Parker’s stronghold in Bordeaux continues to be witnessed in many ways. Most of his favorite Bordeaux have gradually raised their prices and we continue to see new faces emerging (especially from the right bank) to exploit this highly lucrative market. As the market matures with consumer becoming more sophisticated, I foresee that in time to come, many of these overhyped, so-called emerging stars with no track records yet dare to charge an arm and a leg for their ‘sensational’ wines will eventually go down in history. The fact is that these cosmetically enhanced wines, like their counterparts in Spain and Australia, will eventually disappoint its customers when they are aged. Many simply do not have the terroir!
I have already observed that for a time, a number of famous classified growths such as Haut-Brion, Lafite once subscribed to the Parker style and tried to produce garagiste-style of wine in the mid and late 90s. Interestingly all have now quietly shifted back once more to the more classical, elegant, and discreet style which emphasizes the exclusive balance and individuality that the true wines of Bordeaux are well known for. The following is an enlightening statement from Pichon-Lalande’s technical director, Thomas Do Chi Nam on “finesse” (as in the opposite of power) –
“The finesse of a wine is that characteristic which provokes the awakening of the senses and the intellect and allows us to perceive its underlying qualities. That which is fine is neither massive nor crude. That which is crude can be beautiful in its simplicity, in its natural state. But finesse, refinement supplement raw beauty.”
St.-Julien
Château Lagrange, 3rd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Marcel Ducasse is perhaps the most honest and frank Bordelais I’ve ever met. He began our conversation by telling me, “don’t listen to whatever they tell you out there. Most winemakers are the biggest liars… I like 2005, which to me is a super version of 2002. Both have the similar hallmark of silkiness.” Equally trained by the great master, Émile Peynaud, there are, however, no Michel Rolland thumbprints of sur-maturité nor a brutally rich and over-enthusiasm over new oak. What Ducasse strives to achieve is balance and finesse. In 2005, 43% of the crop made it to the grand vin. He picked his Merlot on September 21, after, Petit Verdot in September 30 and Cabernet Sauvignon in 3rd of October. All harvests completed by October 10. He confided to me that the Merlot grapes were unusually high in alcohol (14.5%) and therefore required Cabernet Sauvignon to restore the balance. His 2005 is almost candied sweet on the nose, featuring dark berries in a rich yet luminousness palate. Considered quite massive for Lagrange, yet the cool palate feel and hidden acidity keep the wine well focused and balanced.
Over our meeting, Ducasse suggested that we taste through the previous vintages. Only 38% of the crop makes it to the grand vin for 2004. More integrated, less awkward and tannic compared to the previous year yet not nearly as rich and ripe as 2005. A very delicate and charming wine, with excellent acidity that displayed more details and obvious structure than 2005. Waft of vanilla wood, 2003 showed more obvious wood-infused element. Very ripe, with lush palate and a trace of dehydrate sweetness. Less sappiness than early examples and came across more alcoholic in the hot finish.
Château Beychevelle, 4th Growth of St.-Julien Good
A tighter and more structured effort lends this wine with somewhat more elegance than the typical 2005. Dark fruits yet well-lifted palate featured more firmness in addition to the telltale 2005’s ripe fruits and silky palate. The fruits were very persistent in a rather atypically textured palate. A strong show from this Château.
Château Gruaud-Larose, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
This is one of those wines that require the drinker to come to them. Earth, cedar, smoke were some typical featured from this extremely ageworthy producer. I had the rare privilege to taste their legendary 1945 and 1961, which were not only very much alive, but also extremely youthful and fresh. This vin de garde often requires a good 15-20 years before unveiling its qualities. Their 1986 remained to be backward and formidable per my last tasting experience. The 2005 has an attractive aromatic show featuring cedar, leather and blackberries. Unusually textured and polished in a silky yet precise palate, the well-spined acidity upholds the wine that almost feels weightless despite the wealth of ripe fruits.
Château Langoa-Barton, 3rd Growth of St.-Julien Good
Owned also by Anthony Barton of Léoville-Barton. Dense and extracted with huge tannin in a spicy oak tone. At present, the fruit is not particular shown through under the influenced of tannin, however, it is balance and fresh. A strong showing for a wine generally do not attempt to such level of quality.
Château Léoville-Barton, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Léoville-Barton has been on a role since the 2000 vintage. The 2005 is no exception. More opaque in color with vibrant freshness. Very fine palate yet in a very discreet frame. St.-Julien signature of minerals and pronounced dark fruits which persist throughout the palate. Quite massive and youthfully restrained in the moment. There was a level of energy in this wine not found in the Langoa.
Château Léoville-Poyferré, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Believe it or not, I actually think that the Léoville-Poyferre has outperformed Léoville-Barton this year. It is one of their best efforts I have seen to date from this house since the superb 1990. Equally dense in color (like Barton), but with rather shy nose. On the palate, it turned more profound, with very attractive sweet blackberries as well as traces of cedar and leather. A rare show of concentration and multi-layeredness yet the freshness and acidity were equally sound. There is a good level of purity and minerals hidden in this massive effort.
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Compared to 2003 vintage, the 2005 is less flamboyant. It seems that Bruno-Eugène has taken over successfully from his highly respected father, the late Jean Eugène Borie. This estate is always known for its elegance and refinement. It emphasizes finesse over power, elegance over sheer richness. Balance and grace are what made this property famous. I somehow dislike their 2003, which was atypically powerful and rich, and elegance and balance were compromised. I was happy to see the return to the classical form in 2005, which features brighter fruits, better acid spine and the telltale mineral quality. In spite of the vintage’s richness, the wine was precise and displayed good energy on the palate. After some aeration, the wine shut down quickly and turned more compact, all in all a good sign of long cellaring potentials.
Margaux
Château Margaux, 1st Growth of Margaux Excellent
Administrator of Château Margaux Paul Pontallier considered this to be his finest vintage in his 23-year career in this impeccably run estate. He told me that he had never seen a vintage quite like this. The drought occurred in winter, through spring and summer. However, in spite of the hot and dry growing conditions, there was no scorching heat like in 2003, which threatened to block maturity in the vines. The well-established root system had enabled the vines to adapt to such dry weather. In September, the anticyclone condition which offered cool nights and dry, sunny days had proven to be beneficial and was largely responsible the characteristic of this vintage. “2005 combines power and grace. It has the depth, voluptuous palate, yet, it is equally fresh and harmonious,” said Pontallier. Unlike some of his neighbors, who spoke highly about their Merlot, Pontallier instead credited his Cabernet Sauvignon to keep the balance of his 2005. “There is no doubt that Merlot has reached an unusual height this year (14.5% and above), with great color and power. However, we felt that there was too much alcohol, too heavy, not enough balance and finesse or freshness. Cabernet on the other hand, gives the density and restraint that compliment the more opulent, fleshy character of Merlot… Most of the Merlot batch went into Pavillon Rouge, which includes the plot of Merlot next to the church on gravel soil, which in our opinion, is better balanced and less freakish,” added Pontallier. Later on I tasted Château Margaux’s 2005 Pavillon Rouge, which was an amazing effort. Dense and sexily sweet, with the vintage hallmark of silkiness, yet pure and well harmonized. This is however a bigger-than-normal Pavillon Rouge. Massive! 2005 Margaux is a masterpiece. Early smoked new-wood quality in a relatively closed mood. On the palate, it was subtler than the Pavillon Rouge, and offered dark berries fruit with old vine minerality. Very fine and suave, with more depth and core than the Pavillon. The palate was also broader, with well-spine acidity, creating a rare sensation of great density yet replete with finesse and details. A thrilling juice that kept me going back to my glass.
