2014 Bordeaux Primeurs: Results (8)

The excellent 2014s Part 2: the 44 wines scored between 16.25 (91) and 16.5 (92) 10 Outsiders stand out at this level (an Outsider is a wine that punch above its weight, where the taste is better than the label suggests). 4 wines earned the special distinction of “my best score ever given to this wine en primeur”. 2 are “Favourites” AILE D'ARGENT Bordeaux blanc 16,5 // 92 Blended with two thirds Sauvignon and one third Semillon. Malolactic fermentation took place in about 10% of the batches. To avoid oxidation, bottling will be carried out next May. Menthol and spice on the nose. Caresses the palate. Big sappy finish. Delicious. ALTER EGO de PALMER Margaux 16,5 // 92 Pure, very aromatic nose. Succulent and melting on the palate. Classy texture. Good length. An achievement. A blend of 52% merlot, 35 % de cabernet sauvignon, 13% petit-verdot Alcohol content : 13,6°. pH 3.6. IPT 68. ASTERIES (LES) Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 92 An especially fruity wine that is flavoursome, smooth, richly supple with a very nice mouthfeel and fine-grained tannins. Fragrant, long finish. A blend of 80% merlot, 20% cabernet franc. Alcohol content :13,35°. pH 3.63. BARDE HAUT Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 92 Outsider Another successful vintage from this Outsider Saint-Emilion estate. Ripe fruit on the nose. Mouth-filling, succulent, flavoursome, vigorous and almost mineral on the palate. Long. BATAILLEY Pauillac 16,5 // 92 Gently made wine. Subtly elegant nose. Very fruity, smooth and dense on the palate with refined tannins. Flavours of liquorice and violets. We'll see what happens as it ages. A blend of 82% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 2% petit-verdot, 1% cabernet franc. BON PASTEUR (LE) Pomerol 16,5 // 92 My best score ever given to this wine en primeur At this stage, this wine is scored the same as the 2010 en primeur. Its general behaviour leads me to believe that it could do better than the 2010, when it has been aged. The launch of a second wine in 2013 has changed everything at this property. Bon Pasteur is now made from the best plots and the wine has become subtler and its texture is more refined with good body as well. It's wonderful! BRANAIRE Saint-Julien 16,5 // 92 This is a wine that is gently made to highlight its sparkling fruit and soft body. Fragrant finish. Fine grain. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot, 6% de petit-verdot, 2% de cabernet franc. CHAMPS LIBRES (LES) Bordeaux blanc 16,5 // 92 Outsider My best score ever given to this wine en primeur This is its third vintage. The first, which wasn't sold in 2012, is called A Louima (scored 16//90). The wine became denser in 2013 (16.25//91) and went on to produce this great achievement in 2014. It is a varietal made from a Sancerre clone of Sauvignon that grows in limestone. Very elegant nose with a hint of truffle. Especially fruity on the palate with a subtle feel. Long graceful finish. A sheer marvel! Congratulations to Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau. CLOS DU CLOCHER Pomerol 16,5 // 92 Outsider Here is a 2014 that is better than the 2010! It's also the number 2 Outsider in Pomerol. This wine stands out with its elegant, fruity, ripe, multi-layered nose and its very flavoursome softness on the palate. Big, long finish. Delicious. CLOS DU JAUGUEYRON Margaux 16,5 // 92 While I find quite a number of Margaux a little lacking this year, this one stands out of the crowd. Expresses black fruit on the nose. Very fruity, flavoursome and dynamic on the palate. Elegant tannins. Fragrant and long finish. Delicious. CLOS DU MARQUIS Saint-Julien 16,5 // 92 My best score ever given to this wine en primeur Since the launch of Petit Lion in 2007, Clos du Marquis has finally found its place with a little more Cabernet Sauvignon, slightly more selection and a dash more new wood for its ageing. Very fruity nose. Fleshy and bursting with fruit on the palate. Very long. A blend of 74% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 4% cabernet franc. Alcohol content : 13,85°. PH 3.63. IPT 68. CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY Sauternes 16,5 // 92 This wine avoided the hint of compote that came with the vintage. Well done! Apricot, pear and flowers on the nose. Graceful, rich, melting and sharp at the same time. Long finish. Delicious. CLOS LOUIE Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 16,5 // 92 Outsider Great