Chronicle 185: Bottles vs. magnums of Bordeaux from 2010 to 1986

Busting the myth: eight bottles out of twelve were better! Léoville Barton 2010, La Croix de Gay 2009, Batailley 2004, Clos l'Eglise 2004, Cos d'Estournel 2000, Léoville Las Cases 1999, Palmer 1995, Grand Puy Lacoste 1995, Angélus 1994, Mouton Rothschild 1994, Pichon Comtesse 1988, Haut Brion 1986. I have wanted to pit the same wine in a 75-cl bottle against its counterpart in a magnum for several months now. With the organiser we decided to spread the vintages over a 20-year period and to combine right-bank wines with a majority of Merlot in their blends and left-bank wines with greater proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite what I expected, I preferred the wines in 75-cl bottles eight times out of twelve! They were generally more expansive than those in magnums. However, here again there was the ever-present issue around the quality of the corks (see photos). I was surprised to observe a significant difference in how well the corks had kept between the bottles and the magnums, which had deteriorated much more (see the photos at the end of the Chronicle). I have no explanation for this. The size of the corks is the same. Could a larger volume of wine somehow cause more deterioration to take place in the same size of cork? Could the seal be less effective? From 1995 back to 1986, the magnum corks were more wine-stained than the bottle corks. The other question is how these wines were corked. The answers obviously lie with the professionals associated with the wines concerned. Contrary to what is usually claimed It was difficult to identify the magnums and the 75-cl bottles in each of the series of wines served. I cannot be systematic about how either the magnums or the bottles tasted, except to say that many times the wines in bottles were more expansive on the palate and more enjoyable. This tasting yielded two facts and an intuition that needs further investigation. Paradoxically, they contradict usual claims: Firstly, wines in magnums do not automatically display better qualities, even after having been kept for 20 years! This challenges the ideas that the best way to keep a wine is in a magnum and that the real taste of a wine is to be found in a magnum and not a 75-cl bottle. Secondly, the difference is perceptible very early on. It is apparent in young vintages: in this tasting, in 2010 and 2009. I had already experienced this with Lagrange in 2007, but at the time the people in charge of the estate did not think that there could be such a difference in the way a wine as young as this would behave. The intuition concerns Pomerol and Saint-Emilion wines with large proportions of Merlot. In these wines, the magnums often seemed better to me than the bottles. Merlot being more sensitive to air, could it benefit more from being in a magnum than Cabernet Sauvignon? There are some exceptions that spring immediately to mind: in the Medoc, Pichon Lalande and Palmer for example contain a lot of Merlot, yet their 75-cl bottles receive better scores than their magnums. As is often the case with wine and Bordeaux wines in particular, we have more questions here than answers, but they at least form a setting for future developments. In passing, I would like to hail the wonderful behaviour of two very good wines at the moment. Batailley 2004 is an outstanding wine, which over the last few months has delighted me several times. And just as brilliant is Le Grand Puy Lacoste 1995 for the second time running. All these were purchased bottles of course! The bottles and magnums tasting was blind and in public. The wines were served in January 2015 in series of four as detailed below. Both magnums and bottles were decanted an hour to two hours ahead. The wines came from the cellar of a great Swiss connoisseur. I have not posted the “drink by” dates. They will be shown when the comments are entered into my website's database. Jean-Marc Quarin __________________________________________ 1st series Cos d'Estournel 2000 Magnum 15,75 // 89 Logo on the cork: FP Dark colour, standard intensity, slightly aged. Lovely fruity nose. Hints of reduction with a touch of coffee, smoke and Cabernet Sauvignon. Silky on the palate, very fruity, flavoursome, melting and enjoyable. Pretty, elegant wine, but lacking substance. Cos d'Estournel 2000 Bottle 16,75 // 93 Logo on the cork: FP Dark colour, standard intensity, slightly