I have also tasted a wonderful bottle of 1985 Château Margaux with Paul Pontallier and owner, Corinne Mentzelopoulos, over dinner at the beautiful Château. This possessed classic Margaux profoundness, aged complexity as well as sweetness of depth (not sweetness from modern sweet oak). It was both charming and beautifully balanced. There was no sign of deterioration either and in fact, according to Pontallier, this came from a harvest of 60 hectoliters per hectare, which is considered prolific by today’s standard (most serious Chateaus are making between 40-45 hl/ha). Pontallier was pleased by the result and was bewildered that modern Bordelais (and the world of wine in general) are so enamored by smaller, limited yields. This vintage, however, has proven that higher yield can equally produce good results. “Have we all gone too far?” he questioned. He later explained that, the balance in the vineyard is essential to produce consistent healthier, more complete grapes. Do anything excessive and you’ll lose the balance and whatever you add or remove, there would be a chain effect. This theory interestingly echoes what Jean-Marc Roulot told me about preservation of terroir in wines, “To preserve terroir in wine is to avoid excessive practices.”
Château Palmer, 3rd Growth of Margaux Good
Last year, I was highly impressed by 2004 Palmer. And so I entered Palmer’s tasting room with high anticipation. Château Palmer’s new Technical Director, Thomas Duroux was present to receive us. I have previously said that I admired what Duroux had done at Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in Bolgheri. Frankly I came with high expectations for the 2005 Palmer but went away somewhat disappointed. Clearly this estate favors Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon and there is undeniable upfront attractiveness to its seamless and flamboyant flavors of kirsch, cassis, and liqueur-like fruits. However, I felt that this wine carried the same upfront character of some garagiste with creamy, wood-infused elements. It also came across as lacking focus and precision in its rather fleshy palate form. There was simply not enough spine and acidity. The rather polished and ripe tannin don’t seem to support the overwhelmingly lush palate.
Interestingly, I somehow preferred his second wine, Alter Ego, as I found them to be less extreme, showing better purity and balance in a similar lush, velvety palate. Rated Tanzer’s 89-90
Château d’Issan, 3rd Growth of Margaux Very Good
Having previously hosted a vertical tasting for this Chateau, 2005 is clearly the finest wine I have tasted from this beautiful estate. Current owner Emmanuel Cruse was in his usual cheerful self when we arrived at his tasting room. The wine offered hints of earth and leather on the nose. Very precise palate despite the vintage’s lush personality. Very silky with plenty of sweet, ripe blackberries and raspberries, yet the wine came across pure and well delineated. Jacques Boissenot, the previous partner of Émile Peynaud and consultant oenologist for Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and Cos is also the adviser here.
Château Rauzan Ségla, 2nd Growth of Margaux Excellent
Without hesitation, this is clearly the finest effort under Chanel’s empire. Opaque dark in color, with an attractive perfume of cabernet essence of blackcurrant, mint and cedar’s spice. Satin-smooth mouth coating palate conjured immense pleasure and a rich sensation. This vintage is unusually huge for Rauzan Ségla, but the underlying acidity kept both the purity and mineral components. The persistence of flavor of this wine was remarkable. This is another estate who did not credit their “outsized” Merlot, and they declassified the entire lot which was planted in gravel soil. Only Merlot planted in clay soil were added and since the yield was extremely low (39 hl/ha), more press wine and new wood were utilized to uphold density.
Château Malescot St.-Exupéry, 3rd Growth of Margaux Very Good
This is an immensely pleasurable juice with an irresistible candied blackcurrant fruit profile. Hugely concentrated and voluptuously sexy. In spite of the impressive voluminous frame, the wine remained focused and possessed notable minerality and elegance. Produced from a very low yield of 36 hectoliter per hectare with no pressed wine added and aged entirely in new oak.
Château Monbrison, Cru Bourgeois of Margaux Good
A different expression from this vintage, however, I am still impressed by this cru Bourgeois. Less saturated color with a solid core and a more obvious structured frame. Good level of richness and ripeness without compromising the fruit purity. Finished with a sound grip.
Château Lascombes, 2nd Growth of Margaux Good
This property has recently been acquired by the American company, Colony Capital, and has brought in Dr. Alain Raynaud and Michel Rolland to raise the quality. Although this was made in a modern mood with some traceable garagiste’s effect, still, based on the reasonable prices asked last year, this is nonetheless a delicious juice to enjoy in the near term. Profoundly sweet nose with equally generous palate that was soft and lush. Wood-infused blackberries fruit. Very huge and sexy, with reasonable acid/tannin to hold its weight. However, I will not be too cute and hold this wine for too long.
Graves
Château Haut-Brion, 1st Growth of Pessac-Léognan Excellent
We were all surprised and greatly honored to be personally welcomed by the owner, Prince Robert de Luxembourg. Sales and Technical Director, Jean-Philippe Delmas claimed that the year 2005 resembled the weather in 1949 as it produced smaller, concentrated berries under heat and drought condition. They have worked hard in the vineyard to thin the leaf and conducted green harvest to reduce the load and stress of the vine. The resulting wine, according to Delmas, has unusually combined concentration and richness in a solidly built structure. To me 2005 Haut-Brion displayed the hallmark of earth and cigar-box made famous by this property. Dense yet possessed solid core as well as structure. The blackberries intertwined with minerals persisted throughout the palate, with a massive yet not fully expressed, slightly restrained personality. This broad and extremely promising effort has magically combined power and grace. The icy-cool freshness found in the better wines of this vintage gave a weightless feel to this beautifully concentrated Haut-Brion.
Château La Mission-Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan Excellent
Equally dense in color with more mint and notes of blackcurrant that actually reminded me of Harlan Estate 2001. Layered, satin-smooth, with brighter, tangier berries on the palate. But the most admirable feature of this beauty is its impeccable balance – of fruit sweetness, acid and tannin. The harmony is so remarkable that one would hardly be able to notice its weight: nothing is excessive and no element of the wine was more pronounced than another. The wine also possessed similar lift of freshness like the many better achievers of this very sound vintage.
Château Tour-Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan Good
I am a big fan of this wine which when it was under the leadership of the former owner, Woltner family, was perfectly capable of challenging the very best wines made in Pessac-Léognan (anyone who has tasted their 1975, ’78, ’82 would attest to that). I am not sure if it was intentional or mere poor coincidence but this wine under the new ownership rarely (if ever) replays its past glory and is now the least achieved amongst the ‘Haut-Brion’s. The wine has neither the scale and depth of Haut-Brion’s nor the charm and elegance of La Mission’s. The 2005 is relatively a better show than the previous vintages however. At once more subtle yet obviously tannic, with restrained palate of berries-scented fruit that showed off well buffered acidity. Not particular sweet, yet it still had a good mineral quality and details.