work by Pascal Lucin the cellarmaster at Grand Pontet. Very ripe fruit. It is big and full on the palate, but very fresh too. Rounded tannins. Long flavoursome finish with fruit and spice. Comparable to a Saint-Emilion Cru Classé. CLOS MANOU Médoc 16,5 // 92 Outsider The historical Médoc Outsider that Bordeaux connoisseurs are beginning to snap up! Very fruity, fleshy, vigorous without harsh tannins and long. Since 2011 its tannins have been increasingly finer. Rivals the best Médoc Crus Classés. CLOS PUY ARNAUD Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 16,5 // 92 Outsider What an achievement! This is another Outsider on a par with a Saint-Emilion Cru Classé. Cultivated using biodynamic techniques. This wine bursts with fruit and is full on the palate, very flavoursome and long. This 2014 is for pleasure-seekers. Bravo! CLOTTE (LA) Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 92 Outsider. Made henceforward by the same team as Ausone, the 2014 is a little more fragrant and polished than usual. Good length. Will the price change? FORTS DE LATOUR (LES) Pauillac 16,5 // 92 Smooth with intricate texture, fleshy body and a fragrant finish with no tannic roughness. A blend of 71,4 % cabernet sauvignon, 28,6 % merlot. Alcohol content : 13.01°, IPT 70, pH 3.77. GAFFELIÈRE (LA) Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 92 This wine is moving up, slowly but surely. The new plantings of Cabernet Franc are part of it. Elegant, fruity nose. Refined mouthfeel, presence on the midpalate, soft. Fine tannins. Long finish. Delicious. A blend of 80% merlot, 20% cabernet franc. GRIFFONS (LES) Pauillac 16,5 // 92 This brand has been in existence since 2012 and 2014 is the first vintage presented en primeur. It is made from a selection of tanks representing about 20% of Pichon Baron's production, blended with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. Very flavoursome, richly supple, succulent with taste and length and fine tannin. GUIRAUD Sauternes 16,5 // 92 This was a small harvest; scarcely 8 hectolitres per hectare. Sorting was very heavy. Fruity, ripe, pure, very slight compote, then menthol on the nose. Botrytis graces the palate: it is ethereal, silky and long. A blend of 65% sémillon, 35% sauvignon. Residual sugar 118 g per liter. Alcohol content : 13.6°. HAUT BAILLY Pessac-Léognan rouge 16,5 // 92 In an area that I consider 2014 favoured less than the Medoc, Haut-Bailly came out very well. The wine has held on to its style: vibrant fruit and floral aromas on the nose, soft and very fruity on the palate, becoming succulent, flavoursome and above all more crafted than its peers. Consistency and appeal. HAUT BRION Pessac-Léognan blanc 16,5 // 92 The wine has as much Semillon in its blend as La Mission Haut Brion and yet I prefer the quality of the latter. It's as if this Semillon didn't come from the same place. A little discrete on the mid-palate. But lovely sappy finish. A blend of 70% sémillon, 30% sauvignon. LAFON ROCHET Saint-Estèphe 16,5 // 92 Favourite Here is one of the finest silent revolutions ongoing in a Medoc classed growth. Unrecognisable since 2013, this wine has reached a hitherto unequalled level of aromatic and tannic precision. Remarkable softness on the palate. And what a burst of fruit! Impossible to spit out. Bravo! LAGUNE (LA) Haut-Médoc 16,5 // 92 In my last tastings, I compared La Lagune to a Margaux. The 2014 not only confirms what I thought, it goes further! Fruity with velvet body and a classy feel. Fine tannin. Long sappy finish. Bravo! LARCIS DUCASSE Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,5 // 92 Even in a slightly cool year, this wine musters its solar style. Fruity, subtle and fresh on the nose. Full and succulent on the palate, just a little austere, but vigorous and long with a taste of cherry, softened tannins and a general southern touch. LEOVILLE BARTON Saint-Julien 16,5 // 92 In 2014, the wine is true to itself: lovely fresh fruit, refined flesh on the palate, fragrant, slightly sharp finish. MALARTIC LAGRAVIERE Pessac-Léognan blanc 16,5 // 92 In 2014, this wine perfectly combines rich suppleness and straightness in the crafting of its body. Multilayered, long finish. Delicious. MOULIN HAUT LAROQUE Fronsac 16,5 // 92 Outsider Favourite With this score, this superb Outsider is at the same level as the 2009 and 2010. It impressed me at all three tastings. Lovely, intense colour. Superb, deep nose of grape juice! Richly supple on the attack, rich on the