Chronicle 192 - 193

Chronicles 192-193 (Monday, November 30, 2015) 2012: Barde Haut, Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse, Berliquet, Brane Cantenac, Canon, Clos Manou, Figeac, Grand Pontet, Larcis Ducasse, Montrose, Pavie Macquin, Petit Figeac, Smith Haut Lafitte Hermitage La Chapelle, Domaine Paul Jaboulet Ainé Bordeaux 2012 or 2011? From experience, the 2011's turn out be better on the left bank, especially in the Medoc while the right bank dominates the 2012's, especially Saint-Emilion. As soon as they were made, the 2012's were more tender and attractive, but sometimes lacked body. The 2011's troubled many tasters because of their less appealing nature and their density that was difficult to apprehend, yet they came from small yields. Today, the best 2011's are beginning to mellow. You can expect to hear more and more changes in what the professionals are saying about 2011. The 2012's described below were tasted on 15th October in Paris at my tasting club. They formed a selection of wines, whose qualities I had tested previously. My club members were tasting blind, not me. We arrived at the same conclusions. I would encourage you not to miss Canon, Larcis Ducasse or Smith Haut Lafitte, which came out best of the evening. Not to mention Barde Haut and Grand Pontet the two Outsiders. You will notice that overall, 2012 was often better undecanted than decanted, which will be the case until it closes up again in two or three years from now. 1st series Petit Figeac 2012 15,25 // 87 The first vintage of Château Figeac's new second wine is doing just fine! It stands out with its pure nose of ripe fruit, and is very enjoyable, fragrant and flavoursome with medium body and no tannic stiffness. Drink now and before 2025. Berliquet 2012 15,75 // 89 Dark and purple colour. Fairly fruity nose with a little wood. Very fruity, smooth, flavoursome and very enjoyable on the palate with standard body and length. Has taste. 2019 – 2032 Barde Haut 2012 16,5 // 92 The Outsider of this tasting. Indisputably a great achievement of the vintage. I have tasted it four or five times at this level. Dark and purple colour. Fruity, creamy and spicy on the nose. Fills the mouth on the attack, then soft, building to become succulent, flavoursome and big on the finish. Delicious and long. 2019 – 2040. 2nd series Pavie Macquin 2012 16 // 90 Dark ,bright colour. Fruity on the nose with truffles, but a hint of alcohol. On the palate it is like it often is: a little tender on one side and firm on the other, a reminder of its cold terroir. Larcis Ducasse 2012 17 // 94 This wine stood out already as a primeur; having tasted it from the bottle since the summer, I can report that it is still getting better. Very open, elegant and smooth with a hint of truffle on the especially enjoyable nose. Smooth attack, very refined mouthfeel and melting above all, which overwhelmingly positions the wine in the very top flight. It finishes long and very flavoursome with a subtle texture and complex aromas, still with its slightly southern allure. Superb appearance. Delicious overall. Well done! Too good not to be tasted, otherwise wait until 2020, but no later than 2040. 3rd series Grand Pontet 2012 16,5 // 92 This is the other Outsider of the tasting. Lovely deep, intense colour. Intense, pure, fruity and classy on the nose. Hints of violets and liquorice. Silky and succulent on the palate with a refined texture and particularly aromatic. It melts on the finish with a lovely fine grain. Very difficult to spit out. This tasting is completely in line with four others at the same level. 2020 – 2040. Figeac 2012 16,75 // 93 With this vintage, Figeac transitions clearly to something better with riper fruit, cleaner-cut tannic texture and just a hint of wood that sticks out a little. 2020 – 2045. Canon 2012 17 // 94 I have tasted this wine four times since the summer; it is brilliant and is the most unusual achievement in Saint-Emilion and even the whole right bank. I have thought for a long time that Canon could be mistaken for a Côtes de Nuits Burgundy. I have often suggested to its former Director that we should carry out a blind tasting to investigate this, but it has never happened. This 2012 has never been so Pinot-like. Dark, bright and purple colour. Very aromatic, elegant, subtle nose, which it would also be a challenge to taste in a dark glass to see if it could be taken for a dry white. Hints of raspberry, fern, Pinot and vanilla. Refined attack, rather like Château Margaux. Then it starts gently to press on the tongue. It stops growing and turns into nothing but aroma. It becomes flavoursome with elegant liquorice hints and moves to a long finish with a range of subtle feelings. It's like confectionary! Try it before time leaves its mark, otherwise wait until 2020 and no later than 2045. Here we have the expression of one of the greatest Saint-Emilion terroirs, which is beginning to emerge after hiding its light for at least fifteen years. Well done! The participants loved it. 4th series Brane Cantenac 2012 16 // 90 Dark purple colour. Elegant and fruity, but discrete on the nose. Soft, slender and very fruity on the palate with a hint of cold tea in the flavour. Standard body. It finishes with a hint of liquorice and fine-grained tannin. Apparently this bottle was not in as great shape as others. I'll taste it again. Montrose 2012 16,75 // 93 Very