Château Pape-Clément, Pessac-Léognan Good
Someone told me that the famous French actor Gérard Depardieu was in the tasting room just prior to our arrival at this historically significant estate. Apparently the highly prolific proprietor Bernard Magrez has partnered with Depardieu in several wine projects in Bordeaux (St.-Émilion, Prémier Côte), Languedoc, and in Spain (Toro), hiring the famous globetrotting enologist Michel Rolland to oversee those projects. In the tasting room, there must be more than 40 different wines ranging from Bordeaux, to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, California and even Morocco! A magnificent display of international wine fair. And the wines? Obviously very international in style. However, the better terroir do thrive under Rolland’s hands and Pape-Clément is one of these few. Sexily sweet with confectionery elements clearly derived from oak. Seamless, pliant palate, with garagiste’s licorice and dark-berries fruit. Very deliciously sweet which is largely attributed to the toasty new wood, if not otherwise from dehydrated sweetness.
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Graves Very Good
Daniel and Florence Cathiard have transformed this estate to become one of the leading producers of Graves. It is also worth mentioning that the World-class spa, Les Sources de Caudalie (I was told that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is one of their regular patrons), which offers luxury hotel accommodation and Michelin-star restaurant, La Grand Vigne, managed by Cathiard’s daughter, Alice, sits just next to the Château. Together with Lynch-Bages’ Cordeillan-Bages, these are two of my favorite restaurants in this wine region.
2005 Smith Haut-Lafitte was produced from a small crop of 35 hectoliter per hectare. Graves-like nose of mineral and earth with compelling sweetness and richness supported by equally sound structure and acid core. Overall it was less velvety than many 2005s with a tighter, better built framework.
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan Good
The arrival of Stephane Derenoncourt has clearly introduced more roundness, polish, and textured palate to this typically elegant, firm, tighter-core wine. Micro-bullage? The wine however managed to retain its usual fragrance of mint and cedar. The fruit has moved toward darker berries with layered, obviously concentrated and opulent palate. It had a good purity of fruit, yet somehow the usual mineral and energy seemed to be missing…?
Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan Very Good
Quite frankly I hardly knew this wine until this tasting. However I was very impressed and immediately drawn by this beauty. Little did I realize that I had actually met Véronique Sanders (currently the General Manager of the estate, daughter of late Jean Sanders and the former owner of Haut-Bailly) in Singapore before. This estate was acquired by an American banker, Robert G Wilmers in 1998 and with a renewed commitment to quality under the new owner, major revamp has been carried out in both the vineyard and cuverie. The former oenologist of Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Gabriel Vialard was put in charge of the winemaking. Vialard quoted Emile Peynaud’s definition, “An exceptional vintage is one obtained in unusual climatic conditions…” to sum up his view on 2005 vintage. Impressive deep color with an equally potent palate. The wine was however very firmly built with a tight core and excellent purity in addition to its blackberries and mineral quality. Very structured and the latent yet assertive acidity kept the wine well delineated. Surprisingly focused in spite of the sheer concentration and an admirable sense of elegance. My personal discovery of this trip. Impressive.
St-Emilion
First of all, I must admit that I did not taste enough “classical” 2005 Saint Emilions to be affirmative in my views on this region. I have however tasted numerous garagiste in both Bernard Magrez’s selection display at Pape Clément and Stéphane Dérénoncourt’s selection at Château La Couspade (if I remember the place correctly). As I have stated earlier on, in general these “modernists” do not capture much of my attention as I find them to carry very little trace of their geographical character having undergone those garagiste treatments. I am also disagreeable with those who associate these modern techniques with Burgundy, or elévage bourguignon as frequently quoted by Parker.
If you could recall the early assessment made by Parker on Burgundy (a region today he no longer reviews and had since been passed on to his partner, Pierre Rovani) you will soon notice one interesting contradiction. At one point in time Parker used to view the Lebanese-born, Burgundy-based oenologist, Guy Accad’s famous method of pre-fermentation or cold maceration as a highly controversial practice during the mid 80s. The technique involves pre-soaking the juice with the skin under the heavy dosage of sulfur to suppress the start of fermentation. Because all the color pigments such as Anthocyans (the other two compounds of polyphenols are phenol and tannin) are found in the grape skins, by prolonging (4-5 days) of such cold soak, it will extract maximum color, tannin and structure. Such “New Wave”, phenomenally dark Burgundy was previously criticized as atypical Burgundy and was considered to mask the terroir – the most important feature many Burgundians jealously try to guard in their wines. Today, Parker has lauded – through his approval of these garagistes houses – the process of cold maceration along with collectively what he referred to as elévage bourguignon, for example, open-top fermentation, punching of the cap (pigeage, which are more labor intensive and more commonly carry out in Burgundy), malolactic-in-barrel - MLF (new barrel), aging on its lees and bâtonnage (lees stirring)… These are all very fashionable garagiste techniques.
I have found these “oxidative handling” aimed at making more extracted, early-accessible, confiture modern Bordeaux are in fact contrarian to what is currently being practiced in the Burgundy wine scene. All the top-notch Burgundy producers are now working toward better preservation of acidity and vibrant flavors that show-off better terroir as opposed to hyper-ripeness, extract, alcohol and oak. The historical négociant film, Bouchard Père & Fils in the recent interview by Allen Meadows of Burghound had said that they emphasize acidity over high ripeness. “The current notion of “ripeness is everything”, that all great wines must come from vintages with very high levels of ripeness, whether it be sugar (alcohol levels) or phenolics… but Bouchard chooses not to pick on ripeness but rather acidity and has always done so”, said Bernard Hervet, CEO of Bouchard. He continued to say that is not to suggest that phenolic ripeness is ignored, but rather because Bouchard is making traditional wine, and do not entirely de-stem and do not practice cold soak, their favor for ample acidity can frequently make the wine to come across structured and austere in their youth. Yet given enough time in the bottle they would all turn out gloriously. Possibly the most gifted négociant winemaker, Jacques Lardière of Maison Louis Jadot, has long been practicing “blocked” malolactic to preserve the natural malic acidity. He also uses less new oak for his better cuvée and tends to increases the new wood treatment for lesser vintages. He feels that the additional source of tannin and natural aeration provided by new wood only benefit lesser raw materials. Michel Lafarge along with Frédéric Mugnier both share the same thought that new wood spice only interferes with clear expression of the underlying terroir. They use either no new woods or keep it as low as 20%.
Another key feature of garagiste technique is malolactic fermentation in new barrel whereas traditionally Bordelais conduct their malolactic in stainless steel tank. The recent move of doing malolactic in small oak barrels has created a different, new-style Bordeaux. Parker claims that it was a technique inspired from Burgundy, a region who has traditionally employed this technique for decades. However, Mel Knox, a famous barrel broker and all-around oak guru told International Wine Cellar that this technique was in fact started first by a Californian vintner called John Hawley in the mid 80s while he was experimenting Cabernet Sauvignon with MLF in small new barrels. Some five or six years later, Bordelais decided to follow suit. Mel Knox in his interview also agrees that although the technique does help to integrate the wood and the fruit better, it is however undeniable that it does promote loss of typicité that claret has long been famous for. “It is entirely possible that the new style of wine is what today’s market is looking for,” added Knox. In Burgundy it is rare that MLF is carried out in “new” small barrels. It is often done with the presence of their fine lees for better preservation of acidity. These “Zinfandel” like garagistes, on the other hand, has almost nothing to buffer itself from such a treatment. Dick Ward of Saintsbury once said, “Alcohol and tannins are oppositely charged. It you put clean wine into the barrel, the wine and the wood want to get together right away, and sometimes the oak flavors seem painted on.” So, the more buffering you have in there, the better the chance the wine is likely to ‘survive’.
