Bordeaux UGC 2013
Singapore
Tasted May 27, 2016 by pavel_p with 527 views
Introduction
Was curious to try this "worst since 1991" Bordeaux vintage at arrivage. Not as bad as I was fearing but of course there is nothing too exciting either. For me the best wines were the ones from producers who have already in past vintages gained experience with a more modern and extracted style, i.e. Pape Clement, Smith Haut Lafitte, Bon Paster and to a certain extend also Leoville Poyferre. While heavy extraction is certainly not my preferred style in good and very good vintages, these producers did very well in 2013. Wine makers less experienced with such an approach produced either too woody wines (e.g. Langoa Barton and to a lesser extend also Leoville Barton) or very light but still fairly oaky wines (e.g. Domaine de Chevalier which unlike in many other vintages I did not like). The exception was perhaps Gruaud Larose which I found remarkably light, elegant and balanced. Also I found Pomerol overall probably the best appellation and much better than the few St. Emilion (Canon, Clos Fourtet) I tried, where the lack of concentration and muted aromatics was very evident with the round but rather diluted Merlot.
Among the white Graves, it was in my eyes clearly Pape Clement standing out with a complex and expressive wine, followed by Smith Haut Lafitte and Domaine de Chevalier.
Flight 1 - Graves whites (7 notes)
White
2013 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
More oily in the glass than the Fieuzal, even a touch of exotic fruit on the nose, rounder and more persistent on the palate than Fieuzal. 89-90
White
2013 Château Olivier Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Style-wise somewhere between the Fieuzal and Larrivet. More citrus here than Larrivet but not the most expressive or interesting white. 88-89
White
2013 Château Pape Clément Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Nose a bit closed, a touch of brioche/toast, some grassy notes, more complex palate than the earlier whites, a touch of oak but not overdone. Good length. The best white of this 2013 tasting.
White
2013 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Just like the Pape CLement seems also a bit closed, good complexity and balance but does not have the length of the Pape Clement in this vintage. 91-92
White
2013 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Some grassy notes, fresh with plenty of citrus, oak well integrated, good complexity on the palate but Pape Clement a touch better in my eyes this year. 92-93
Flight 2 - Graves reds (7 notes)
Given the rather modern wine making approach of Pape Clement and Smith Haut Lafitte in recent years, Graves was among the best appellations of this tasting. Domaine de Chevalier Rouge was disappointing this year in my eyes.
Red
2013 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
More ruby than garnet. Pretty nose with red fruit and a touch of oak, on the palate not particularly expressive, the fruit is light, some strawberry and red fruit, the oak is not yet integrated, some tannins. Just ok. 89-90
Red
2013 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Darker than Domaine de Chevalier in terms of color in the glass and fruit, clearly more extraction with fine to medium tannins, oak is better integrated though. 89-90
Red
2013 Château Carbonnieux
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
More ruby than garnet, not very expressive but still with some tannins, short. 87-88
Red
2013 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Light garnet, sweet and dark fruit, fairly generous and round with not hard edges. Nice for near term drinking 89-90.
Red
2013 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Roasted meat on the nose, red and dark fruit, fairly juicy, toasted oak, some tannins. Pretty good!
Red
2013 Château Pape Clément
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Earthy nose, nice and fairly rich and juicy fruit, some tannins to be integrated. Nice - just like the white this is the best Graves in 2013 and one of the very best reds of the tasting.
Flight 3 - St. Julien (6 notes)
Red
2013 Château Gruaud Larose
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Ruby, a lighter and more red fruited style similar to Domaine de Chevalier in the same vintage however this has brighter fruit and is much more elegant and balanced. Herbal nose, fine tannins. Well done and good for drinking now. 91-92
Red
2013 Château Langoa Barton
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Garnet, fairly woody, good and fairly juicy fruit but somewhat drying tannins. 89-90
Red
2013 Château Léoville Poyferré
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Garnet, earth, dark and red fruit, good balance of fruit and tannins, good length. One of the best wines of the tasting, round and complete. Nice to drink now but will also last for a while. 92-93
Red
2013 Château Léoville Barton
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Ruby / garnet, still a fair bit of oak and wood that is yet to integrate, good but a tad simple for Leoville Barton, Leoville Poyferre clearly better in 2013.
Red
2013 Château Branaire-Ducru
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Round and soft, some animal notes, a touch of oak. Not a wine I usually care fore too much but this was showing pretty well. 90-91
Red
2013 Château Beychevelle
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Light garnet with a purple touch in the glass, easy drinking with fresh and clean fruit, good finish. 90-91
Flight 4 - Margaux (6 notes)
Red
2013 Château Rauzan-Ségla
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Fairly generous fruit, some earth, fine to medium tannins, the Margaux typicity shows perhaps a bit on the sweeter and aromatic finish. Nice wine. 91-92
Red
2013 Château Kirwan
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Compared to the 2013 Rauzan Segla this is a lighter style of Bordeaux but also the use of wood is lighter so the balance works here as well.
Red
2013 Château Giscours
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
A more herbal nose than most of the other 2013 at the tasting, the palate is however rather round and relatively rich for the vintage. A good wine if not very typical Margaux.
Red
2013 Château Lascombes
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
More oaky and international/modern style of Bordeaux / Margaux. Nice but certainly not a must have.
Red
2013 Château du Tertre
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Seems a bit thin on the palate and attack but shows more weigth on the mid palate with sweet and juicy fruit. 89-90
Red
2013 Château Brane-Cantenac
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Again a bit diluted for my taste, easy drinking for sure. Nice to see Henri Lurton making the effort despite (or because?) such a difficult vintage and pouring the wines himself. Chapeau
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