Amsterdam UGCB Tasting

Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL
Tasted Monday, June 21, 2021 by Xavier Auerbach with 434 views

Introduction

During two sessions, five hours in total, I managed to taste 70 Bordeaux wines from the 2018 vintage. It was a marvellous tasting, sitting down, with wines of your choice served in flights of three by very diligent staff. A big thanks to Dutch wine magazine Perswijn for giving me this opportunity. The 2018 vintage is by no means a uniformly great vintage. Spring and early summer were cool and wet, but from July it was very hot and very dry. Not all vineyards and not all vignerons coped equally well with these challenging circumstances. On the left bank it really paid off to have a vineyard that "can see the river", and/or to be on the slightly richer soils in the north of the Haut-Médoc. On the right bank, the vineyards on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion and the couronne of Pomerol were clearly at and advantage, whilst vineyards on lighter, sandier soils suffered. In 2018 the wine was clearly made in the vineyard, but some wine makers on the right bank used the opportunity of a rich and ripe vintage for some good old over-extraction. The best wines of 2018 however, strike a seamless balance between richness and freshness, concentration and elegance. Personal favourites on the left bank are Rauzan-Ségla, Beychevelle, Léoville-Barton and Les Carmes Haut-Brion, with Batailley and Lafon-Rochet delivering excellent value for money. On the right bank I rated Canon, Clinet, Pavie-Macquin and Valandraud very highly, with Canon-la-Gaffeliere and Bon Pasteur close on their heels. For the dry whites it is not an easy year, but I will buy Domaine de Chevalier Blanc with confidence (I am still working my way through a case of the 2003). I tasted too few Sauternes to get a representative impression, but I really liked Clos Haut-Peyraguey.

Flight 1 - Haut-Médoc (5 Notes)

Flight 2 - Margaux (8 Notes)

  • 2018 Château d'Angludet 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Lovely nose, very expressive, flowers and ripe blackcurrants, energetic and fresh, nice balance and tension, slightly dry finish.

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  • 2018 Château Cantenac Brown 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Relatively meaty and spicy style, not as linear and precise as many other wines in this tasting, comfortable but a bit loose.

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  • 2018 Château Desmirail 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Expressive nose, ripe fruit and flowers supported by some smoky oak, quite firm and structured on the palate but the tannins seem ripe, complete finish, good length.

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  • 2018 Château Giscours 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Tight and tannic and very closed, not easy to assess, but energy and tension seem very good, as are balance and precision. Needs time.

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  • 2018 Château Lascombes 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Powerful but not overdone. Concentrated, good ripe fruit, hint of red meat, firm tannins, a masculine Margaux but nothing sticks out, clearly a long haul wine but should get there.

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  • 2018 Château Prieuré-Lichine 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Spices and flowers, cranberries, freshness and grippy tannins, long and tight finish.

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  • 2018 Château Rauzan-Ségla 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    This is lovely! Flowers, spices, blackcurrants and cherries, cream and silk, firm but paper-fine tannins, complete and elegant, très Margaux in a voluptuous style.

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  • 2018 Château du Tertre 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Not an easy wine to relate to. Meaty, spicy, warm fruit and a sense of floral freshness, supple and grippy at the same time, good length.

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Flight 3 - Saint-Julien (8 Notes)

  • 2018 Château Beychevelle 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Elegant, stylish, complete, everything in place, relaxed and flowing, blackcurrants and flowers, displays real Saint-Julien balance and harmony, with some extra ripe fruit ladled on top, big tannins covered in flesh. Quite stunning.

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  • 2018 Château Branaire-Ducru 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Attractive ripe fruit but the acidity seems a bit agressive, quite coarse in texture, the tannins on the other hand are ripe and the finish is complete.

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  • 2018 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Ripe fruit, slightly earthy, solid and satisfying rather than exciting, ripe tannins, well integrated oak.

