Institutional Bordeaux Restaurants

Over the past weekend I had a couple of friends visiting from Australia and of course wanted to take them to what I feel are the most institutional restaurants in Bordeaux. There was absolutely no holding back on either wine or food. Today will mark a return to sport, something I am a little fearful of to be quite honest.

Les Noailles

This super traditional Bordeaux brasserie sits on the Allée de Tourney in the centre of the city and is frequented by the Bordelaise, admittedly, of the white haired variety.

Classic cocktails, classic Bordeaux wines, and classic dishes are served by white shirted waiters with their black waistcoats and silver trays. Call it a cliché, but I love it.

When in South West France, there is really only one type of animal to eat. Its awfully tempting sometimes to catch one of the ducks wandering around the park and take it home to cook it up myself, although it would be to this level.

This was the best confit de canard I have had yet, and I have had many, including Les Noailles’ previously. Its not a complicated dish, but it does need to be cooked to perfection. None of the fat was left uncooked and flabby around the meat, but instead perfectly crisped up. The meat still had its lovely stringy texture but was still moist and delicious. Its nice to talk up a dish and for it to actually deliver. Another foreigner converted to the wonders of duck confit. 

A Petit Chateau Lalande de Pomerol washed it all down.

La Terrasse Rouse at Chateau La Dominique

View looking towards Ch l'Evangile and Ch La Conseillante

While you couldn’t exactly call a two month old restaurant an institution, it is run by Brasserie Bordealise with an almost identical menu, and BB, is most definitely an institution.

Due to the French work ethic of striking if the weather is nice, no trains were running to St Emilion, so we walked the 5km from Libourne to the estate. Libourne may be a shithole, but once you are out of the town and into the vineyards, its actually a pretty beautiful walk through Pomerol. 

I went here for the first time the week it opened for the En Primeur and have been obsessed since. Its basically an enormous balcony that looks over some of the right banks greatest estates including next door neighbor Cheval Blanc, Figeac, l’Evangile and Consiellante. It really is one of the greastest views. Ill let the pictures do the talking.

No short cuts taken. Any Australian winery looking to open a restaurant needs to look at this. Just copy it. Its un-topable.

On top of this, the food is crazy. Pretty much nothing but meat, but its every French meat you can imagine done in every single way. I took the Pauillac lamb cutlets. Good to see some collaboration between each side of the river. The great thing about this restaurant is their cooking on a wood flame. Cane cuttings from local vineyards are used as fuel and give the meat a unique smokey flavour. Its one of the great Bordeaux traditions and sets their barbequing techniques apart.

Whether you are a tourist or a local, this is the place to be. Admittedly, between the space of visiting, and writing this (two days) I have actually visited again! To good to say no.

The open plan kitchen

Peppone

Peppone is a local Italian eatery in town and is cheap as chips for what you get. Its really just pizza and pasta, but the cool quirk is their cellar. Here, waiters don’t come to your table to take you order for wine, instead you wander down into the old network of small paths and room under the restaurant and find the wine you want yourself. It really gets you in the mood to have a few bottles!

Theres not much to say about the food other than it is pizza, but better than those you have had before. Simple fresh ingredients on a thin base, cooked very quickly at a super hot temperature. The Neapolitans would be proud. 

Allez!

2004 Ch Batailley

A Paulliac favourite of mine. Tasted on its own, but the memories of the 2004 Latour and Palmer tasted the day before still linger. Obviously its not of their quality, but neither is it their price. Fred Casteja is one of the most generous men in Bordeaux and my memories of my first visit to his Chateau on my first visit may give me a little bias towards this wine. Leather and tobacco on the nose. Some rose florals. A touch of capsicum. Classic medium bodied Bordeaux palate. Good fine tannins. Fresh acid that will ensures this wine’s life for many years yet. 93 Points

2006 Ch Pavie

Chateau Pavie

The new Pavie renovations have been one of the talking points of the Bordeaux trade. They wasted no time getting their newly acquired ‘Premier Grand cru Classe A’ up on the entrance, but why would you?

View from behind Pavie

Money is in your face when visiting the Bordeaux Chateau, but Pavie makes even Margaux look like a cottage. While enormous, it has been done with great taste and what is most impressive is the attention to detail. Stone ornaments from the old Bordeaux rail station were salvaged and used in the barrel room, leather bounds the hand rails through out, and the art is incredible. It’s hard to fathom how this sort of wealth is earned.

2006 Chateau Pavie

The wine. Even as the wine begins to leave the bottle, the aromas hit you. My face is not even 2 feet from the glass and I get the seductive whiff of concentrated dark plum fruit. It is so concentrated, even on the nose, with developing secondaries of leather and licorice complementing the fruit. Subtle nutty oak is ever so present in the background. Crushed blackcurrant and fresh plum give the palate its concentration and density. Still so much freshness but complexity also starting to show in the mouth. Absolutely delicious wine. One of the greatest I have ever tasted. 98 points

Pavie Barrel Room

2011 Ch La Dominique

I have visited Ch la Dominique a few times now, not for the wine I must admit, not that I dont like them, but because their new restaurant la Terrasse Rouge, is my favourite in Bordeaux. Amazing architecture, a view over some of Pomerol and St Emilion's most important estates, and of course, bloody good food.

Off the restaurant, La Dominique is a Chateau that seem to get it. Putting on my new world marketing hat, there are very few wineries in Bordeaux that are actively building brands. A visit to most will show you that while there is ever improving production facilities, much renovation is simply to reinforce a luxury image, and for owners to 'keep up with the Joneses'. While Dominique has also seen renovations to its facilities to improve wine quality, something which of course has to be done, the 'aesthetic' renovations are shared with the public. Tours are easy to book, there are direct sales of the wines and of course there is the restaurant. Whether interested in wine or not, a visit to La Dominique is a memorable and enjoyable experience. It may not be a well known name now, but I will be betting that will change.

Now to the wine. Dense, masculine and maybe a little aggressive at present. Licorice and coffee complexities. Looks ok and nothing inherently wrong, but maybe time will allow it to evolve into something more my style. 89 Points

2011 Ch Fayat

Fresh blue fruit. Clean and linear and incredible structured. Round and seductive palate. Plenty of interest to be found. Needs a little more time to open up, but drinking well now. Incredible value. 90 points

2011 Ch Clement Pichon

Tasted alongside the other Clement Fayat wines La Dominique and Fayat. Aparently the Chateau itself is the largest in the Medoc with 3000m2 of floor space. oh the parties I could be throwing.

