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.
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