2012 UGC

Singapore
Tasted Thursday, March 5, 2015 - Friday, March 6, 2015 by pavel_p with 705 views

Introduction

After having missed the 2011 UGC last year, I was very curious to try this rather modest vintage and see how it compares to 2009 and 2010 at such an early stage. Unfortunately I came very late to the tasting, and had about 40 minutes to go through some 30 wines. Hence the notes on the wines which I did not find particularly interesting and attractive are extremely brief and are more for my own reference and comparison than to provide much insights to others. I did however try to spend a bit more time and taste twice where possible the few wines I thought stood out of the rather unremarkable mass. Both for whites and reds I thought Domaine de Chevalier was very good. Unlike most of the other whites, which seemed strangely flat and often a bit oily, the Domaine de Chevalier Blanc had good freshness and showed already some more complex flavours. Among the reds, again I thought the Domaine de Chevalier showed most promise, with plenty of oak but also bright red fruit and the best length of all wines tasted. On the other hand I thought Gruaud Larose was the most complete and balanced wine with a bigger body than most but again also showing already some more complexity. While I definitively prefer my Bordeaux somewhat more mature, the 2012 Gruaud Larose is the only red among the ones tasted that I could see myself opening and enjoying right now.
Lastly, while I know very little about Sauternes, I did find the Clos Haut Peyraguey rather nice and head and shoulder above the other two tasted

Flight 1 - The Whites (6 Notes)

Given the vintage, was expecting more freshness in the whites which to my surprise most were not showing. Particularly Pape Clement and Fieuzal were on the oily side without showing much at this point in time, and while I assume they will develop more complexity over time, it is not my preferred style of white. Clear favorite here for me hence Domaine de Chevalier

Flight 2 - The reds (22 Notes)

While nice enough, most of the reds were not remarkable with the expected lighter color (dark ruby or light garnet) and light to medium bodies. While I did not find the wines overoaked, some of the smaller producers showed some woody tannins on the relatively light palate. Favorites again Domaine de Chevalier as the wine with most upside and Gruaud Larose for the most complete wine in my eyes. Since I have a few bottles of the 2012 Domaine de Chevalier, the Gruaud Larose is probably the only white I would (opportunistically) seek out at this point in time, for the rest I would wait 4-5 years and see how they develop and whether they are worth buying given the plenty alternatives available at similar prices (08, 04, 01).

Flight 3 - Sauternes (3 Notes)

The better known producers were gone as the event was over by the time I got to Sauternes but I did enjoy the elegant Clos Haut Peyraguey.

  • 2012 Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (3/6/2015)

    My knowledge of (and interest in) Sauternes is very limited but I liked this wine which showed good complexity with a noble and well balanced palate. The fact that it was served very cool helped to make the sweetness for me just right. Nice!

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  • 2012 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (3/6/2015)

    Even though this was served just as cool as the Clos Haut Peyraguey I found this overly sweet, and beyond the sweetness could not find much complexity or interest here

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  • 2012 Château de Rayne-Vigneau 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (3/6/2015)

    This had some awkward grassy and herbal notes which did not work for me in a sweet wine

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Closing

Need to make sure I can arrive to the UGC tasting earlier next time around...

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