In Burgundy bâtonnage (lees stirring) is not common for their reds and it is mostly practiced on their whites to enhance the richness and flavors. However, a growing number of leading winemaker like Henri Boillot has stopped doing bâtonnage in fear of losing freshness and acidity in his wine. “Some people don’t realize that by stirring the lees, you introduces oxygen and allows the CO2 to escape, both of which contribute to premature aging and loss of freshness”, said Boillot. This thought was echoed by those who practice CO2 preservation during the élevage, in which they perform no racking and adding no sulfur. Jean-Marie Fourrier, the famous student of the great Burgundy master Henri Jayer said, “CO2 is a natural antioxidant. I prefer to work with CO2 than SO2 during vinification.” Same was told by the famous Meursault producer, Arnaud Ente. Both men also shun the use of micro-bullage, viewed as a means to introduce oxygen into the wine at a far too early stage and are convinced this will in fact do more harm to the wine instead of improving it.
Other than Guy Accad who was the only known ‘consultant’ in Burgundy in the mid-80s, Claude Bourguignon is the only existing “vineyard” consultant in Burgundy. There were no other flying wine consultants in Burgundy and neither Parker’s nor Wine Spectator’s commentaries should be food for thoughts in this region.
Château Cheval Blanc, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Excellent
Without a doubt, this property made the best wine of 2005 in St.-Emilion. Seductive and profound aromas filled with plenty of black fruit and black raspberries. Very distinct mineral presence and an equally sound structure and underlying acidity. Textured and smooth yet harmonious on the palate, with telltale vintage hallmark of density combined well pitch palate that offers good flavor delineation, vibrancy and wonderful sappiness. This estate chose not to pick Merlot too late to avoid losing its freshness. They said that late picked Merlot would have been monolithic and there was a general tendency in St. Emilion to go for maximum flavor. In Cheval Blanc, over-extraction is not what they are after, but rather fruitiness, freshness, fleshiness and overall balance, said oenologist Olivier Berrouet.
Château Ausone, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Very Good
In Ausone, we were welcomed by proprietor Alain Vauthier. After the departure of their long-time winemaker Pascal Delbeck (currently making wine at Château Belair, which is owned by Madame Jean Dublis-Challon, former co-owner of Ausone), Vauthier has engaged the service of Michel Rolland. It is obvious that the former formidable, tannic, long aging style fashioned by Dublis-Challon/Delbeck has given way to a more forward, wood-infused style in the hand of Vauthier/Rolland. Over the course of tasting, I have also tasted Vauthier/Rolland wines such as Simard, Fonbel, Moulin St.-George which I found to be monotonous and share much in common with the garagistes. Those wines could be easily summed up as follows: concoction of creamy wood (espresso, mocha, pain grille, graphite) intertwined with liqueur (crème de cassis, kirsch, blueberry liqueur) in a forcefully intense (almost painfully intense), seamless palate, with no noticeable presence of acids and sweet tannin. Ausone (fortunately) on the other hand showed better pitch and fruit purity in a seamless, well depth palate. It also has better underlying acidity and a persistent palate.
Château Angélus, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Very Good
Very profound, voluptuously rich Angélus. Plenty of sweet berries element, very generous, silky and lush. It has an equally sound mineral quality as well as excellent purity. This seamless effort is hard to resist, although personally I was hoping to see better core structure and details.
Château Canon-La-Gaffelière, Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Very Good
The bottle I had at the estate and at the UGC tasting were quite different. Somehow the bottle I had with Comte Stephan Neipperg was tighter, with more solid core and buffered with sound acidity. The sample in UGS was however more opulently sexy displaying lovely black berries in a ripe, smooth, and a slightly more massive frame than normal in the context of Canon-la-Gaffelière.
Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Good
A more restrained example that does not typify this vintage. Dense, featuring some leather and black fruits on the nose. Focused palate of great elegance and purity. However, at this stage, the tannins came across youthfully tough.
Château La Mondotte, (not classified) Good
This Le Pin wannabe clearly possessed a similar quality of exotic fruits and seductiveness. Very ripe, more confiture-like fruit with dark raspberries, cassis and malolactic-in-small-barrel-like features of sweet, creamy wood, chocolate and graphite. Sweet and multilayered in a seamless, almost chewy texture. Comte de Neipperg was celebrating his tenth anniversary for this tiny property located at St.-Laurent des Combes, a late-ripening plateau east of Troplong-Mondot and west of Tertre-Roteboeuf. The owner is confident that this wine will eventually be elevated to the same status as Château Le Pin (that is, no longer just a garagiste), once it proves its ageability. He has patiently set aside every vintage of La Mondotte and is just waiting for the right time to demonstrate its true potentials to the world. Let’s wait and see.
Pomerol
Though much American press has raved about the high quality in the right bank, I remain somewhat skeptical. The drought growing condition of 2005 has produced many freakish Merlots of unusual power and extremely high alcohol (ranging from 14-15%). Because the Merlot-dominated right bank produced a very small crop in this vintage (Merlot yield was reduced due to coulure, or poor fruit-set, and millerandage, or uneven berry-size) the grapes were further aggravated by hydration-stress coupled with acidity dropping, and hence mounting levels of pH. Since Merlot has a relatively narrow window of ideal ripeness before losing their aromatic freshness and balance, picking at the right moment was crucial. Christian Moueix of Pétrus was among the few who chose to pick early to avoid high alcohol and loss of freshness. Moueix, in the interview by Tanzer had said that when he started picking in Pétrus on 7th September, his neighbors began to panic and later criticized him to have picked too early and therefore failed to capitalize on the superb weather condition in September. However, Moueix felt he had made the right decision as all of his fruits were perfectly ripe with “normal” alcohol levels of 13.2-14%. No sign of surmaturité and heaviness was found in his wine compare to some of his neighbors.
I have tasted numerous juicy and early accessible St.-Emilion and Pomerol. I am however disappointed to have found only a few with inner-mouth energy, firmness and structure to be long lived. Perhaps it is still in an awkward stage of development just as how Alexandre Thienpont had described it, “…exuberant but a bit mono-dimensional today.”
Vieux-Château-Certan Very Good
I am not sure if Alexandre Thienpont was too tired out by the number of visitors he received this week or was he genuinely less excited about the quality of his 2005 compared to the 2004. He did not speak with the same enthusiasm and confidence about his 2005 compared with our meeting last year. He told me, “…this is the year for Merlot, we increased the blend to 80% (usually 60% in this estate) and is very Pomerol.” In my last report on 2004 Vieux-Château-Certan, I had shared that this estate has always prided itself of its unusually high component of Cabernet Franc in their blend, which tends to give a more substantial middle-palate than most Merlot-dominated Pomerols. The 2005 is a sexy, suave effort. It featured aroma of dark berries with waves of pepper-spice and new wood toastiness. Although the Cabernet Franc is less successful in this vintage, you can still trace the blueberry, lavender elements. Edge-free, very silky in stylish, exclusive balance palate. I found this an edge less superior than the 2004 which offers more structure, better outlined acidity, vibrancy and energy. It also lacks the mid-core so uniquely found in this property.