Round and soft wine. Nothing complex, but clean and new world in style. Very approachable in its youth and delivers very enjoyable drinking. Fine tannins and a plump juicy mouth feel. 88 Points

Chateau Clement Pichon - Residence of Mr Fayat

2012 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Just bottled. Coffee and supple dark berries on the nose. Feminine and elegant. Delicate tannins. Finished long and with no unripe characters. Seductive wine. So young it is hard to judge but beautifully balanced. 92 Points

2012 Ch Troplong Mondot

Troplong vineyards with St Emilion village in background

Tasted from tank. Not as big as the 2011, but a wine and a style I prefer. Fruit is a little more ont he red specturm, finer, lacier, sexier, bonne! Wont have the longevity on the 2011, but will go for a good while. More minerality, more interest. 93 Points

2011 Ch Troplong Mondotte

Big and dense wine with a masculine and meaty texture. Dark concentrated fruit, licorice, chocolate shavings. Muscular tannins hold it all together. needs time of course as it is all a bit disjointed at the moment, but balance is there and makes for a promising future. 91 Points

 Restaurant Terrace

2013 Michel Chapoutier Séllections Parcellaires

2013 La Croix de Bois Chateauneuf du Pape
Cracked black pepper, red cherry fruits and slightyly confected raspberry on the nose. Medium weighted palate with nice texture, spicy, fine tannins, fresh acidity, and coffee oak that is ever so slightly pronounced.

2013 Barbe Rac Chateauneuf du Pape
Much less pepper than the la Croix de Bois but still evident. more fruit on the nose. Palate is not as open as nose with a slight sourness to the fruit at this stage. Quite a savoury wine. Finishes like dry chocolate cake mixture. Well balanced.

2013 Les Greffieux Hermitage
Round warm fruit on the nose. Riper than the Chateauneufs. Nice medium weight palate. Fruit is bright but still has nice complexity. Black pepper corn, some florals. Better than the previous wines. More generous, more charming.

2013 Le Méal Hermitage
Elegant and structured with raspberry fruit and fine pepper. Built to last with a more closed frame and good acid. Finishes long but tight.

2013 Le Pavillon Hermitage
Very luch closed on the nose and not giving anythign away. Dark tarry fruit and varietally true. There is no mistaking this as Syrah. Earth and tobacco complexity. Tannins thicker, but ripe and complementary.

2013 L'Emite Hermitage
Bright red fruit, nice brown ground spice and white pepper. Much like a Saint Joseph. Long sweet and charming finish. Persistent tannins and finish.

2013 De L'Oree Hermitage (Blanc)
Apricot and pear, honeyed spice. Salt water/brine edge. Round textural palate with a medium weight. Clearly Marsanne dominant. Touch of alcohol on the finish. Delicious wine.

Aphrodite Restaurant - Bordeaux

In an effort to curb my slippery slope into alcoholism, a slope almost as slippery as that into obesity, I am going to start writing up about a few restaurants.

After running the ‘pont a pont’ along the quai’s of Bordeaux, first a bloke needs a few cold beers, then something to fill the belly. What better to have on a hot night that some good Mediterranean flavours.
Opening in the past two months or so, Aphrodite is a small Greek family restaurant perfect for the summer with a great vibe of people enjoying the great weather on their terrace. Sitting on a tiny cobblestone street behind the church of Saint Pierre in the centre of the city, Aphrodite provides a great atmosphere for casual dining.

It’s a true family operation with the mother doing the finances, the father trying to convince everyone to drink Ouzo and Metaxa and the son doing the food.

The menu has all the Greek staples, but the saganaki is the reason I came. Fresh feta cheese is lightly grilled in a pan with red peppers, onions and a mix of herbs.  Such a simple yet delicious mix of fresh flavours. A change from what I am used to in Australia where they use ‘Kefalograviera’ cheese instead of feta. The feta makes for a lighter weight dish and probably more appropriate for the hot weather. A nice glass of slightly watered down Ouzo goes perfectly.

Moussaka, another simple dish, and another simple choice. Such great flavours, such a filling plate. Not much to say about what is effectively a Greek lasagna.

Great atmosphere, lovely owners, good food. Perfect casual dining.

2001 Ch Montrose

Has definitely hit the sweet spot with secondary aromas of pouch tobacco, brown spice and a lovely earthiness complimenting the red berry fruit. Tannins spicy and fine grained with the acidity lively even considering the wine’s age. 92 Points

2005 La Conseillante

While I tried close to 50 or so wines at the Union des Grand Crus tasting, this was the only one I wrote a note for. It really was the wine of the tasting. I was shocked to see these poured down the drain at the end of the event.
Dark plum fruits with nice florals on the nose. Medium bodied with nice developed characters of spice and leather overlaying the fresh dark fruit0 Perfectly balanced in every regard. Still a baby, but you could finish a bottle now with ease. 97 Points

1995 La Conseillante

My favourite wine from the right back. I have never visited the winery its self but it is well and truly on the agenda. Old school label, and the great colour scheme of purple silver, black and while. So cool inside and out.

Supple plum fruit on the palate with some cured meat and spice. It slightly lacks acidity so I wouldn’t want to be leaving it too much longer. The tannins are fine and slightly powdery and play a great part in the wine. The finish is long and licorice like but pushes itself toward the middle of the palate. 90 Points

2008 Ch Margaux

I tired this two years ago and it has come a good way since then. It was so very very tight back then. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% others (I should have been writing this down and not staring at the guide).its still extremely closed on the nose but it does give you an insight into the complexities of this wine. Brown ground spices that mesh well into the dark cassis fruit. Oak is evident but perfectly integrated also. Ethereal and seductive. Great length and precision with very fine tannins. It still has a long way to go yet. 95+ Points

2008 Pavillon Rouge by Ch Margaux (2nd Wine of Ch Margaux)

Tasted at the winery with one of the sexiest women in all of Bordeaux. The first growths generally have pretty good hiring policies. As I said to her,’ I would prefer to drink a bottle of Pavillon Rouge with her than a bottle of Margaux by myself’. My French didn’t quite get the joke across properly.
Red berries, pepper spice and some green capsicum on the nose. Cabernet is dominant here but still provides a medium-almost light bodied weight. It is approachable and unintimidating. The finish is long but has a slight bitterness. Looks good. 91+ Points