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  • 2018 Château Langoa Barton

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    The nose has an unexpected leafy aroma, and in spite of a good charge of ripe fruit, it does not come close to the authority displayed by its elder brother in this vintage. The finish seems a bit muddled. Retaste. Not rated.

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  • 2018 Château Léoville Barton 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    The nose is an essence of ripe Cabernet-Sauvignon supported by warmth from the wood, the palate is powerful and concentrated but energetic and fresh, with excellent tannic grip and a long, tight finish. Will drink well young or old, and should last a long time.

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  • 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Well balanced, elegant and generous, comfortable and harmonious, slightly sweet and spicy oak, attractive fluffy fruit, velvety tannins, relaxed and flowing wine, everything in place, delivers what you would expect from Poyferré in 2018.

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  • 2018 Château Saint-Pierre 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Powerful and burly style, ripe black fruit, well integrated oak, big but ripe tannins, velvety texture, very good persistence. Needs time but should get there.

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  • 2018 Château Talbot 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Earthy nose, quite fierce tannins, powerful and concentrated but dry and aloof.

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Flight 4 - Pauillac (5 Notes)

  • 2018 Château d'Armailhac 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Fresh and transparent, lovely floral aromatics and bright red fruit, satiny texture, moderate tannins, true to type, shows restraint, perfectly integrated oak, good length.

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  • 2018 Château Batailley 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Classic Pauillac, blackcurrants and spices, violets, lovely freshness and integration, pure and expressive, paper-fine tannins, energetic but flowing, real elegance and finesse.

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  • 2018 Château Clerc Milon 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Richer, riper and rounder than its stablemate d’Armailhac, spicy warmth, well balanced, attractive, supple but with good tannic grip, hint of liquorice root on the finish. A complete package.

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  • 2018 Château Lynch-Bages 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This is a rich and velvety Lynch-Bages, clearly displaying the warmth of the vintage in its spicy depth, but it is not playful or charming, it is a bit earthbound in this vintage.

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  • 2018 Château Lynch-Moussas 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Solid, grippy, energetic, masculine, food wine.

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Flight 5 - Saint-Estephe (3 Notes)

  • 2018 Château Lafon-Rochet 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    A successful 2018, very complete, the terroir clearly excelled in this vintage. Rich and rounded but precise and fresh, ripe but with lovely lift, creamy texture, perfectly integrated oak, very fine tannins, excellent length. An outperformer.

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  • 2018 Château Ormes de Pez 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Meaty and spicy, fleshy red berries, ripe and gourmand but firmly structured, big tannins but with flesh to match.

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  • 2018 Château Phélan Ségur 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    A bit anonymous, solid, complete, generous and very tannic, has potential but not much individuality.

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Flight 6 - Pessac-Léognan Rouge (5 Notes)

  • 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Spectacular nose, ripe Cabernet Franc in excelsis, remarkably elegant and playful palate, nothing out of place, layered and precise finish. Real finesse here.

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  • 2018 Domaine de Chevalier 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Deft wine making here, marries a sense of precision and elegance with ripe and sweet fruit, very carefully managed tannins, reminds me of the 2009 but with a much more delicate extraction.

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  • 2018 Château Haut-Bailly 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    A generous and ripe style for Haut-Bailly, quite spicy and warm, not the most refined of tannic textures, tight and dry finish.

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  • 2018 Château Pape Clément 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Yet another wine that has difficulty finding its balance. Stalky nose with a hint of cherry stones, ripe and creamy fruit, there is a certain freshness and some sweet oak, but it fails to convince.

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  • 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Sweet fruit and spicy oak, pretty tannic, lacks depth.

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Flight 7 - Saint-Émilion (15 Notes)

  • 2018 Château Balestard La Tonnelle 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Very tannic. It feels like I am back in 2005, when a ripe vintage was a good excuse to make fiercely tannic and overextracted wines.

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  • 2018 Château Canon 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Generous but elegant, effortless balance and harmony, ripe but cool, everything perfectly integrated, ripe cherries, gently smoky oak, supple but energetic, long and flowing finish.