Château Le Pin Excellent
I have already observed that for a time, a number of famous classified growths such as Haut-Brion, Lafite once subscribed to the Parker style and tried to produce garagiste-style of wine in the mid and late 90s. Interestingly all have now quietly shifted back once more to the more classical, elegant, and discreet style which emphasizes the exclusive balance and individuality that the true wines of Bordeaux are well known for. The following is an enlightening statement from Pichon-Lalande’s technical director, Thomas Do Chi Nam on “finesse” (as in the opposite of power) –
“The finesse of a wine is that characteristic which provokes the awakening of the senses and the intellect and allows us to perceive its underlying qualities. That which is fine is neither massive nor crude. That which is crude can be beautiful in its simplicity, in its natural state. But finesse, refinement supplement raw beauty.”
St.-Julien
Château Lagrange, 3rd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Marcel Ducasse is perhaps the most honest and frank Bordelais I’ve ever met. He began our conversation by telling me, “don’t listen to whatever they tell you out there. Most winemakers are the biggest liars… I like 2005, which to me is a super version of 2002. Both have the similar hallmark of silkiness.” Equally trained by the great master, Émile Peynaud, there are, however, no Michel Rolland thumbprints of sur-maturité nor a brutally rich and over-enthusiasm over new oak. What Ducasse strives to achieve is balance and finesse. In 2005, 43% of the crop made it to the grand vin. He picked his Merlot on September 21, after, Petit Verdot in September 30 and Cabernet Sauvignon in 3rd of October. All harvests completed by October 10. He confided to me that the Merlot grapes were unusually high in alcohol (14.5%) and therefore required Cabernet Sauvignon to restore the balance. His 2005 is almost candied sweet on the nose, featuring dark berries in a rich yet luminousness palate. Considered quite massive for Lagrange, yet the cool palate feel and hidden acidity keep the wine well focused and balanced.
Over our meeting, Ducasse suggested that we taste through the previous vintages. Only 38% of the crop makes it to the grand vin for 2004. More integrated, less awkward and tannic compared to the previous year yet not nearly as rich and ripe as 2005. A very delicate and charming wine, with excellent acidity that displayed more details and obvious structure than 2005. Waft of vanilla wood, 2003 showed more obvious wood-infused element. Very ripe, with lush palate and a trace of dehydrate sweetness. Less sappiness than early examples and came across more alcoholic in the hot finish.
Château Beychevelle, 4th Growth of St.-Julien Good
A tighter and more structured effort lends this wine with somewhat more elegance than the typical 2005. Dark fruits yet well-lifted palate featured more firmness in addition to the telltale 2005’s ripe fruits and silky palate. The fruits were very persistent in a rather atypically textured palate. A strong show from this Château.
Château Gruaud-Larose, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
This is one of those wines that require the drinker to come to them. Earth, cedar, smoke were some typical featured from this extremely ageworthy producer. I had the rare privilege to taste their legendary 1945 and 1961, which were not only very much alive, but also extremely youthful and fresh. This vin de garde often requires a good 15-20 years before unveiling its qualities. Their 1986 remained to be backward and formidable per my last tasting experience. The 2005 has an attractive aromatic show featuring cedar, leather and blackberries. Unusually textured and polished in a silky yet precise palate, the well-spined acidity upholds the wine that almost feels weightless despite the wealth of ripe fruits.
Château Langoa-Barton, 3rd Growth of St.-Julien Good
Owned also by Anthony Barton of Léoville-Barton. Dense and extracted with huge tannin in a spicy oak tone. At present, the fruit is not particular shown through under the influenced of tannin, however, it is balance and fresh. A strong showing for a wine generally do not attempt to such level of quality.
Château Léoville-Barton, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Léoville-Barton has been on a role since the 2000 vintage. The 2005 is no exception. More opaque in color with vibrant freshness. Very fine palate yet in a very discreet frame. St.-Julien signature of minerals and pronounced dark fruits which persist throughout the palate. Quite massive and youthfully restrained in the moment. There was a level of energy in this wine not found in the Langoa.
Château Léoville-Poyferré, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Believe it or not, I actually think that the Léoville-Poyferre has outperformed Léoville-Barton this year. It is one of their best efforts I have seen to date from this house since the superb 1990. Equally dense in color (like Barton), but with rather shy nose. On the palate, it turned more profound, with very attractive sweet blackberries as well as traces of cedar and leather. A rare show of concentration and multi-layeredness yet the freshness and acidity were equally sound. There is a good level of purity and minerals hidden in this massive effort.
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 2nd Growth of St.-Julien Very Good
Compared to 2003 vintage, the 2005 is less flamboyant. It seems that Bruno-Eugène has taken over successfully from his highly respected father, the late Jean Eugène Borie. This estate is always known for its elegance and refinement. It emphasizes finesse over power, elegance over sheer richness. Balance and grace are what made this property famous. I somehow dislike their 2003, which was atypically powerful and rich, and elegance and balance were compromised. I was happy to see the return to the classical form in 2005, which features brighter fruits, better acid spine and the telltale mineral quality. In spite of the vintage’s richness, the wine was precise and displayed good energy on the palate. After some aeration, the wine shut down quickly and turned more compact, all in all a good sign of long cellaring potentials.
Margaux
Château Margaux, 1st Growth of Margaux Excellent
Administrator of Château Margaux Paul Pontallier considered this to be his finest vintage in his 23-year career in this impeccably run estate. He told me that he had never seen a vintage quite like this. The drought occurred in winter, through spring and summer. However, in spite of the hot and dry growing conditions, there was no scorching heat like in 2003, which threatened to block maturity in the vines. The well-established root system had enabled the vines to adapt to such dry weather. In September, the anticyclone condition which offered cool nights and dry, sunny days had proven to be beneficial and was largely responsible the characteristic of this vintage. “2005 combines power and grace. It has the depth, voluptuous palate, yet, it is equally fresh and harmonious,” said Pontallier. Unlike some of his neighbors, who spoke highly about their Merlot, Pontallier instead credited his Cabernet Sauvignon to keep the balance of his 2005. “There is no doubt that Merlot has reached an unusual height this year (14.5% and above), with great color and power. However, we felt that there was too much alcohol, too heavy, not enough balance and finesse or freshness. Cabernet on the other hand, gives the density and restraint that compliment the more opulent, fleshy character of Merlot… Most of the Merlot batch went into Pavillon Rouge, which includes the plot of Merlot next to the church on gravel soil, which in our opinion, is better balanced and less freakish,” added Pontallier. Later on I tasted Château Margaux’s 2005 Pavillon Rouge, which was an amazing effort. Dense and sexily sweet, with the vintage hallmark of silkiness, yet pure and well harmonized. This is however a bigger-than-normal Pavillon Rouge. Massive! 2005 Margaux is a masterpiece. Early smoked new-wood quality in a relatively closed mood. On the palate, it was subtler than the Pavillon Rouge, and offered dark berries fruit with old vine minerality. Very fine and suave, with more depth and core than the Pavillon. The palate was also broader, with well-spine acidity, creating a rare sensation of great density yet replete with finesse and details. A thrilling juice that kept me going back to my glass.
I have also tasted a wonderful bottle of 1985 Château Margaux with Paul Pontallier and owner, Corinne Mentzelopoulos, over dinner at the beautiful Château. This possessed classic Margaux profoundness, aged complexity as well as sweetness of depth (not sweetness from modern sweet oak). It was both charming and beautifully balanced. There was no sign of deterioration either and in fact, according to Pontallier, this came from a harvest of 60 hectoliters per hectare, which is considered prolific by today’s standard (most serious Chateaus are making between 40-45 hl/ha). Pontallier was pleased by the result and was bewildered that modern Bordelais (and the world of wine in general) are so enamored by smaller, limited yields. This vintage, however, has proven that higher yield can equally produce good results. “Have we all gone too far?” he questioned. He later explained that, the balance in the vineyard is essential to produce consistent healthier, more complete grapes. Do anything excessive and you’ll lose the balance and whatever you add or remove, there would be a chain effect. This theory interestingly echoes what Jean-Marc Roulot told me about preservation of terroir in wines, “To preserve terroir in wine is to avoid excessive practices.”