2004 Ch Palmer

At 10 years of ages, the top Chateaux really start to come out of their shell. Plenty of freshness on the nose but with leather and tar overlaying. Subtle oak aromas play their part too. Feminine in character but with a firm muscularity also. A bit like a chick with a 6 pack. Not so much like the Williams sisters. Plum skin finish and red apple acidity that lingers for a good while. 94 points

2008 Alter Ego de Palmer

Fresh plum fruit with some meaty complexities coming through also. Medium bodied and merlot driven with similar plum fruits as those on the nose with the fine grained finish like that of a fruits skin. A very fresh wine drinking beautifully now or with several years left to go. 90 Points

2006 Les Forts de Latour (2nd Wine of Ch Latour)

Dark plum and cassis fruit on the nose. Fresh and lively while really starting to open up. Dense and masculine on the palate with a medium-full body. Its generous and expressive with a great ripeness and balance. A really seductive wine that I couldn’t put down. Length for days. 94 Points

2008 Paulliac by Chateau Latour

The third wine and current release from Chateau Latour. 2008 was a great vintage, but was hurt by the GFC as well being outshone by the two subsequent stellar vintages.
45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 55% Merlot
This wine is starting to hit is stride with some secondaries starting to develop on the nose. Leather, garden mulch and fine ground spice. Cassis fruit dominates the palate with cherry tomato and plum also coming through. The tannins are fine and slightly spicy leaving a beautiful and delicious wine. 92 Points

Opus One

While based in Napa, California, Opus one is is/was the joint venture between Baron Phillipe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. It has since been purchased by Constellation Brands, but continues to be operated as a completely independent entity. While most of Opus One is sold in the USA, what leaves its shores is sold through the Bordeaux negociant system, and as such, they run their operations from here in Bordeaux.
I was invited to have dinner and see the offices with the two French Opus representatives here in Bordeaux.

A good glimpse into the ‘first growth’ of California, big, bold and charming wines. All vintages are Cabernet dominant with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec playing supporting roles.

2004 Opus One
For ten years old this wine still shows as a baby. Rich, deep and intense dark black fruit aromas with touches of graphite and earth. The palate is no let down either, full bodied, muscular yet with great charm. Delicious wine now but with ages left to go. 95 points

2009 Opus One
Deep purple colour. Rich dark fruit on the nose with leather and tobacco coming through also. Mocha oak is present but is well integrated into the other developing secondaries. The palate is full bodied and super dense with dark fruit really making its push. So different in style from even the powerful wines of Paulliac. Nice fruit sweetness finishes the wine along with its fine grained yet plentiful tannins and its fresh acidity. 93 points

2010 Opus One
I prefer the 2010 Opus to the 2009. While also being a big rich boy, it felt to have a little more restraint, mainly due to being slightly less ripe (in a good way). The body is also a little less full but presents the same dark berries as the wine of the year before. Beautiful balance and a finish that lingers for a while. 94 points

2000 Ch Rauzan Gassies

A second growth Margaux, but an under performer on the price side of things. In good years such as 2000, a wine like this should be a fairly safe bet.

The nose is developed showing leather, tobacco, brown spices and toasty oak all over laying subtle red fruit. That red fruit is more evident on the palate which is still showing well, although I wouldn’t be holding onto this wine for too much longer. Acidity is starting to fall away, but the wine is well balanced and was thoroughly enjoyed by all at the table. 89 points

2005 Gravette de Certan (2nd wine of Vieux Chateau Certan)

The second wine of Vieux Chateau Certan out of the much praised 2005 vintage. Picked up for the equivalent of about $50 AUD. Great value Pomerol.

Even after about an hour, the wine was still really quite closed. A further hour in the decanted saw the wine hit its stride. No signs of age in the colour. Dark berry fruit, hint of violets and flickers of earthy complexity show on the nose. The wine is even more delicious in the mouth and is showing no signs of dying soon. I would not have guessed this wine was 9 years old if tasted blind. Rich plum fruit evenly covers the palate with ever so fine tannins and fresh acidity holding it all together. Great complexity, but a wine that is just as easily slurpable. 93 points

1978 Ch Palmer

Oh Palmer, you are spoiling me.  While not considered a great year in Bordeaux, and an even lesser year in Margaux, this Palmer was not only interesting, but very enjoyable. Probably pasts its best, the nose opened with aromas of orange peel, cherry and mushroom. The palate showed nice sweet blood orange and red cherry fruit but lacked the acid hold everything together. Light-medium bodied, complexities of chocolate also and a long though provoking finish. 94 for pleasure.

2004 Ch Latour

Drinking Latour for the first time has been likened to losing your virginity. While both changed my life for the better, tasting Latour was not only less awkward, but I think I was better at it!

Tried this three days in a row from different bottles. No bottle variation between any of them. This is a culmination of tastings of all three days although I really only needed the once.

After pulling out of the En Primeur, Latour now releases a wine each year they believe to be hitting its drinking window. While I think this is not quite ready to go yet, the quality is undeniable. This was my first experience with Latour and was a great introduction to who I will hope to be a good friend for many years to come.

The bouquet is powerful yet elegant, feminine yet muscular. More of an Olympic simmer rather than a weight lifted. Dark fruits and dark chocolate and some coffee like oak. The palate is so fresh you would not guess it to be 10 years old. It is thick and full bodied in weight, yet glides through the mouth as the acid and tannin provide lubrication. This wine is such a joy to drink, one of the greatest I have ever tried. Needless to say, I don’t spit 10 year old first growth. 98 Points

2007 Ch Palmer

I think I seem to get along with Chateau Palmer as much as I get along with Mrs Palmer and her five daughters.  Complex secondaries of cedar and forest fruits show through on the nose and as seductive as Palmer should be. It is a little more developed next to the Pontet-Canet of the same vintage it was tried next to.  The fruit is fresh on the palate and very much medium-bodied. There is a great linear structure about it while still being generous. Balance cannot be faulted. 92 Points

2007 Ch Pontet-Canet

A fifth growth playing the role of a super second. Bio-dynamic and with a horse working the vineyard that just so happens to be in the right spot near the driveway for visitors to notice it. Maybe that’s a little pessimistic.

Earthy aromas, and hints of graphite overlay  gentle red fruits on the nose although I may be noticing a touch of brett. A mix of dark and red fruits make up the palate with lovely elements of chocolate and mocha oak adding power and that sense of Paulliac. The tannins are firm and acidity fresh, leaving for a balanced wine. 91 points.