aged. Lovely nose, fruitier than in the magnum, looks younger and more reserved. Very fruity on the palate, more richly supple in the middle, has more texture, develops into a long flavoursome finish with a taste of coffee. It's very tasty. In conclusion, this wine has less on the nose than the magnum, but more on the palate. Léoville Las Cases 1999 Bottle 14,5 // 86 Logo on the cork: AL Dark colour, good intensity and slightly aged. Discrete on the nose. Hint of cherry. Lovely round, succulent attack, but it becomes a little dry on the finish. Seems like a bad bottle. Léoville Las Cases 1999 Magnum 15,75 // 89 Logo on the cork: FP Same colour. Discrete nose that is fruity and smooth. Big and mouth-filling on the palate, especially on the mid-palate, where it takes on volume. Long finish with noticeable wood. A touch of dryness. 2nd series Batailley 2004 Bottle 16,75 // 93 Logo on the cork: TS Dark colour, slightly aged, a little darker than the magnum. Average intensity, fruity and slightly woody on the nose. Soft and silky on the palate with taste in the middle, nice balance and sparkle in the fruit. Liquorice on the long finish. A touch of smoke as it lingers. This wine is longer and more balanced on the palate and less firm. Batailley 2004 Magnum 16 // 90 Logo on the cork: TS Dark colour, slightly aged, Elegant and fruity on the nose with a hint of vanilla. Fruity and flavoursome on the palate, a little bland in the middle, standard length and a little firm. Clos l'Eglise 2004 Magnum 16 // 90 Logo on the cork: AL Dark, aged Merlot-like colour. Resin and eucalyptus on the nose. Silky and tender on the palate with a taste of Merlot in the middle and ripe fruit. Slightly woody on the finish with a hint of resin. Medium length. Clos l'Eglise 2004 Bottle 15,5 // 88 Logo on the cork: AL Same colour. Fills the mouth more on the attack, very fruity, succulent, but becomes a little dry on the finish. Medium length. 3rd series Léoville Barton 2010 Bottle 16,75 // 93 Logo on the cork: JL Very young, lovely intense colour. Discrete yet elegant nose with ripe fruit. Silky, succulent and melting on the palate with taste and very appealing hints of cherry and vanilla. Long, flavoursome finish. It's very good, but still too young. Léoville Barton 2010 Magnum 16,25 // 91 Logo on the cork: JL Same colour. More open on the nose with lovely aromas of cherry and vanilla. Firmer and even more angular on the palate than in the 75-cl. The sensations are not distributed so well over the palate. Must be laid down. La Croix de Gay 2009 Bottle 15,5 // 88 Logo on the cork: AL Dark, aged colour of standard intensity. Lovely smoky, toasted nose with ripe, fresh fruit. Caressing and fruity on the palate with medium body, and softened, woody tannins on the finish. Not enough fruit on the mid-palate. La Croix de Gay 2009 Magnum 16,5 // 92 Logo on the cork: AL Strangely the colour is more aged. Same range of aromas as the 75-cl bottle plus a creamy hint. Immediately fills the mouth more, is more richly supple and fuller. It develops a hint of vanilla and takes on flavour, becoming richly supple and very long. It's very good and very young. 4th series Mouton Rothschild 1994 Magnum 15,5 // 88 Logo on the cork: M Dark colour of medium intensity that has aged. Toast aromas on the nose with a hint of lees. Tender and mellow on the palate with medium body and length, even though it is fragrant. Mouton Rothschild 1994 Bottle 16 // 90 Logo on the cork: a crown Dark colour of medium intensity that has aged. Fruity, toasted nose that is fresher. More fruit on the attack, more pulp on the mid-palate. Sensations better distributed over the palate. Softer tannins. The wine is more uniform overall. Angélus 1994 Magnum 16 // 90 Logo on the cork: no information Dark, aged colour of good intensity. Darker colour than in the 75-cl bottle. Moderately aromatic nose that is fruity, smoky and creamy. Succulent, fruity and flavoursome on the palate and well-built between mid-palate and finish. Lovely flavoursome length with hints of cedar and Cabernet Franc. No grainy tannins. Delicious! Angélus 1994 Bottle 15 // 87 Logo on the cork:JL Dark, aged colour of good intensity. Fruity nose that seems a little sharper without the soft, creamy touch. Tender and fruity on the palate, but plainer in the middle. The tannins grip a little on the finish. 