Château Palmer, 3rd Growth of Margaux Good
Last year, I was highly impressed by 2004 Palmer. And so I entered Palmer’s tasting room with high anticipation. Château Palmer’s new Technical Director, Thomas Duroux was present to receive us. I have previously said that I admired what Duroux had done at Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in Bolgheri. Frankly I came with high expectations for the 2005 Palmer but went away somewhat disappointed. Clearly this estate favors Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon and there is undeniable upfront attractiveness to its seamless and flamboyant flavors of kirsch, cassis, and liqueur-like fruits. However, I felt that this wine carried the same upfront character of some garagiste with creamy, wood-infused elements. It also came across as lacking focus and precision in its rather fleshy palate form. There was simply not enough spine and acidity. The rather polished and ripe tannin don’t seem to support the overwhelmingly lush palate.
Interestingly, I somehow preferred his second wine, Alter Ego, as I found them to be less extreme, showing better purity and balance in a similar lush, velvety palate. Rated Tanzer’s 89-90
Château d’Issan, 3rd Growth of Margaux Very Good
Having previously hosted a vertical tasting for this Chateau, 2005 is clearly the finest wine I have tasted from this beautiful estate. Current owner Emmanuel Cruse was in his usual cheerful self when we arrived at his tasting room. The wine offered hints of earth and leather on the nose. Very precise palate despite the vintage’s lush personality. Very silky with plenty of sweet, ripe blackberries and raspberries, yet the wine came across pure and well delineated. Jacques Boissenot, the previous partner of Émile Peynaud and consultant oenologist for Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and Cos is also the adviser here.
Château Rauzan Ségla, 2nd Growth of Margaux Excellent
Without hesitation, this is clearly the finest effort under Chanel’s empire. Opaque dark in color, with an attractive perfume of cabernet essence of blackcurrant, mint and cedar’s spice. Satin-smooth mouth coating palate conjured immense pleasure and a rich sensation. This vintage is unusually huge for Rauzan Ségla, but the underlying acidity kept both the purity and mineral components. The persistence of flavor of this wine was remarkable. This is another estate who did not credit their “outsized” Merlot, and they declassified the entire lot which was planted in gravel soil. Only Merlot planted in clay soil were added and since the yield was extremely low (39 hl/ha), more press wine and new wood were utilized to uphold density.
Château Malescot St.-Exupéry, 3rd Growth of Margaux Very Good
This is an immensely pleasurable juice with an irresistible candied blackcurrant fruit profile. Hugely concentrated and voluptuously sexy. In spite of the impressive voluminous frame, the wine remained focused and possessed notable minerality and elegance. Produced from a very low yield of 36 hectoliter per hectare with no pressed wine added and aged entirely in new oak.
Château Monbrison, Cru Bourgeois of Margaux Good
A different expression from this vintage, however, I am still impressed by this cru Bourgeois. Less saturated color with a solid core and a more obvious structured frame. Good level of richness and ripeness without compromising the fruit purity. Finished with a sound grip.
Château Lascombes, 2nd Growth of Margaux Good
This property has recently been acquired by the American company, Colony Capital, and has brought in Dr. Alain Raynaud and Michel Rolland to raise the quality. Although this was made in a modern mood with some traceable garagiste’s effect, still, based on the reasonable prices asked last year, this is nonetheless a delicious juice to enjoy in the near term. Profoundly sweet nose with equally generous palate that was soft and lush. Wood-infused blackberries fruit. Very huge and sexy, with reasonable acid/tannin to hold its weight. However, I will not be too cute and hold this wine for too long.
Graves
Château Haut-Brion, 1st Growth of Pessac-Léognan Excellent
We were all surprised and greatly honored to be personally welcomed by the owner, Prince Robert de Luxembourg. Sales and Technical Director, Jean-Philippe Delmas claimed that the year 2005 resembled the weather in 1949 as it produced smaller, concentrated berries under heat and drought condition. They have worked hard in the vineyard to thin the leaf and conducted green harvest to reduce the load and stress of the vine. The resulting wine, according to Delmas, has unusually combined concentration and richness in a solidly built structure. To me 2005 Haut-Brion displayed the hallmark of earth and cigar-box made famous by this property. Dense yet possessed solid core as well as structure. The blackberries intertwined with minerals persisted throughout the palate, with a massive yet not fully expressed, slightly restrained personality. This broad and extremely promising effort has magically combined power and grace. The icy-cool freshness found in the better wines of this vintage gave a weightless feel to this beautifully concentrated Haut-Brion.
Château La Mission-Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan Excellent
Equally dense in color with more mint and notes of blackcurrant that actually reminded me of Harlan Estate 2001. Layered, satin-smooth, with brighter, tangier berries on the palate. But the most admirable feature of this beauty is its impeccable balance – of fruit sweetness, acid and tannin. The harmony is so remarkable that one would hardly be able to notice its weight: nothing is excessive and no element of the wine was more pronounced than another. The wine also possessed similar lift of freshness like the many better achievers of this very sound vintage.
Château Tour-Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan Good
I am a big fan of this wine which when it was under the leadership of the former owner, Woltner family, was perfectly capable of challenging the very best wines made in Pessac-Léognan (anyone who has tasted their 1975, ’78, ’82 would attest to that). I am not sure if it was intentional or mere poor coincidence but this wine under the new ownership rarely (if ever) replays its past glory and is now the least achieved amongst the ‘Haut-Brion’s. The wine has neither the scale and depth of Haut-Brion’s nor the charm and elegance of La Mission’s. The 2005 is relatively a better show than the previous vintages however. At once more subtle yet obviously tannic, with restrained palate of berries-scented fruit that showed off well buffered acidity. Not particular sweet, yet it still had a good mineral quality and details.
Château Pape-Clément, Pessac-Léognan Good
Someone told me that the famous French actor Gérard Depardieu was in the tasting room just prior to our arrival at this historically significant estate. Apparently the highly prolific proprietor Bernard Magrez has partnered with Depardieu in several wine projects in Bordeaux (St.-Émilion, Prémier Côte), Languedoc, and in Spain (Toro), hiring the famous globetrotting enologist Michel Rolland to oversee those projects. In the tasting room, there must be more than 40 different wines ranging from Bordeaux, to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, California and even Morocco! A magnificent display of international wine fair. And the wines? Obviously very international in style. However, the better terroir do thrive under Rolland’s hands and Pape-Clément is one of these few. Sexily sweet with confectionery elements clearly derived from oak. Seamless, pliant palate, with garagiste’s licorice and dark-berries fruit. Very deliciously sweet which is largely attributed to the toasty new wood, if not otherwise from dehydrated sweetness.
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Graves Very Good
Daniel and Florence Cathiard have transformed this estate to become one of the leading producers of Graves. It is also worth mentioning that the World-class spa, Les Sources de Caudalie (I was told that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is one of their regular patrons), which offers luxury hotel accommodation and Michelin-star restaurant, La Grand Vigne, managed by Cathiard’s daughter, Alice, sits just next to the Château. Together with Lynch-Bages’ Cordeillan-Bages, these are two of my favorite restaurants in this wine region.