2010 Alter Ego de Palmer (2nd wine of Ch Palmer)

My first case purchase of Bordeaux wine back in Australia was of 2009 Alter Ego. Yes you are still paying for the Palmer name to which it is attached, but you are getting the great quality fruit. Since 1998, this has been the second label of Palmer and is not a replacement for the old second wine whose resource is now sold off as bulk. Tom Duroux formerly of the super Tuscan Ornellaia is now technical director at Palmer and introduced this wine as he sought to elevate the quality of the estate label through greater selection. It now represents about a third of total production and the Chateau tries to describe it as a stand alone wine, much like what Clos de Marquis is to Leoville Las-Cases.

Merlot is the driving force in this wine and provides for great intensity of aromas. Being the vintage that it is so famous for being, the 2010 Alter Ago is even richer and powerful than the 2009 with a medium-full bodied palate of cassis and plum fruit. Spice is there and provides interest with fine chewy tannins rounding everything out. So feminine and delicate. 91+ Points

2006 Ch Giscours

2006 is a vintage considered by many as somewhat meh, not 2007, but still meh. I think they haven’t got a clue. These days I find myself at restaurants pretty much going for anything 2004 or 2006. They both present good value and are on the most part ready now.

The 2006 Sirene de Giscours was one of the first wines I had when arriving here and I though it looked pretty good, however, the estate wine is a notch above. Earth and tobacco give nice complexity to the red fruits on the nose. The palate is medium bodied much like many of the other Margaux I have tried from the vintage. The red fruit carries through the long finish. Drinking well now. 90 points

2009 Marquis de Calon (2nd wine of Calon Segur)

After tasting EP samples all day, it is a feeling somewhat like relief to be able to get back to something that is actually ready to drink. Tasted again at a negociant tasting, Marquis de Calon, the second wine of Calon Segur, shows beautifully the commune of St Estephe. I have been finding that second wines are a great buy in top vintages and are often so expressive of their terroir and give the drinker an insight into the estate at a fraction of the price.

Mulberry and wild strawberry fruits are interwoven with subtle complexities of cigar box and forest floor. While the oak could be argued to be slighty to pronounced, I don’t think it detracts from the wine in the slightest. 90 points

2009 Ch Lespault Martillac

Complex aromas of mocha, tobacco and nicely worked oak open this wine beautifully. The palate is slightly sweet with red-fruits the defining force.  A pretty delicious wine with great length from I think my least favourite appellation of Bordeaux. There, I said it. 89 points

2009 Frank Phelan St Estéphe (2nd wine of Phelan Segur)

This wine has been one of the great discoveries of my time here in Bordeaux. I first tasted this at a negociant tasting in the city and its from those notes I do this write up. This is the second label of the famous St Estephe Cru Bourgeois Phelan Segur. As a student here, it fits in very nicely with my budget as this can usually be picked up for about €20 in retail land and €35-45 in a decent restaurant.

Powerful cassis fruit opens on the immensely fresh nose with meaty hints, subtle oak and ground spice. The medium-full bodied palate has this same freshness and similar flavours, and while drinking well now, ensures that it still has plenty of life left in it. Acidity pokes its head up a little too much from time to time, but it has the richness to support it. 90+ points

Sauternes En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

Chateau Coutet

Ch Suduiraut
Sauternes wines were definitely the over achievers in 2013 with quality at an extremely high level.
Suduiraut was one of my favourites from Sauternes due to its defined character of dried apricot and banana. The acitidty is fresh and livens up the sugar sweetness and weight. 94 Points

Guiraud
Some nice toastiness on the nose although high pH derived rubber does come through slighty. This mostly blows off and results in a clean wine with good intensity of flavor and nice fresh acidity. 92 Points

Coutet
Complex mix of fruits and great definition making this wine the best Sauternes of the vintage (I didn’t try Yquem). Apricot, pear and red apple all show though in the palate. If I didn’t know it would make me ill, I could easily drink a good amount of this. Heavy, but its freshness makes it feel light. 96 Points

Riessec
Another stand out for the vintage. The Riessec shozs an entirely different profile to the other wines tried previously. Mango, apricot and pineapple are evident here. Unlike red wines where fruit flavours are much more subtle, Sauternes flaunts them. You cannot go wrong. The Riessec has great heavy full-bodied weight and a much more syrupy texture than say the Coutet. 94 Points

St Emilion En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

The Kitchen at Terrasse Rouge (Ch La Dominique)

St Emilion
While the Medoc may have the grander estates and beautiful Chateaux, the right bank is much more beautiful with smaller properties and a more featured landscape. The town of St Emilion and the wineries that carpet its hill such as Ausone, la Gaffeliere and Angelus is Bordeaux’s most fairytale like a picturesque scene. Today’s tasting of the St Emilion Grand Crus however is close to the border of Pomerol at Chateau la Dominique, with the next door neighbour of none other than Cheval Blanc. Before I get onto the wines, I think its is worth covering the lunches that are put on by the UGC. Each commune centralizes the wines to be tasted at one Chateau providing a great way for the owners to show off their property and wealth. With this comes the responsibility to provide a lunch for the hundreds of people that come through. While every lunch was pretty bloody spectacular, La Dominique was to go down as the one not to miss. With a newly opened restaurant with a large balcony, the Bordeaux institution of Brasserie Bordelaise put on the dream Bordeaux/men everywhere smorgasbord of red meat, duck, fries, roasted vegetables and plenty of other bits and pieces. As solid as this food was, and I promise you I ate my fair share, it is really the terrace that makes it. The view is the who’s-who of right bank wine with Cheval Noir directly to the left, Petrus, Conseillante and Evangile in front and Figeac and le Pin in the distance. A view to be appreciated on any day, but even more so when enjoying the delights of one of the regions best known restaurants.

