left-bank Bordeaux tasting – six wines/six vintages
K&L Redwood City
Tasted Saturday, December 3, 2022 by WindFlyer with 99 views
Introduction
Neither a horizontal nor a vertical, but a good survey all the same:
* four recent vintages were represented (2015-2018)
* two older vintages were represented (2008 and 1988, plus a bonus 1994)
* four AOCs were represented (Paullac, St-Julien, Margaux, and Pessag-Léognan)
Flight 1 (6 Notes)
Flight 2 (1 Note)
Closing
this was a wonderful opportunity to taste a wide variety back-to-back and gain some insight and conclusions.
with respect to the younger vintages, i could not say whether any one was better or worse, as the styles and AOCs represented make that a useless exercise. but those styles and AOCs are informative and illuminating of one's personal preferences if one goes from the assumption that each producer's style plays to the strengths of his terroir.
so, in a set where power is the hallmark, finesse won for me… and yeah, there is that right bank too!
2017 Pauillac de Latour 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Latour's third (!!!) wine… quite approachable now.
black fruit dominates the nose with pleasant whiffs of lavender, spice and graphite. quite full in the mouth, the tannic core is still a bit upfront but rich fruit emanates gently (cassis, blackcurrants) and unfolds some complexity (cedar, herbal notes). clear acidity runs thru long finish with an herbal edge. a good decant should open it up some more.
53% Cab Sauv., 40% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot; 13% AbV
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2018 Château Léoville Barton 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
dark purple colour with substantial body. the nose is very generous with the (mainly black) fruit notes and these are punctuated by whiffs of tobacco, menthol and earth. full-feeling in the mouth, it is muscular and powerful. the tannins are fine-grained but they are still a bit too dominant over the fruit at the moment… but such beautiful fruit there is, and such delightful accents peering thru as well.
this is, i think, far too young… a good handful of years may be enough for its greatness to really come together. upside potential here.
82% Cab Sauv., 18% Merlot; 60% new wood for eighteen months
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2016 Château Rauzan-Ségla 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
deep purplish garnet in the glass, the nose is a bit reticent at first. once it opens, it is delightful… blackcurrants, rose petals, sandalwood, black tea, cigar box. in the mouth it is ample, with a juicy, fresh feel. the same notes from the nose parade thru the palate backed by still grippy though fine tannins.
it is obviously quite young, but even now there is a purity and effortless elegance about this wine that is remarkable: everything is in great balance. it should be interesting to see how it develops… there is quite a bit there to go some distance, but already a lot of finesse.
68% Cab Sauv/ 30% Merlot/ 2% Petit Verdot; 60% new oak for eighteen months
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2015 Château Pape Clément 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
dark and opaque and broody in the glass but inviting in the nose. rich and ripe fruit aromas laced with mocha, spices, and bay leaf. very full in the mouth with very concentrated fruit and powerful tannic structure. the finish is long and reveals nuances in the flavours and bodes well for the long life this wine should have. while it is bold and has a lot of power, it has good balance.
56% Cab Sauv/ 40% Merlot/ 4% Cab Franc; 80% new oak for eighteen months
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2006 Château Pontet-Canet 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
this was double decanted an hour or so before the tasting… my expectation was for a somewhat mature Bordeaux well in its drinking window… it seems a bit more time may be needed here.
very dark and opaque in the glass, the nose is redolent of red and black fruit with whiffs of herbs, graphite, and earth. in the mouth it is still very tight, with the tannins yielding little of their grip for quite some time. once the fruit emerges it grows in concentration and goes into a rather long finish with a surprising sweet aftertaste.
some upside potential here.
65% Cab Sauv/ 30% Merlot/ 3% Cab Franc/ 2% Petit Verdot.
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1988 Château Gruaud Larose 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
dark in the middle with some bricking on the rim and funk on the nose. quite a bit of funk… that does let blackberry and plum fruit aromas to come thru, but nearly drowns the herbal and tea notes. medium- to full-bodied in the mouth with a tangy, aged tone to the fruit and tannins that are still firm. there is good balance between secondary and tertiary flavours and the wine still has an energy that somewhat masks its thirty-five years. peppery and spice twist to the finish.
interesting window into an older style of Bordeaux.
57% Cab Sauv/ 31% Merlot/ 7% Cab Franc/ 2% Malbec
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