Bentley Reserve, SF
Tasted Saturday, January 30, 2016 by RajivAyyangar with 626 views
Full note with diagram of floor layout: https://www.evernote.com/l/ABb2_TvhZd1Jg7NXJf44fs7SkPZbglYswK8
Not the greatest tasting for me- I didn't have a clear impression of a lot of the wines, and it was a bit chaotic. Palate wise I was initially concerned I was getting over a cold, but the Pessac whites and the Lynch Bages reassured me that when a wine was good, I could taste it in detail. I tried to avoid scoring wines when I was doubtful I had a fair impression.
However I was excited to hone in on the celery soda / key lime pie note in the Pessac whites! I felt like I had a minor epiphany there. Bdx Blanc seems to be all about that balance of greenness, tensile acidity, minerality, and opulence from the elevated alcohol and oak.
Wines I scored around 9:
Pessac Whites:
-Dom. de Chevalier
-Pape Clement
Pauillac:
-Lynch Bages
-Pichon Baron
St. Emilion:
-Canon
Wines I scored between 8.5-9:
Pessac Whites:
-de Fieuzal
-Carbonnieux
-Olivier
-Smith Haut Lafitte
Margaux:
-Cantenac Brown
St. Julien:
-Branaire-Ducru
-Gruaud-Larose
-Leoville Poyferre
Sauternes:
-Lafaurie-Peyraguey
-de Fargues
Wines I scored around 8.5:
Pessac Whites:
-Malartic-Lagraviere
St. Estephe:
-Lafon-Rochet
St. Julien
-Lagrange
-Leoville Barton
Margaux:
-Brane-Cantenac
-Prieure-Lichine
-Rauzan-Segla
Sauternes:
-Suduiraut
-Doisy-Daene
This was the most exciting grouping for me - I finally got a good scent-impression of what oaked sauvignon blanc tastes like. In all the major wines I tasted a note best described as celery soda, grass with cream soda, or key lime pie.
Overall, these were lighter and thinner than the 2011’s. Noticeably absent was the chocolate-covered blackcurrant note from the merlot-dominant wines. Canon still had some nice things going on.
Overall these were indistinguishable from the St. Emilions. The chocolate-covered blackcurrant note was absent.
Relatively strong quality across the board, especially given the vintage. There was some tannin silkiness at play too.
Some of the wines were classically floral/aromatic, but overall the quality was really spotty.
I think I prefer my Sauternes one of two ways: aged to the point where the savory character is more prominent, or with much stronger acid than most of these display.
2013 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Slightly reductive. Grassy celery soda (oaked sauv blanc nose). Elevated alcohol with high acid. Very nice! Between 8.5 and 9.
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2013 Château Pape Clément Blanc 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Beautiful and creamier than the Smith Haut Lafitte. Grapefruit and grass plus celery soda and key lime pie. Slight impression of tannins - maybe from oak? Well-contained alcohol at 13.5%
18 months elevage in 60% new oak. They do lots of battonage - daily for the first week or so.
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2013 Château Olivier Blanc 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Strong lime peel. Key lime pie. Creamy but more aggressive acid than the Pape clement. 40% new oak.
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2013 Château Olivier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Very open. Good fruit and significant oak. Significant Merlot presence on the nose. Palate is fleshy and soft. Medium tannins.
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2013 Château Carbonnieux Blanc 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Absolutely classic. Celery soda and grass. Key lime pie. Fresh acidity, in the medium-plus to high range.
30% semillon, 70% sauv blanc. 10 months in 1/3 new oak. They mostly use new oak on the semillon, and 2nd/3rd use barrels on the sauv blanc. 85-90
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2013 Château de Fieuzal Blanc 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Green grass / celery soda / key lime pie (oaked sauv blanc) is in the background. Very honeyed (48% semillon!) with slight cream. Quite developed for 2013 (18 months elevate, 40% new oak, some in concrete eggs, some in 400L acacia barrels. Very distinctive. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Julia Harding thought this might have some botrytis (honey) but I asked and the rep was emphatic that they never have botrytis. Maybe it's the semillon?
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2013 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Intense and captivating nose. Tropical yet tensile. The grassy celery soda / key lime pie / oaked sauv blanc note is present as well. Moderate alcohol (I guessed 13.5% - it’s 13%). The 2011 was a bit warmer (14%). Acidity is long, lingering, and brings lots of light to the palate. 18 months in 40% new oak. This was an above-average year for whites in Pessac. Score: Around 9.
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2013 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 84 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Nice grassy cream soda nose but less en point in fruit ripeness than the other 2013’s.
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2013 Château de France Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Lean and mean with slight cream. 40% new oak - blind I’d guess around 20%.
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2013 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
A bit acrid. Slight note of overripe peach but without tropical support. Less oak influence than its compatriots.
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2013 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc 83 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Leaner and more fresh-cut grass pyrazines than the others. Between 8 and 8.5
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