Ch Angelus 2013
Angelus’ recent promotion to premier grand cru classe A has sparked a lot of controversy in Bordeaux as it has been seen as a corrupt play by owner Hubert de Bouard leveraging his connections for the betterment of his estate, and inevitably his wallet. While being a controversial name, Mr de Bouard is another of Bordeaux’s superstar ‘attach my name and it will sell’ consultants. While not working with as many estates as Rolland or Derenoncourt, de Bouard’s influence reaches just as wide working with wineries throughout France as well as South Africa, and to my surprise Thailand.
The tasting of this wine was done at the Chateau alongside all provided by plush dark fruit that sees quiet meaty overtones. Spice and subtle toast oak provide both complexity and interest with fine ripe tannins finishing everything off. 92+ Points

Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliere 2013
I copped a lot on this wine from fellow French and English tasters, but I found it to be one of the stand outs of the tasting with a nice modern style looking to express itself through its fruit forwardness. Apparently this is because I am an Australian and this is what all our wines taste like. Their loss I guess. The Canon-la-Gaffeliere isn’t trying to be something its not. There was no sign of over extraction and while being fruit dominated, the acidity and balance hold it together beautifully. 92+ Points

Chateau Beausejour Bécot 2013
Much like the Canon-la-Gaffeliere, this wine is made in a modern style with fruit at the fore. However, the complexity and depth of flavour was greater than that of the CG with licks of spice and chocolate. The tannins are in bounds but are ripe and very fine and will show much better when this wine is born. 92+ Points

Ch Figeac 2013
I tried this wine several times throughout the primeur as it is one of my favourite labels from the region. Much of the media called it as one of the top wines of the vintage so I tried it again with an open mind. As much as I tried to like this wine, and as much as I wanted to see it as a stand out, it wasn’t. Maybe its my Australian palate of wanting fruit and some richness of flavor, but Figeac let me down. Red fruit showed through but lacked the intensity or depth to hold up the strong element of bitter coffee derived from too much new oak. Its not to say this is a bad wine and maybe I cannot see exactly what it will be in the future, but it is not a wine I would be buying EP. 89+ Points.

Pomerol En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

Unions de Grands Crus Pomerol Tasting

Chateau Beauregard Pomerol 2013
Tasted at 9am at the Unions des Grand Crus Pomerol tasting, and accompanied by breakfast, and by breakfast I mean me eating the rooms entire supply of small slices of ‘palate cleansing’ slices of baguette.
A stand out wine for me from the region (I didn’t get to taste VCC, Petrus, Lafleur, Lafluer Petrus, Hosanna). A pretty and delicate personality with fresh dark plum fruit  supported by beautiful acidity and silky tannins. 92+ points

Chateau Le Bon Pasteur 2013
The estate owned by the famous Michel Rolland, probably the most famous winemaker in the world and a guy of immense charisma consulting for over 200 wineries worldwide.
The nose presents much darker fruit than those of the other Pomerols. The fruit is richer too with intense plum and blackcurrant fruit. Its tannins are fine but not as silky as could be. The finish is good but has a slight bitterness about it. 88 Points

Chateau La Conseillante 2013
Since arriving in Bordeaux, this label has become my favourite estate and I have been lucky enough to try a variety of vintages, both the rockstar ones and the apparent ‘lesser’ ones, and its personality is distinct, un-pretentious and approachable.
The 2013 may be what will one day become one of these lesser vintages, but it is still a great wine. The fruit is defined and ripe both on the nose and palate and has a freshness about it. The tannins are fine but plentiful. The finish coats the entire mouth and has great length. 92+ Points

Chateau Le Petit Village 2013
I don’t know a huge amount about Petit Village, but I do know it is one of the top names in Pomerol so I guess that gives you highish expectations. The fruit aromas have good intensity and set the palate up well. As is the cases with most of the wines tasted EP in Pomerol, the fruit flavours are dark and offer a medium bodied weight. The wine has a nice texture and mouth feel with sandy tannins. The fruit carries all the way through the finish. I do like this modern style. 90 points

Moulis/Listrac/Medoc En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

Ch Chasse Spleen 2013
A top Cru Bourgeois that I am a big fan of. Translating to ‘Chasing the Blues’, Chasse Spleen also has one of the most intriguing and beautiful stories.
The fruits on the palate appears a little raspberry cordial like and through the finish gets this bitter ‘altoid’ character. The oak is quite forceful and overpowers the rest of the wine.  Disappointing as it truly is a wine I love. 86 points

Ch Poujeaux 2013
The top chateau in Moulis/Listrac communes along with Chasse Spleen and I wine I couldn’t believe I didn’t know until I visited Bordeaux and bought a bottle of the 2008 at a local cave.
The fruit is quite candied much like a red frog. There is this sugary element to the wine that somewhat masks its over extraction and oak. I hope I was just off my game and that this wine will fall into place soon. 87 points.

Ch Cantemerle 2013
The wine that almost wasn’t classified. Cantemerle has an interesting story and is one of the larger estates in the Haut Medoc. In 1855 when the classification was being presented in Paris, the owner of Cantemerle, angry that she had been left off despite qualifying, stormed into the room demanding her Chateau be added. On the original hand written list, Cantemerle can be seem at the bottom of the 5th growths in different hand-writing.

I like Cantemerle. I like that its not too expensive and that it generally is a decent wine. I don’t think 2013 is any different. Its fruit is dark and ripe and there is enough interesting stuff going on, however, the oak has just over done it a bit. That mocha finish is there and lets the wine down a bit. 87 points

St Estéphe En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

Ch Lafon Rochet

Ch Lafon Rochet
Owned and operated by Basil Tessaron, cousin of Alfred Tessaron of Pontet Canet, and one of the nicest blokes I met during EP week. These guys put on the tasting for the wineries of St Estephe and Paulliac as well as a great lunch in their barrel room. A delicuious soup of some kind and casserole served out of a jar. Beautiful flavours and presentation using their head boards of wooden cartons as serving trays.
Now to the wine. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Text book blend, and it works. Sweet mulberry fruit, lashings of chocolate and nice ground spice. Oak in balance and actually working to the wine’s favour. Tannins are fine and hold the fruit on the palate all the way through the finish. 90 points

One of the many elephants at Cos

Goulée by Cos d’Estournel

The third wine made by Cos and one designed to be consumed early. Its not too expensive and is well priced to me. 

60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Soft gentle and easy to drink. Medium bodied but leaning towards the lighter side. Cherry and raspberry fruit. nice tannin. Easy. 86 Points.

Les Pagodes de Cos 
The second wine of Cos d’Estournel and made in a similar style to the main wine. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 4% cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.
Defined cassis fruit on the nose with ever so slight hints of wet-earth and spice coming through. The light-medium bodied palate is really fresh with sweet dark fruit and no signs of over extraction. The wine is slighty skewed towards the middle of the palate but dark plum fruit covers all. The tannin is fine but has a slight resin like character. Finishes well. 90 points

Cos d’Estournel Rouge
A step up from the Pagodes as you would expect and made in a slightly different way. No over extraction is noticed and unlike the Pagodes, the first wine sees no pigeage or pump overs.
Richer and darker on the nose than the 2nd wine but also showing the same cassis fruit. Medium bodied yet with a nice intensity. Finishes nicely with lovely fine tannins and a flavor of red apple skins. 91 points

Cos d’Estournel Blanc
76% Sauvignon Blanc and 24% Semillon and aged in 7% new French oak.
This is the 8th vintage of this wine and production is limited to 1,000 dozen.