young, intense colour. Very aromatic, pure, creamy, deep nose. Lovely attack that is immediately refined. It starts to melt with a delicate texture and richly supple at the same time. Perfectly rounded tannins. Lovely length with hints of liquorice, ripe fruit and tar. An elegant, well-crafted wine. 2020 – 2045. Smith Haut Lafitte 2012 17 // 94 This is one of the best made vintages of the estate and one of the most subtle in the way it performs. This is the second time it stands out in my tastings. Intense nose of truffles and a hint of toast. After a superb, mouth-filling attack, it grows smooth, very fruity and flavoursome with a clear hint of truffle. Vigorous and slender, it has a long finish that melts nevertheless into a lovely balance of freshness, rich suppleness and density. A refined Smith Haut Lafitte. Well done! Taste now. Otherwise wait until 2020 and no later than 2040. 5th series Clos Manou 2012 15,75 // 89 Nose of ripe fruit and truffle. Delicate, very fruity, smooth and fragrant on the palate with taste, standard body and above all no tannic harshness. The last time I tasted it, it was more fully constituted. (16 // 90). 2018 – 2035. Beauséjour Duffau 2012 16,75 // 93 From a magnum. Dark ,bright colour, good intensity. Pretty nose of ripe fruit and deep. Elegantly soft and flavoursome on the palate with body and taste, but it fades a little on the finish. 2020 – 2035. ________________________________________ Hermitage La Chapelle Domaine Paul Jaboulet Ainé The beginnings of Domaines Paul Jaboulet Ainé date back to 1834, when Antoine Jaboulet founded the business in Tain-L'Hermitage. Ownership spanned six generations of the same family, then changed hands when the Frey family originally from Champagne, acquired it in January 2006, opting to keep the ancestral name. The Freys also own Château La Lagune in Haut Médoc. The Domaine's many properties in the appellations of Crozes Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages surround Hermitage La Chapelle, a veritable jewel. Out of the 136 hectares (336 acres) that make up this tiny appellation area, the Frey family owns 25 (62 acres), 21 for red wine and 4 of white. Owner Caroline Frey, who is a qualified oenologist and is in charge of the Domaines, is responsible for some major recent changes: the switch to organic cultivation as of 2008, profound rejuvenation of the vineyard, the hiring of Denis Dubourdieu as consultant, and the commissioning of a new gravity-fed winery in 2010. I remember visiting the estate in the early 2000's. I was flabbergasted. I couldn't equate the reputation of the place with what I had in my glass. I found many of the wines not very clean with rough, sharp tannins. Today, the bad times are over. Compared to the 80,000 bottles La Chapelle used to produce, it turns out an average of 30,000 today. 40,000 bottles are made of Petite Chapelle, the second wine. La Chapelle is essentially produced from fruit from the “Méal” terroir, of which the Domaines own 7 hectares (17 acres). The soil under the smooth pebbles contains more limestone than granite and the plot is south-facing. The wines labelled Petite Chapelle are probably from different terroirs. What sets them off from the main wine is their immediately appealing character. The 2012 slips down a treat! La Chapelle wasn't made in 2008. In view of the vintage as a whole and the excessively high rainfall in September 2008, the best is in the second wine. About the style of the wines In terms of aroma, there is a constant across vintages. It consists of violets, black cherry and embalming spices, which persist on the palate. Regarding body and texture, the style of the wine can change from vintage to vintage. Tight and slender like in 2012 and 2010 with a tendency towards positive austerity, which can soften over time, or rounder, more mouth-filling and more-ish like in 2006 and 2009. In the younger vintages, La Chapelle's tight-grained tannin produces an impression of restraint on the mid-palate as if it were straight. Paradoxically at the same time, the wine is smooth and vibrant, not in its body, but from its aromatic qualities. This combination of restraint in the body and hedonistic aromas stimulates complex sensations that I find in the greatest wines in the world, irrespective of their terroir, grape variety (in this case Shiraz) or weather. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2013 17,5 // 95 June 2015. Décanted. Full of colour with a subtle nose of hints of cedar, fruits and flowers. Slender on the palate with an elegant feel, very fruity and even fragrant between the middle and the finish. And yet it ends up with that positive austerity typical of great young wines. 100 % syrah. 2022-2045. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2012 18,5 // 97 June 2015. Decanted. Deep colour. Intense, elegant, fruity nose that is smooth and spicy. Immediately subtle on the palate, noble, melting, very aromatic, sappy on the finish and very savoury. A great fine wine. 100 % syrah. 2025-2050. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2012 18 // 96 March 2015. Decanted. Discrete nose but so smooth! A strange sensation of depth. Notes of cherry and violets. Tight on the attack, dense in the middle, then it fills the mouth with deep taste and builds and builds to a magnificent, lovely multi-layered finish. Tons of class and breeding. A great fine wine. 100 % syrah. