La Manche Wine Circle - Lalande de Pomerol

Yet again, a good time was had by all. One (or maybe two) wines worth the money and some great spicy food afterwards thanks to Amanda.

• 2001 Château Belles-Graves Les Terrasses 83 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Pretty, bright mid-dark robe not showing much age. Perfumed nose first expressing lovely oak and leather aromas then the fruit – cassis – and a touch of pepper and liquorice. Very balanced on the palate where the fruit fully expresses itself. Mid-length, fresh finish. Drinking well now and should improve further.

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• 2005 Château Jean de Gue 79 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Plummy, dark red. Spicy cedar on a sweet cassis fruit with an interesting eau-de-cologne secondary aroma. Lively and clean on the palate with good grip and a medium length. Still too young to judge along with some of the older wines. Drinking much better the following day. Should be put away 2-3 years.

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• 2000 Château L'Évéché Lalande de Pomerol 78 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Mid-dark robe with slightly browning tints. Some power on the nose which expresses a nice balance of fruit and old oak. Over-ripe fruit inc. apple and cassis with a savoury touch and a hint of something chemical. Smooth palate with a mouth-watering fruit and a slight bitterness on the short finish. A tad thin. Drink-up?

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• 2006 Château des Grands Moines 71 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Mid-dark ‘burgundy’ red with purple tints. Fruity nose (cassis) and a minty aroma with a touch of almond – reminding the panel of light Saumur Champigny (big proportion of Cab Franc perhaps?) Very soft and a bit flat, not long and lacking acidity. Drink-up with a summer barbecue.

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• 2004 Château Tour de Marchesseau 70 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Mid-dark with ox-blood rim – would guess this to be one of the older wines in the flight! Aromatic oak, spicy, slight fruit and a touch of minty eucalyptus. Soft, fresh, not powerful nor long. To drink if faced with no alternative.

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Disappointing for those of us who were expecting the power of Pomerol, but on the whole a decent batch of lighter style Merlots. But the prices! The Belles-Graves, for a 2nd wine, is a wonderful example of the AOC matured correctly with five or six years in the bottle and still going strong – no one guessed that this wine was the 2001! The Saint Jean de Gué is (hopefully) in its dumb phase and should mature interestingly. Was the flat, soft, almost flabby nature of some of the wines due to excessive temperature? The wines were decanted at 18oC but the room was more like 25oC.