Highly aromatic with clove, brown spice and hints of grass. The palate is medium bodied showing grapefruit, citrus, lemon curd and lime cordial. A nice style of wine well on par with Margaux’s Pavillon Blanc. 93+ Points

Ch Phelan Segur 2013
One of the higher performing Cru Bourgeois and a favourite of mine, however, one that I don’t think stands out in a difficult vintage such as this. Slightly diluted red fruits with little intensity. Oak shows through too much. 86 Points

Ch Ormes de Pez
In the same league as Phelan Segur and Poujeaux as a top dog CB. The nose shows nice red fruits but still, they come through a bit green. Green apple acidity, fines tannins, and nicely balanced oak. 87 points

St Julien En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

Chateau Lagrange

Chateau Beychevelle 2013
Beychevelle is one of the household names from Bordeaux. Easily recognizable label, rich story, and situated on the side of a hill as you climb into St Julien. Its not much of a climb though as the highest point in the Medoc is roughly 26 above sea level. The wine has a huge following and I have been told much of its volume finds its way to Japan.
The palate is rather extracted and the fruit shows as slighty green and under ripe. The tannins are firm and somewhat over powering. The wine finishes with the bitter coffee flavor found in a lot of the wines this vintage. Not a wine to my tastes. 87 points

Ch Branaire Ducru 2013
Just on the other side of the road to Beychevelle and once a part of the Beychevelle estate. The wine show nice red fruits but much in the same manner to its neighbor, comes across slightly too extracted and under ripe. Oak is prominent, and its scary to think what it might look like with another 12 months in barrel. Better than the Beychevelle. Just. 88 Points

Ch Gruad Larose 2013
A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Its seems to be a running theme in tasting the St Julien wines that both alcohol and oak are a little out of balance with the fruit. The fruit is very under ripe and provides for a sour finish. 83 points

Ch Lagrange 2013
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.
La Grange translates to something along the lines of farm house, which is an odd name as the estate is very much reminiscent of that of Lafite-Rothschild. Its got the postcard front, the willow trees and really is one of the more spectacular and beautiful Chateau in all of Bordeaux.
The fruit is dark and brooding on this wines but is still a touch under baked. Oak has been thrown at it like Asian business men thrown money at strippers. It sort of ruins the wine a bit as the other elements seemed to be in balance. 86points

Ch Langoa Barton 2013
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The fruit is a little diluted and leaves the wine struggling to find its way. The acidity is quite high and the oak treatment has left what is left tasting a little bitter. It seems that the French know how to make better coffee using oak than they do with actual coffee. 87 Points

Ch Leoville Barton 2013
Ok. Now we are talking. A St Julien doing it right in 2013. This wine is actually made at its neighbor property also owned by the Barton family, Langoa Barton. Funnily enough, the Chateau on its label is actually Langoa Barton too.
The fruit and weight are both darker, riper and deeper than many of the other St Juliens. The tannins are grippy but ripe and lead through to a well balance and long finish. 91+ Points

Ch Leoville Poyferré 2013
While most critic and fellow tasters disagree with me on this one, I think this is a better wine that the Leoville Barton, but only by a bee’s dick. Its a touch riper and more aromatic on the nose and invites you in more than any of the other wines from the appellation. The wine shows raspberries and cassis fruit while also ensures you that it is indeed a deep and firm wine. The tannins are fine and have a ripe nut flavor about them. The oak treatment is also delicious with an almond nuance. 92+ Points

Ch Gloria 2013
A Cru Bourgeois nestled between Branaire Ducro and Du Glana and owned by the same family as Saint-Pierre. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Dark fruit and coffee on the nose. Fruit a little too extracted and exaggerated by the green tannins. Finishes fresh. 85 Points

Ch St Pierre 2013
I tasted this wine twice and thought it was going to be a critics favourite. It wasn’t hated by them, but it fell into the group that holds so many lesser wines. 74% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The fruit is dark and fresh both on the nose and on the palate and shows as ripe and supple. The tannins are fine and in balance, and the oak is not over done. The alcohol may just pop its head out right on the finish, but only ever so slightly. However, I do prefer this touch of alcohol paired with persistent fruit than I do the oak and acid finish of many of its neighbours. 92+  Points.

Paulliac En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

Vines at Chateau Lafite

Chateau Lafite Paulliac 2013
Ahh Lafite. The Belle of Bordeaux. I have been thinking for a few weeks now to boost my student budget by setting up outside the gates and charge for photographs. Each time I drive past there is always at least four or five people (yes usually they are Asian tourists) getting their proof of visiting the household name. Unfortunately, even weeks of camping outside wouldn’t allow me to even afford one bottle of the wine.
The first and still to this date the only wine from this label that I have tried. A blend (sort of) of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. There were a few wines that didn’t give a Guernsey to the Merlot this vintage and result it quite noticeable. Rich dark fruit aromas with good intensity with no noticeable under ripeness. The palate is medium bodied to full bodied with a muscular feel about it. Tannins are ripe and extremely fine, and along side the dark fruit and acidity, provides great balance of flavours. The finish is long and intense however focuses itself slightly on the side of the palate in that wine textbook term they call the ‘doughnut’. 93+ Points

Carraudes de Lafite Paulliac 2013
A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauginon, 29% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Dark cassis fruit drive this intense wine (vintage and context to other wines considered). Its almost there on the ripeness, but there is a slight stalky edge and greenness that lets it down. Acidity pokes out a little but I guess that is to be expected when tasting EP. Tannins are fine and persistant but with a slight chalkiness about them. A good wine, but would I spend the money? 90 points

Ch. Duhart Milon Paulliac 2013
Tasted alongside the Lafite stable. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.  Strong dark fruit aromas with a hit of green capsicum and fresh tomato. Medium intensity and body and with a similar under-ripeness to the Carraudes. A nice wine from a great label. 89 points

Latour

Paulliac by Latour 2013
The third wine of Chateau Latour and priced similarly to most 2nd growths. Like the other wines out of Latour, it is not available En Primeur.
Dark, blue/black fruit on the nose with flicks of capsicum. Medium bodied in weight, but the fruit seems slightly diluted. This being said, the fruit does not have the bitterness of over extraction and presents as very fresh. Black currant is there from start to finish and the tannins structure is fine and delicate. 88 Points

Les Forts de Latour 2013
Latour’s second wine and one of the wines the market really chases after. Great complexity on the nose with more aromas of spice and earth than its baby brother. The wine is well poised and rather linear with defined cassis an plum fruit held together by ripe and structured tannins. Finish is powerful and long. 91 Points

Ch Latour 2013
Now for the real deal. Tasted along side the second and third wines at the Latour compound. It really does feel like a compound with its guarded entrance and big boom gate. Driving towards the tasting room down by the river, you pass both the Chateau and the tower that features of its label.
The most aromatic and dark fruited wine of the vintage. Dense, firm, muscular and powerful while still being medium bodied. A real stand out. Tannins are fine and velvety and hold throughout the finish. Everything is in the right place. 95 Points

Ch Pontet Canet 2013

This was tasted at the Chateau itself with Alfred Tessaron and his super hot niece Melanie.The guys from Berry Brothers & Rudd were also with us and made for good banter.