midpalate, particularly rounded, this refined wine melts on the palate and finishes big and long and even more impressive than the 2010 en primeur. It is different because it is spicier than usual with 6% Malbec in the blend, which is supposed to be exceptional in 2014. Jean-Noël Hervé also told me that the grapes were not crushed, but underwent a long soak, which was more than just a flavouring. Bravo! Note that the Fronsac appellation was particularly successful in 2014. A blend of 72% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc, 6% malbec, alcohol content : 14°, pH 3.68 (lower than average). IPT 74. NAIRAC Barsac 16,5 // 92 Outsider Greenish yellow colour. Elegant, pure, fresh nose with distinct lime hints this year. Lovely attack, mouth-filling. Then it melts in the middle, fragrant, silky, with its very distinctive mouthfeel that makes it so pleasurable even when young! Impossible to spit out. PAVILLON ROUGE Margaux 16,5 // 92 Fruity, fresh and subtle on the nose. Slender on the palate with velvet body and fine tannins. Sheer delight in store. RAUZAN SEGLA Margaux 16,5 // 92 Very good wine with plenty of fruit and body, but something was lacking to give it a better score. SAINT PIERRE (Sevaistre) Saint-Julien 16,5 // 92 Lovely fruity wine with slender, flavoursome body. Fine tannins. Long fragrant finish. VALANDRAUD BLANC Bordeaux blanc 16,5 // 92 Delicious, sinewy and richly supple at the same time. Delicious. _________________________________________________ ANNA (D'), cuvée Louis d'Or Barsac 16,25 // 91 Very fruity nose with distinct lime hints this year. Melting and fragrant on the palate, but big and ethereal too. Long finish. BELAIR-MONANGE Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 91 Creamy fruit on the nose. Juicy on the palate, standard body. Fine tannins. A little more austere than previous years' profiles. BELLEVUE Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 91 More floral nose than usual. Less punchy on the palate too. Finer mouthfeel. More stylish overall. Long finish and fine tannins. DOMINIQUE (LA) Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 91 My best score ever given to this wine en primeur The 2012 vintage of this wine is better than the 2010, while the 2014 is better than the 2012! This shows how much progress has been made so recently. Fragrant nose. Velvet on the palate. There's Pomerol in this profile. Lots of appeal. FEYTIT CLINET Pomerol 16,25 // 91 This wine is well up to standard this year. Ripe fruit, flavour on the palate with sufficient body. Long and fragrant finish, and fine tannins. GRAND PONTET Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 91 Outsider Fruity and creamy nose. Rich, supple and melting on the palate. Fine tannins. Long, flavoursome finish with fruit and truffles. Delicious. LAGRANGE Saint-Julien 16,25 // 91 More fragrant on the nose and palate than usual. Pretty body. Tannins blended in. Very good finish. PAPE CLEMENT Pessac-Léognan blanc 16,25 // 91 Many vintages of white are prematurely oxidised at Pape Clément, especially the 2010 and 2011. The technical team was changed in 2012. In 2014, the winemaking process was modified. The estate is trying out 400-litre barrels, which reduce oxidation compared to the 225-litre ones. The larger barrels are also toasted less. As a result, the wine is fresher and more exact than previous primeur offerings. PRIEURE (LE) Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 91 Since 2013, Château Latour's team from Pauillac is involved in making and monitoring this wine. It has an aromatic signature worthy of a first classed growth on the nose. It has a crystalline feel on the palate and the body is more straight than broad because of the limestone. Fine tannins. Very good finish. SUDUIRAUT Sauternes 16,25 // 91 Baked apple, white fruits and truffles on the nose. Melting body. Candied finish. Long finish. TROTTEVIEILLE Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 16,25 // 91 Lovely fruity nose with truffles. Big on the palate. Slightly austere on the finish. A blend of 58% cabernet franc, 2% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot. _________________________________________ @Copyright This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, 33320 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 is shown as the Copyright holder.

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2014 Bordeaux Primeurs: Results (8)

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