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2011 16,75 // 93 March 2015. Decanted. Tender, very fruity and smooth on the palate with standard body. Good fragrant finish. 100 % syrah. 2020-2035. La Lagune 2010, Haut-Médoc 17 // 94 March 2015. Decanted. It isn't easy to pick out La Lagune in the middle of a La Chapelle vertical. I've already said that I consider 2010 to be the greatest vintage in the last thirty years. Ripe fruit and creamy on the nose. Very well made on the palate, sappy straightaway, then very aromatic, succulent with a burst of vibrancy in the middle. Very classy tannins. Very long with an elegant hint of liquorice. Superb! A blend of: 50 % cabernet sauvignon, 40 % merlot, 10 % petit verdot. 2022-2060. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2009 17 // 94 March 2015. Decanted. Aromatic nose of ripe fruit. Touch of cocoa. Round on the palate, succulent and very flavoursome on the mid-palate, which is rich and supple. This intensity drops off a little on the finish. Tannins a tad noticeable. Good flavoursome length. 100 % syrah. 2020-2040. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2007 18 // 96 March 2015. Decanted. Pure, spicy, classy nose. Hint of lavender. Rich and supple on the palate, round, mouth-filling and big in the middle with lots of taste, hints of black fruit, ink, liquorice and violet. It's melting, long and superb. A great fine wine. 100 % syrah. Drink now and up to 2035. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2006 17,5 // 95 March 2015. Decanted. Deep and fragrant nose of ripe fruit. A meaty hint. A note of ink. Fills the mouth on the attack, it slides to the middle, rich and big. On the finish it melts with a touch of liquorice, then lasts very long with slightly perceptible tannin. It's very tasty. 100 % syrah. Drink now and up to 2035. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2004 16,75 // 93 March 2015. Decanted. Dark colour, slightly aged. Fruit, cocoa, vanilla and meaty on the nose, not as pure as the vintages that follow it. Delicious on the palate with a silky texture like a dry white wine. Long, enjoyable finish, but quite deep too. Drink now and before 2035. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 2001 16 // 90 March 2015. Decanted. Dark colour, slightly aged. Richly supple on the palate with a feel reminiscent of a dry white. However, the finish ends up a tad dry. Average length. Drink now and before 2025. La Chapelle, Hermitage, 1983 15 // 87 March 2015. Decanted. Slightly fungal on the nose. Tender, fruity and flavoursome on the palate, but a little dry on the finish. Medium length. I wanted to see how the magnum compared, but it was corked! Should have been drunk. ________________________________________ Petite Chapelle, Hermitage, 2012 16,5 // 92 March 2015. Decanted. A delicious wine, which displays surprising complexity on its elegant nose with hints of violets, black cherry and spice. The same aromas are echoed on the palate. Subtly woven tannic structure in the body with a touch of liquorice on the finish. 2018-2035. Petite Chapelle, Hermitage, 2008 15,75 // 89 March 2015. Decanted. Dark colour of medium intensity. Fruity, smooth nose. Pleasant and fragrant on the palate with no sharpness, just a little fluid. 30 cm of rain fell a few days before the harvest. Drink now and before 2022. ________________________________________ La Croix des Vignes Saint Joseph rouge 2013 16,25 // 91 June 2015. Decanted. Plenty of colour with ripe fruit and elegantly creamy on the nose; ethereal and very fragrant on the palate with a long, very fruity, flavoursome finish. 100 % syrah. 2019-2030 La Croix des Vignes Saint Joseph rouge 2012 16,25 // 91 Decanted. A delightful hint of violet and lovely ripe fruit on the nose. Smooth and especially flavoursome on the palate, it slides with floral and fruit flavours and sophisticated texture. Very good length. 100 % syrah. 2017-2030. I tasted this three times in 2015 and scored it 16 (90), 16.25 (91) and 16.75 (93). ________________________________________ Domaine de Thalabert , Crozes Hermitage, 2012 15 // 87 June 2015. Decanted. Fruit and pepper on the nose. Graceful and flavoursome on the palate with medium body and length. 100 % syrah. 2016-2025. Domaine de Thalabert , Crozes Hermitage, 2010 15,75 // 89 June 2015. Decanted. Fruit and white pepper on the nose. Melted, very enjoyable, and flavoursome on the palate with fruit, flowers and slight pepper. 100 % syrah. Drink now and before 2025. ________________________________________ White wines Le Chevalier de Stérimberg, Hermitage, 2011 15 // 87 March 2015 Pale yellow colour. Fruit, sweet almond and cocoa on the nose. Fruity, tender and flavoursome on the palate, which is immediately enjoyable. A hint of bitterness on the finish. A blend of: 70 % Marsanne and 30 % Roussanne. Drink now and before 2020. Domaine des Grands Amandiers, Condrieu, 2011 17 // 94 March 2015 Pale yellow colour. Fruity, subtle nose. Hints of apricot, vanilla and white pepper. It fills the mouth and is rich and supple, melting, flavoursome and multi-layered on the finish. Long and sappy as it lingers. Enjoy it now and as an aperitif. 100% viognier. Drink now and before 2020. ________________________________________________________________ @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 192 - 193

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