5th series Haut Brion 1986 Magnum 14 // 85 Logo on the cork: TR Aged colour of medium intensity. Clearer than in the 75-cl bottle. Phenolic odours on the nose. Smooth and succulent on the palate at the start, which lingers, but the flavour of 4 ethylphenol and guaiacol, symptomatic of Brettanomyces is too strong. Haut Brion 1986 Bottle 15 // 87 Logo on the cork: TR Aged colour of medium intensity. Phenolic odours on the nose. Fresher, more flavoursome and more rounded, but stained by Brettanomyces. Pichon Comtesse 1988 Bottle 16,5 // 92 Logo on the cork: no information Lovely, bright and aged colour. Elegant, fruity nose. Hints of cedar. Touch of sharpness. Caressing attack with an elegant feel. It develops to become mouth-filling, succulent and even multilayered on the mid-palate. Very fine-grained finish. It's very good. Pichon Comtesse 1988 Magnum 16,25 // 91 Logo on the cork: no information Lovely, bright and aged colour. Multilayered, fruity nose that is animal and young. Caressing attack becoming very fruity, fresh and young. Slightly woody as it lingers. Medium length. 6th series Palmer 1995 Magnum 15,75 // 89 Logo on the cork: A in a circle Dark colour of medium intensity and slightly aged. Moderately aromatic, fruity and creamy on the nose with a touch of metal. Silky and flavoursome on the palate with a delicate feel and cedar flavours as it lingers. Medium body. Fine-grained. Palmer 1995 Bottle 16,25 // 91 Logo sur le bouchon: A in a circle Same colour. More aromatic, spicier, creamier and younger nose. Silky on the palate with greater presence on the attack and mid-palate. It develops to become rounder and more succulent. Lovely flavoursome length. Grand Puy Lacoste 1995 Magnum 16,75 // 93 Logo on the cork: an upside down T Lovely deep, intense colour, but more intensity in the magnum. Moderately aromatic, elegant and open on the nose with ripe fruit. Round, succulent, flavoursome and caressing on the palate. It develops to become smooth after the mid-palate, moving towards a very fruity finish that is slightly firm, but flavoursome. Gives the impression of being young. Grand Puy Lacoste 1995 Bottle 17,25 // 94 Logo on the cork: BLS Lovely deep colour, but less intense. Moderately aromatic nose. Hint of spice. Round on the attack, succulent on the mid-palate, young, it melts on the palate, it is richly supple, smooth and mellow, and long with hints of fruit and liquorice. Slightly austere as it lingers, but greater length than in the magnum. __________________________________________ This Chronicle has already been published in French and has solicited responses from professionals. Below is the very comprehensive reply from Christophe Capdeville, the winemaker at Brane Cantenac. I would like to thank him. Mr Capdeville mentions frequent mistakes that have been made when filling and corking magnums up to quite recently! “Bottling magnums requires special care. There are different types of magnum, whose necks vary significantly. The diameter of the cork is therefore key to ensure the best longevity for the wine. 24-mm diameter corks are usually used for 75-cl bottles, but for magnums, 26-mm diameter corks must be used. The photos show clearly that the magnum corks are not in such good condition as those from the bottles: more wine has penetrated in and around the corks and some of them could no longer ensure perfect air-tightness in their condition and would have let oxygen in. Furthermore, because a magnum contains more wine than a bottle, when being filled, more air will come into contact with the wine. This is why magnums should be treated with inert nitrogen before filling them with wine. We have used this technique since 2007 to preserve the aromas”. Corks from bottles vs. corks from magnums Corks from bottles From left to right: Léoville Barton 2010, La Croix de Gay 2009, Batailley 2004, Clos l'Eglise 2004, Cos d'Estournel 2000, Léoville Las Cases 1999, Grand Puy Lacoste 1995, Palmer 1995, Mouton Rothschild 1994, Angélus 1994, Pichon Lalande 1988, Haut Brion 1986 Corks from magnums From left to right: Haut Brion 1986, Pichon Lalande 1988, Angélus 1994, Mouton Rothschild 1994, Palmer 1995, Grand Puy Lacoste 1995, Cos d'Estournel 2000, Léoville Las Cases 1999, Batailley 2004, Clos L'Eglise 2004, La Croix de Gay 2009, Léoville Barton 2010 _________________________________________ @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.

2015 Chronicles

Chronicle 185: Bottles vs. magnums of Bordeaux from 2010 to 1986

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