At the time of tasting, I thought this was my favourite wine of the vintage. It was unpretentious, honest and ultimately a really pretty wine. Pontet-Canet was the fist Chateau to release its pricing in the campaign prior to anyone even tasting the wine and it saw no drop in price from the year before. This was seen as a bit of a middle finger to the market and premonition for pricing strategies to come.

If any wine was to do it, I guess this was the one.  65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Bio-dynamically farmed, and  a portion fermented in amphorae. The nose is elegant and perfumed with plush red fruits. The light-medium bodied palate is bright and soft with raspberry fruit doing the work. Some earthy nuances show through. Tannins are fine and silky and carry through the finish. A text book example of a feminine wine. More Burgundy than Paulliac, but a wine that is sure to gain respect as it ages. 94+ points

Ch Pichon Comtesse 2013

Another bad boy made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and does it show! They have just opened their new tasting room that backs right onto Chateau Latour and over looks Chateau Nuclear (the nuclear power station just across the river)

Dark, rich and muscular cassis fruit on the medium bodied palate. The tannins are delicate and very fine grained. I don’t have much past experience with Pichon Comtesse other than a few 1970s and 1980s examples for context, but I do like this style. Its modern and relies on the fruit rather than tricks. Honest, but clearly the ‘money-ball’ that went on in 2013 would have helped. 93 Points

Pichon Baron

Ch Pichon Baron 2013

The grander of the two Pichon estate. Huge turrets and a mirror/reflection pool making the building itself even more intimidating. If I could take one property to be my private residence, this would be it.

82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot. The fruit on both the nose and on the palate is redder than that of the Comtesse and comes across a little more forces also. Over extraction is evident, but is not as clear as in many of the lesser wines. 91 Points

Ch Lynch Bages 2013

Situated on the hill of Bages in the heart of Paulliac. Jean-Michel Cazes, owner of the estate, is one of the only French people who gets how to market wine. They have holdings well beyond Lynch Bages, but this winery is a great example of how he gets it. Go into the little village of bage (of which he owns all) and you get the idea. The ugliness of Paulliac is blocked by buidlings and leaves visitors to enjoy only what he has to offer. A top hotel, Michelin restaurant as well as a great bistro and of course, the gift shop. Do your tour (not many places do) and then exit through the gift shop. I love it.

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. The nose is a touch dusty, but I get this from many Lynch Bages. The plum fruit makes up the core but has complex elements of graphite and spice. Oak present, but nicely in balance. Looks good to me. 91 points.

Ch Haut Bages Liberal

Good fruit concentration on the palate. The sweet raspberry cordial makes for a somewhat artificial flavor profile and doesn’t make you thing of classified growth wine. Tannins good and wine in balance. 87 points.

Ch Grand Puy Lacoste 2013

This wine is a favourite of many including me not only because of its quality, but also for its value. 

Nicely ripe red fruit characters are at the fore and there is a lovely freshness about it. The acidity is in balance and the tannins are both fine and ripe. The length is great, and combined with all preceding it, makes for an very enjoyable and high quality wine that is sure to be something special in the years to come. 91 points

Ch Grand Puy Ducasse 2013

The Chateau is located on the Quai de Paulliac, an area that looks a little bit like the Cote d’Azur if you were wearing brown sunglasses. I think it may be the only place in the world where ‘water views’ actually reduce land value.

The wine has good concentration of fruit flavours but has the alcohol sticking out a little. I like its persistence of flavours, but it lacks enough to get me really interested. 89 points

Chateau Croizet Bages 2013

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot. Plum is the elephant in the room with this one. Its extracted, out of balance, over oaked and drying on the finish. I am sure that it will become an OK wine, but it context, its just not in the league. 84 points

Ch Clerc Milon 2013

I need to learn more about this Chateau as the wines of theirs that I have tried, I really do love. Nice plum and cassis fruit presents on the palate. Its slightly dilute, but it is not overpowered by either oak or tannin. The finish shows the fruit carrying through until the end. 89+ points

Ch Batailley 2013

Run by the man himself, Fred Casteja, who showed me around his Chateau on my last visit to Bordeaux and opened up some crazy back vintages including 1961, 1970, 1982, 1996, 2000 and 2005. It was generosity that has left me with incredibly fond memories of this Chateau. 

The fruit is dark and nicely ripe. The oak is sweet and toasty and while a little high, is still attractive. The tannins are fine but a little sappy at this stage. 88 Points

Ch d’Armailhac 2013

Also owned by the Rothschild family and known in the region as the half Chateau due to its appearance of looking like half a building. Its small, interesting and so out of place its cool.

The nose opens with dark fruits aromas with subtle hints of spice, toasty oak and chocolate coming through. The palate shows the same fruits as on the nose but the oak that smelled balanced is a little prominent and results in a slightly bitter finish. 88 points

Margaux En Primeur - 2013 Vintage

                                    

Ch Margaux 2013

Another big boy. Tasted with Paul Pontallier the technical director at Margaux. We also managed to blag a few friends into the tasting with us. Oh what you can get away with as a girl.

94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This si the first vintage of Margaux with no merlot. Very low yields at 23 hectolitres per hectare.

Dense sweet cassis fruit. Medium bodied with plenty of charm and charisma. Nothing is forced or over worked and has a real feminine feel about it. The tannins are fine silky and mouth coating . 80-90% new oak has been used, but it is so well integrated. A thoroughly complex wine from start to finish and one of the stars of the vintage. 95+ Points

Pavillon Rouge by Ch Margaux 2013

The second wine of Château Margaux is still at more than double its top 2nd growth neigbours of Rauzan Segla and Lascombe. It’s a crazy world we live in. the genius of marketing.

