and could be industrialised by 2015. Château d’Yquem 2013 – several batches New scores for 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2006 For the first time in twenty years I was able to taste a few separate batches of Yquem just as the wine was being made. What a delight and a very emotional time for me! It was absolutely fascinating to see that the gracious feel and aroma that can only come from sheer breeding was already present. I went on to visit Guiraud and Nairac to carry out the same exercise. The 2013’s are delicious, but not up to this level of distinction. On 17th October, these estates still had 20% of its fruit outside, awaiting a third run. The weather was ideal until the 24th. This vintage stands out for being massively botrytised, which gives it an ineffable melting feel and a very high score for enjoyment. All the wines will not be rich; they’re very botrytised, but not so concentrated. At Yquem the cellar’s average residual sugar level is 130 grams per litre. The other vintages of Yquem that were completely botrytised were 2002, 1997, 1988 and 1986. For the Technical Director Francis Mayeur, the delicacy experienced in the batches we tasted comes from the “unwearied rot”, which I would call harvested “al dente” i.e. young without the fruit getting wet, then drying and getting wet again; in other words its taste hasn’t been washed out. Here are some scores for a few batches of Yquem 2013: Sauvignon 1st pass, fermentation already stopped 19 // 98 Very aromatic wine, extremely melting on the palate, very long and impossible to spit out. Sauvignon 2nd pass 18.5 // 97 Amazing breeding on the nose. Airy and noble on the palate, so delicate! Semillon 3rd pass 19 // 98 Very refined, multilayered nose with a lovely oak moss aroma (botrytis). Feels like a dream on the palate. Fantastically refined. Semillon 1st pass: batch 9 17.5 // 95 Reserved on the nose. Multilayered on the palate with a very ripe banana flavour. Delicious roast finish. Semillon, fermentation stopped, 1st pass 19 // 98 Especially intense nose, very fruity, powerful and elegant. Melting and airy on the palate like I’ve never experienced before. It’s wonderful and impossible to spit out. Very refined. 2011 18 // 96 Logo on the cork: a crown Pale golden colour. Elegant, fruity nose, both citrus fresh and roasted. Noble, very silky mouthfeel, developing to become airy and complex with refined flavours of ripe, fresh, candied white fruit. Lovely finish, delicious, refined and impossible to spit out. Don’t be afraid to serve it well cooled. 13.65° alcohol – pH: 3.70 – Residual sugar: 140 g/l. 2013-2040. 2010 19.75 // 99 Logo on the cork: A in a circle Golden colour with green tints. Very refined nose that is pure, noble, elegant, floral, roasted and complex. Magically powerful and refined on the palate. Flavours of roasted pear, citrus and exotic fruit. Soft in body and elegant in its energy. Fragrant finish, extremely long, richly supple and deep. Very long keeping. 13.55° alcohol – pH: 3.68 – Residual sugar: 138 g/l. 2013-2070. 2009 20 // 100 Logo on the cork: A in a circle Golden colour. Subtle, very intense nose that is very elegant with delicate candy and butter. Expansive attack, but extremely melting, this wine conquers the palate with its noble, refined feel, its meticulous construction, its strength and its so very airy texture. This fabulous combination ends up with a grand finale of a finish that is complex with a pronounced aftertaste. This is the grandest wine I have had the honour to taste in many years, white or red. A score out of 20 is no longer sufficient for Château d’Yquem 2009. 13.6° alcohol – pH: 3.76 – Residual sugar: 157 g/l. 2013-2070. 2008 17 // 94 Logo on the cork: AL Golden colour. Pure, fruity nose, a little compote-like and discrete. Very fruity and flavoursome, it caresses the palate, developing melting body and slightly compote-like fruit. It’s tasty. Standard length. 13.6° alcohol – pH: 3.7 – Residual sugar: 139 g/l. Ready to drink now and up to 2040. 2006 18 // 96 Logo on the cork: AL Golden colour. Fruity, ripe nose a little like compote. Etherish hints. Rich and supple attack, melting as it develops to an airy mid-palate. Complex flavours of finely candied white fruit follow. Hints of butter and coconut as it lingers, mixed with a touch of toast. Long and subtly roasted. 13.8° alcohol – Residual sugar: 122 g/l. 2013-2060. Into the limelight: Château Arnauld, Haut Médoc, a new Outsider The estate is located opposite Jean-Paul Barbier’s restaurant, the Lion d’Or (Golden Lion) in Arcins. The first time I went there was in 1978. Some will remember the black and gold label. Mrs. Roggy welcomed visitors even on Saturday. Her daughter married François Theil, co-owner of Château Poujeaux, who managed Château Arnauld up until 2007, when Allianz Group acquired it. Today the craftsman is Franck Bijon. I first met him, when he made the excellent La Tourette, wines on Pauillac soils. Then this estate was purchased by Château Latour and included in the production of the Pauillac wine or Forts de Latour. Out of the 35 hectares (86 acres) of the Arnauld vineyards, only 5 (12 acres) up on a mound of clayey gravel have been kept. The rest has been incorporated into the plots of Château Laroze Perganson, Haut-Médoc (see the Quarin Guide), or produces the second wine Comte d’Arnauld. The average age of the vines is 40 years, and ten thousand of them grow on each hectare. Yields are moderate. Ageing is in new wood. Grape varieties: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot. Franck Bijon supports genuine diligence here, where they make a real wine that is denser, fuller and deeper than before. Acquired in 2007, the estate has neither a 2007 nor a 2008 vintage. It is now back with a 2009. After this tasting, I invited Arnauld to my Outsiders Expo on 23 November: http://www.lesalondesoutsiders.com/ The wine is sold directly from this website: http://www.chateau-arnauld.fr/contactez-nous/ 2012 16 // 90 Lovely, deep, intense colour. Elegant, fruity nose that is also floral and subtle. Silky attack, then the wine develops to become very fragrant with a blackberry taste, body and elegant tannins. Lovely flavoursome length that you just cannot spit out. 2016-2027. Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. 2011 15.5 // 88 Lovely, deep, intense colour. Ripe, fresh fruit on a subtle nose. Smooth and a richly supple mouthfeel with elegant aromas, developing to become full and noble with good refined length that is impossible to spit out, with no harshness. 2015-2025. Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot. 2010 16 // 90 Lovely deep, intense colour. Pure, elegant, fruity, floral nose. Hints of orange peel. Richly supple attack; as it develops, it fills the mouth. It is powerful with a noble feel that becomes juicy and deep, with taste and a distinguished tannic structure. Lovely floral aroma as it lingers. Long and very tasty. 2017-2030. Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot. 2009 16 // 90 Deep, intense colour that has aged slightly. Fruity nose. Hints of coffee. Decanting it makes it creamier. Delicious, smooth wine which caresses the palate with a multilayered taste of ripe fruit, nicely blended with the wood. It is soft, long and delicious. High enjoyment score. I recommend you taste it now and up to 2025. Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot. Happy reading! Jean-Marc Quarin _________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2010. This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@quarin.com 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.

2013 Chronicles

Chronicle 158: “delayed” cork taint. nto the limelight: Château Arnauld, Haut Médoc, a new Outsider. Château d’Yquem 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006

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