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  • 2018 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    The ripe strawberry and raspberry fruit on the nose is an absolute joy, ripe but fresh, elegant but broad, flowers, supple and juicy, deceptively easy, hints of fresh meat and chalk, firm but finely grained tannins, lovely length.

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  • 2018 Château Dassault 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Lovely fruit of strawberries and raspberries, ripe and creamy but cool and fresh, grippy tannins will need some time to integrate, very little noticeable oak, hint of earth, good persistence.

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  • 2018 Château La Dominique 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Ripe red berries, solid and spicy, good fruit but not exciting. Tannic.

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  • 2018 Clos Fourtet 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Similar profile to the Canon tasted just before, but with much more tannic extraction, it’s burlier and grippier, not as elegant and flowing, the tannins block the finish. Needs time.

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  • 2018 Château Franc-Mayne 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Very ripe black fruit, rich and full and succulent palate, moderate extraction, new world in style, drinking well already, what’s not to like?

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  • 2018 Château Grand Mayne 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Very tannic. It’s got the ripe fruit, but those tannins are huge! Not sure where this is going, if anywhere. Non-committal score.

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  • 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    I had expected Larcis to be a ripe and powerful wine in 2018, with its vineyards exposed due south, but it seems to be quite stalky, cool and with grippy tannins. Retaste. Not rated.

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  • 2018 Château Pavie Macquin 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    As usual, Pavie-Macquin is quite an intellectual wine, powerful and concentrated but not showing much of itself today, rich and velvety but restrained by its chalky terroir high on the Côtes, impeccably constructed, long and complete finish.

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  • 2018 Château Soutard 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Soutard. A bit earthy and vegetal on the nose, black cherries on the palate, solid and creamy, no excess tannins, nice freshness and length. Optimistic score.

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  • 2018 Château Troplong Mondot 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Extraction-wise, this holds the middle ground between the Canon and the Clos Fourtet tasted just before. Pure and supple and succulent but well structured, ripe but firm, lift and concentration.

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  • 2018 Château Trotte Vieille 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    For a 2018, this is a pretty tightly coiled wine, and while there is some floral lift, it feels a bit stalky and the tannins are pretty drying. Cranberries. Lacks ripeness. Spicy finish. Heat stress? They have old vines…

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  • 2018 Château Valandraud 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Clearly one of the stars of the show today - as always in recent years. Rich and concentrated, almost decadent, but with immaculate minerality and freshness to balance the ripeness, velvety tannins covered in flesh, long and layered finish. Very attractive already, with the inner harmony to last a long time.

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  • 2018 Château Villemaurine 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Good ripe fruit and spice on the nose, tightly coiled palate, dry tannins on the finish.

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Flight 8 - Pomerol (6 Notes)

  • 2018 Château Le Bon Pasteur 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Delightfully creamy style, black cherries, glossy and spicy, finely grained tannins covered in flesh, coped very well with the heat. Beautifully made.

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  • 2018 Château Clinet 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Really shining in the powerful and masculine style of the Château, wonderfully floral and expressive, big tannins are perfectly integrated, tight finish, excellent length. Outstanding but needs time.

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  • 2018 Château La Croix de Gay 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Lifted Cabernet Franc and ripe Merlot, firm but ripe tannins, good presence on the palate, good resonance and length. Marries power and a certain charm.

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  • 2018 Château Gazin Pomerol 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Much lighter in style than the Clinet which preceded it, but it is elegant and expressive, floral and lifted, energetic and fresh, with good grip and length.

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  • 2018 Château Petit Village 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    All things considering, this is a bit dull. It’s big and ripe, but it’s solid rather than exciting, with grippy tannins. Its terroir deserves better.

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  • 2018 Château La Pointe

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Dry and tannic. Lacks fruit and charm. Hint of TCA? Not rated.

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Flight 9 - Pessac-Léognan Blanc (10 Notes)

Flight 10 - Sauternes (3 Notes)

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