84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Soft ripe red fruits with no sign of over extraction and under ripeness. Its no secret a lot of money was spent on the selection process and that a lot of the Chateaus production went to either the third wine or was sold off in bulk. The fruit does all the talking in this wine and is followed by tiny tannins and a long finish. 91 Points

Pavillon Blanc by Ch Margaux 2013

Expensive Sauvignon Blanc. Doesn’t makes sense to me, but this is made in such a tiny volume and is in such high demand it works.

Lots of clove spice on the nose leading to citrus fruits and a slight grassy edge. Sauvignon Blanc the driving force but so different to any I have tried before. Hints of honey, well integrated oak, toast and length for days. A revelation in my perception of Sauvignon Blanc, but its price tag will stop me from it becoming more that a fleeting moment of enjoyment. 93+ Points

Alter Ego de Palmer Margaux 2013
Sweet cherry fruit that has that almost confectionary feel about it, but that does not take away from its quality. Nicely balanced with a nice freshness about it. Tannins are ripe and finish the wine well. 89+ points

Chateau Palmer Margaux 2013
Palmer has to be one of, if not my favourite Chateau in the Medoc. As you drive up the ‘Routes des Chateaux’, its turrets stand out with its British, Dutch and French flags proudly flying above and gives the first glimpse of the grand buildings of the region. Once a part of the D’Issan estate, the property was divided by its heirs in 1748. Re-named to Palmer in 1814 after its purchase by General Palmer a retired British officer, the property has since passed through several hands until its current owners purchased in 1937. While from the road, Palmer intimidates with its grand Chateau, as you walk around it you actually realize its is somewhat of a façade. What is seen is actually the long face of the thin rectangular building. The current Chateau wasn’t actually build until 1856 following the official classification, in an almost ‘oh shit, we actually need a Chateau now’ moment. As you could guess from their similarities, the architect commissioned was the same man who design Pichon-Baron.

Now to the wine. This was the second wine I tasted during the En Primeurs and gave me a skewed idea of what the Primeurs were actually going to be like. Tasted again about a month later and its quality, now set more in context, was just as high. One of the wines of the vintage with fresh cassis and plum fruit really driving the wine. So much more complexity than the Alter Ego with but with a similar medium bodied weight. The merlot really is doing the work in this wine giving it its gentle personality. 95+ points

Chateau D’Issan Margaux 2013
I spent a bit of time waiting outside the tasting room at D’Issan some colleagues from the UK were running slightly late. While usually tardiness is a pet hate, it did give me time to really admire the property itself. A lot of people and properties throw the word ‘Chateau’ (directly translating to castle) about quite willy-nilly using it on their labels only to turn up and realize it no grander or bigger than some houses on Sydney’s North-Shore. Well D’Issan does not fall into this bucket. Its walled vineyard sets its almost medieval tone as you arrive at the Chateau which has a moat and proper turret. It could easily with-stand my ‘Chateau test’ of with standing an invasion of 100 men with spears and swords.

74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot aged in 50% New oak. The fruit is much darker that that of the second label Blasson D’Issan and the earthiness that presents itself by its side adds another layer of complexity also. The palate show defined blackcurrant fruit albeit with a slight confectionary element. The tannins are fine and one of the more attractive things about the wine.

Now for the bad things. Over-extraction is hard not to notice as the fruit turns slightly bitter on the finish reminding me of Altoid candies. The intensity of the finish dies slighty towards the end. 89 points.

Ch Rauzan Segla 2013

Owned by the same family as Chanel and situated between Marquis de Terme, Rauzan Gassies and across the road from Chateau Margaux. Segla is a clear winner of the wines of Margaux at the UGC tasting and only outshone by Palmer and Margaux itself for the best of the appellation.

Dark ripe cassis fruit with hits of chocolate and ground brown spices show on the nose. The palate is medium-full bodied with sweet black currant, fine velvety tannins and a long persistent finish. 92 Points.

Ch Rauzan Gassies 2013

The lesser of the two Rauzan estates, but never the less a great Chateau. 

Similar flavor profile to the Segla but with more extraction used to achieve the same intensity. Oak is more prominent than its neighbor, but has similar length. Not a bad wine, but I would be buying next door. 89 points

Ch Priere Lichine 2013

Bought and renamed by Alexis Lichine, the famous French wine writer. No doubt he made/inherited money elsewhere also as we all know there is no money in writing. Its downfall came when its past owner, post Alexis, took over. Lets just say as the quality of cocaine rose in France, the quality of wine at Prieure Lichine dropped. It almost became the first Classified Bordeaux Chateau to come under Australian rule when Len Evans made a bit in the late 80s.

Plenty to say about the winery, not so much to say about the wine. Dark mulberry and plum fruit up front but with a confectionary edge that detracts from the wine overall. Not greatly balanced and see a bitter oak finish. 86 points.

Ch Marquis de Terme 2013

Located next to the two Rauzan wineries. Top marks for the lunch that they put on, and for serving Egly Ouriet Champagne as we entered.

The fruit on the palate is sweet but over extracted. Its drying in the mouth and has an astringency about it. 85 points

Ch Lascombes 2013

Second growth. Beautiful winery. Troubling modern history. Previously owned by Americans, now owned by a bank or insurance agency. They are both the same thing to me.

Nice mix of fruit on the palate. Good intensity yet over powered by the new oak. A lot of wood on the finish, but never the less, one of the more drinkable wines. 88 Points

Ch Giscours 2013

One of the grandest properties in Margaux. Large estate and what land they have that is not suitable for vines, has been turned into a cricket pitch!

Sweet confectionary red fruit. Nice line of oak that hits softly at first and carries through the finish even if it is a bit short. The tannins are sandy, but ripe. not a bad wine. 88 Points

Ch Desmirail 2013

I may be the only person in the world that actually liked this wine, but it stood out amongst the pack. The nose is characterful with fresh fruit accompanied by spice and toasty oak. The palate presents sweet ripe black currant fruit and does not appear over extracted. The finish has good length, putting it amongst the better Margaux. 89 Points

Ch Cantenac Brown 2013

One of the more forgotten classified wines, Cantenac Brown is located in the village of Cantenac that falls under the Margaux umbrella.

The varietal nose shows fresh cassis and plum with shavings of chocolate and Asian five-spice. Its length is good and doesn’t finish with any bitterness. 89 Points