2005 Smith Haut-Lafitte was produced from a small crop of 35 hectoliter per hectare. Graves-like nose of mineral and earth with compelling sweetness and richness supported by equally sound structure and acid core. Overall it was less velvety than many 2005s with a tighter, better built framework.
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan Good
The arrival of Stephane Derenoncourt has clearly introduced more roundness, polish, and textured palate to this typically elegant, firm, tighter-core wine. Micro-bullage? The wine however managed to retain its usual fragrance of mint and cedar. The fruit has moved toward darker berries with layered, obviously concentrated and opulent palate. It had a good purity of fruit, yet somehow the usual mineral and energy seemed to be missing…?
Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan Very Good
Quite frankly I hardly knew this wine until this tasting. However I was very impressed and immediately drawn by this beauty. Little did I realize that I had actually met Véronique Sanders (currently the General Manager of the estate, daughter of late Jean Sanders and the former owner of Haut-Bailly) in Singapore before. This estate was acquired by an American banker, Robert G Wilmers in 1998 and with a renewed commitment to quality under the new owner, major revamp has been carried out in both the vineyard and cuverie. The former oenologist of Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Gabriel Vialard was put in charge of the winemaking. Vialard quoted Emile Peynaud’s definition, “An exceptional vintage is one obtained in unusual climatic conditions…” to sum up his view on 2005 vintage. Impressive deep color with an equally potent palate. The wine was however very firmly built with a tight core and excellent purity in addition to its blackberries and mineral quality. Very structured and the latent yet assertive acidity kept the wine well delineated. Surprisingly focused in spite of the sheer concentration and an admirable sense of elegance. My personal discovery of this trip. Impressive.
St-Emilion
First of all, I must admit that I did not taste enough “classical” 2005 Saint Emilions to be affirmative in my views on this region. I have however tasted numerous garagiste in both Bernard Magrez’s selection display at Pape Clément and Stéphane Dérénoncourt’s selection at Château La Couspade (if I remember the place correctly). As I have stated earlier on, in general these “modernists” do not capture much of my attention as I find them to carry very little trace of their geographical character having undergone those garagiste treatments. I am also disagreeable with those who associate these modern techniques with Burgundy, or elévage bourguignon as frequently quoted by Parker.
If you could recall the early assessment made by Parker on Burgundy (a region today he no longer reviews and had since been passed on to his partner, Pierre Rovani) you will soon notice one interesting contradiction. At one point in time Parker used to view the Lebanese-born, Burgundy-based oenologist, Guy Accad’s famous method of pre-fermentation or cold maceration as a highly controversial practice during the mid 80s. The technique involves pre-soaking the juice with the skin under the heavy dosage of sulfur to suppress the start of fermentation. Because all the color pigments such as Anthocyans (the other two compounds of polyphenols are phenol and tannin) are found in the grape skins, by prolonging (4-5 days) of such cold soak, it will extract maximum color, tannin and structure. Such “New Wave”, phenomenally dark Burgundy was previously criticized as atypical Burgundy and was considered to mask the terroir – the most important feature many Burgundians jealously try to guard in their wines. Today, Parker has lauded – through his approval of these garagistes houses – the process of cold maceration along with collectively what he referred to as elévage bourguignon, for example, open-top fermentation, punching of the cap (pigeage, which are more labor intensive and more commonly carry out in Burgundy), malolactic-in-barrel - MLF (new barrel), aging on its lees and bâtonnage (lees stirring)… These are all very fashionable garagiste techniques.
I have found these “oxidative handling” aimed at making more extracted, early-accessible, confiture modern Bordeaux are in fact contrarian to what is currently being practiced in the Burgundy wine scene. All the top-notch Burgundy producers are now working toward better preservation of acidity and vibrant flavors that show-off better terroir as opposed to hyper-ripeness, extract, alcohol and oak. The historical négociant film, Bouchard Père & Fils in the recent interview by Allen Meadows of Burghound had said that they emphasize acidity over high ripeness. “The current notion of “ripeness is everything”, that all great wines must come from vintages with very high levels of ripeness, whether it be sugar (alcohol levels) or phenolics… but Bouchard chooses not to pick on ripeness but rather acidity and has always done so”, said Bernard Hervet, CEO of Bouchard. He continued to say that is not to suggest that phenolic ripeness is ignored, but rather because Bouchard is making traditional wine, and do not entirely de-stem and do not practice cold soak, their favor for ample acidity can frequently make the wine to come across structured and austere in their youth. Yet given enough time in the bottle they would all turn out gloriously. Possibly the most gifted négociant winemaker, Jacques Lardière of Maison Louis Jadot, has long been practicing “blocked” malolactic to preserve the natural malic acidity. He also uses less new oak for his better cuvée and tends to increases the new wood treatment for lesser vintages. He feels that the additional source of tannin and natural aeration provided by new wood only benefit lesser raw materials. Michel Lafarge along with Frédéric Mugnier both share the same thought that new wood spice only interferes with clear expression of the underlying terroir. They use either no new woods or keep it as low as 20%.
Another key feature of garagiste technique is malolactic fermentation in new barrel whereas traditionally Bordelais conduct their malolactic in stainless steel tank. The recent move of doing malolactic in small oak barrels has created a different, new-style Bordeaux. Parker claims that it was a technique inspired from Burgundy, a region who has traditionally employed this technique for decades. However, Mel Knox, a famous barrel broker and all-around oak guru told International Wine Cellar that this technique was in fact started first by a Californian vintner called John Hawley in the mid 80s while he was experimenting Cabernet Sauvignon with MLF in small new barrels. Some five or six years later, Bordelais decided to follow suit. Mel Knox in his interview also agrees that although the technique does help to integrate the wood and the fruit better, it is however undeniable that it does promote loss of typicité that claret has long been famous for. “It is entirely possible that the new style of wine is what today’s market is looking for,” added Knox. In Burgundy it is rare that MLF is carried out in “new” small barrels. It is often done with the presence of their fine lees for better preservation of acidity. These “Zinfandel” like garagistes, on the other hand, has almost nothing to buffer itself from such a treatment. Dick Ward of Saintsbury once said, “Alcohol and tannins are oppositely charged. It you put clean wine into the barrel, the wine and the wood want to get together right away, and sometimes the oak flavors seem painted on.” So, the more buffering you have in there, the better the chance the wine is likely to ‘survive’.
In Burgundy bâtonnage (lees stirring) is not common for their reds and it is mostly practiced on their whites to enhance the richness and flavors. However, a growing number of leading winemaker like Henri Boillot has stopped doing bâtonnage in fear of losing freshness and acidity in his wine. “Some people don’t realize that by stirring the lees, you introduces oxygen and allows the CO2 to escape, both of which contribute to premature aging and loss of freshness”, said Boillot. This thought was echoed by those who practice CO2 preservation during the élevage, in which they perform no racking and adding no sulfur. Jean-Marie Fourrier, the famous student of the great Burgundy master Henri Jayer said, “CO2 is a natural antioxidant. I prefer to work with CO2 than SO2 during vinification.” Same was told by the famous Meursault producer, Arnaud Ente. Both men also shun the use of micro-bullage, viewed as a means to introduce oxygen into the wine at a far too early stage and are convinced this will in fact do more harm to the wine instead of improving it.
Other than Guy Accad who was the only known ‘consultant’ in Burgundy in the mid-80s, Claude Bourguignon is the only existing “vineyard” consultant in Burgundy. There were no other flying wine consultants in Burgundy and neither Parker’s nor Wine Spectator’s commentaries should be food for thoughts in this region.
Château Cheval Blanc, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Excellent
Without a doubt, this property made the best wine of 2005 in St.-Emilion. Seductive and profound aromas filled with plenty of black fruit and black raspberries. Very distinct mineral presence and an equally sound structure and underlying acidity. Textured and smooth yet harmonious on the palate, with telltale vintage hallmark of density combined well pitch palate that offers good flavor delineation, vibrancy and wonderful sappiness. This estate chose not to pick Merlot too late to avoid losing its freshness. They said that late picked Merlot would have been monolithic and there was a general tendency in St. Emilion to go for maximum flavor. In Cheval Blanc, over-extraction is not what they are after, but rather fruitiness, freshness, fleshiness and overall balance, said oenologist Olivier Berrouet.
Château Ausone, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Very Good
In Ausone, we were welcomed by proprietor Alain Vauthier. After the departure of their long-time winemaker Pascal Delbeck (currently making wine at Château Belair, which is owned by Madame Jean Dublis-Challon, former co-owner of Ausone), Vauthier has engaged the service of Michel Rolland. It is obvious that the former formidable, tannic, long aging style fashioned by Dublis-Challon/Delbeck has given way to a more forward, wood-infused style in the hand of Vauthier/Rolland. Over the course of tasting, I have also tasted Vauthier/Rolland wines such as Simard, Fonbel, Moulin St.-George which I found to be monotonous and share much in common with the garagistes. Those wines could be easily summed up as follows: concoction of creamy wood (espresso, mocha, pain grille, graphite) intertwined with liqueur (crème de cassis, kirsch, blueberry liqueur) in a forcefully intense (almost painfully intense), seamless palate, with no noticeable presence of acids and sweet tannin. Ausone (fortunately) on the other hand showed better pitch and fruit purity in a seamless, well depth palate. It also has better underlying acidity and a persistent palate.
Château Angélus, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Very Good
Very profound, voluptuously rich Angélus. Plenty of sweet berries element, very generous, silky and lush. It has an equally sound mineral quality as well as excellent purity. This seamless effort is hard to resist, although personally I was hoping to see better core structure and details.
Château Canon-La-Gaffelière, Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Very Good
The bottle I had at the estate and at the UGC tasting were quite different. Somehow the bottle I had with Comte Stephan Neipperg was tighter, with more solid core and buffered with sound acidity. The sample in UGS was however more opulently sexy displaying lovely black berries in a ripe, smooth, and a slightly more massive frame than normal in the context of Canon-la-Gaffelière.
Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé of St.-Emilion Good
A more restrained example that does not typify this vintage. Dense, featuring some leather and black fruits on the nose. Focused palate of great elegance and purity. However, at this stage, the tannins came across youthfully tough.
Château La Mondotte, (not classified) Good
This Le Pin wannabe clearly possessed a similar quality of exotic fruits and seductiveness. Very ripe, more confiture-like fruit with dark raspberries, cassis and malolactic-in-small-barrel-like features of sweet, creamy wood, chocolate and graphite. Sweet and multilayered in a seamless, almost chewy texture. Comte de Neipperg was celebrating his tenth anniversary for this tiny property located at St.-Laurent des Combes, a late-ripening plateau east of Troplong-Mondot and west of Tertre-Roteboeuf. The owner is confident that this wine will eventually be elevated to the same status as Château Le Pin (that is, no longer just a garagiste), once it proves its ageability. He has patiently set aside every vintage of La Mondotte and is just waiting for the right time to demonstrate its true potentials to the world. Let’s wait and see.
Pomerol
Though much American press has raved about the high quality in the right bank, I remain somewhat skeptical. The drought growing condition of 2005 has produced many freakish Merlots of unusual power and extremely high alcohol (ranging from 14-15%). Because the Merlot-dominated right bank produced a very small crop in this vintage (Merlot yield was reduced due to coulure, or poor fruit-set, and millerandage, or uneven berry-size) the grapes were further aggravated by hydration-stress coupled with acidity dropping, and hence mounting levels of pH. Since Merlot has a relatively narrow window of ideal ripeness before losing their aromatic freshness and balance, picking at the right moment was crucial. Christian Moueix of Pétrus was among the few who chose to pick early to avoid high alcohol and loss of freshness. Moueix, in the interview by Tanzer had said that when he started picking in Pétrus on 7th September, his neighbors began to panic and later criticized him to have picked too early and therefore failed to capitalize on the superb weather condition in September. However, Moueix felt he had made the right decision as all of his fruits were perfectly ripe with “normal” alcohol levels of 13.2-14%. No sign of surmaturité and heaviness was found in his wine compare to some of his neighbors.
I have tasted numerous juicy and early accessible St.-Emilion and Pomerol. I am however disappointed to have found only a few with inner-mouth energy, firmness and structure to be long lived. Perhaps it is still in an awkward stage of development just as how Alexandre Thienpont had described it, “…exuberant but a bit mono-dimensional today.”
Vieux-Château-Certan Very Good
I am not sure if Alexandre Thienpont was too tired out by the number of visitors he received this week or was he genuinely less excited about the quality of his 2005 compared to the 2004. He did not speak with the same enthusiasm and confidence about his 2005 compared with our meeting last year. He told me, “…this is the year for Merlot, we increased the blend to 80% (usually 60% in this estate) and is very Pomerol.” In my last report on 2004 Vieux-Château-Certan, I had shared that this estate has always prided itself of its unusually high component of Cabernet Franc in their blend, which tends to give a more substantial middle-palate than most Merlot-dominated Pomerols. The 2005 is a sexy, suave effort. It featured aroma of dark berries with waves of pepper-spice and new wood toastiness. Although the Cabernet Franc is less successful in this vintage, you can still trace the blueberry, lavender elements. Edge-free, very silky in stylish, exclusive balance palate. I found this an edge less superior than the 2004 which offers more structure, better outlined acidity, vibrancy and energy. It also lacks the mid-core so uniquely found in this property.
Château Le Pin Excellent
In the fiery debate between Parker and Robinson, Parker defended that all garagistes look toward Le Pin as an example, as Le Pin was once considered a garagiste too. That said, one needs to remember that Le Pin actually came a long way before its quality was recognized and was eventually no longer associated with the garagiste group. It took more than a decade (first made in 1979) before its new style was accepted and people are convinced of its aging ability. Most recently surfaced garagistes have yet to be able to showcase a track record to lay claim to be another Le Pin, nor compete in the same breath as the rest of the classics such as Pétrus, Lafleur and Cheval Blanc. My past experiences with the earlier garagistes were simply disappointing. La Couspade, Grand-Mayne, Valandraud and even Le Tertre-Roteboeuf were more interesting when they were young than aged. Monbousquet and La Gomerie quite simply do not age. The 2005 Le Pin is clearly better than its 2004. It has the same flamboyant and exotic personality with spicy wood combined with dark cherry (more red fruit for 2004) element. However the 2005 is denser and more structured than the 2004. Very silky with attractive, seductive sweet berries personality that calls to mind a burgundy. The wine also possessed the vintage’s balance and freshness. Impressive.
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