78 points
Entre Deux Mers. 12%
Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle blend.
A sweet fruity cafe blend clearly pitched against New World Savvies.
Chateau Tour de Bonnet 2011
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Monthly Archives: July 2012
Edmond Cornu & Fils Chorey Les Beaune les bons ores 2007
75 points
Burgundy, France. 13%
The out of balance acidity is disappointing. But gradually a swamp water character starts to assert itself.
Nicolas Potel Nuits Saint-Georges les cailles 2009
89 points
Characterful, almost spicy Burgundy. Medium weight and concentration. Food friendly acidity. Drink now.
Viré-Cless, Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon 2009
80 points
Alcohol obvious. Unctuous burgundy.
Chateau Pedesclaux 1996
90 points
Pauillac. 12.5%
Odd wine. Weedy unclean nose. Rich feral palate. Plenty of glycerol gives weight without alcohol heat. There is a ripeness and vegetal flavours.
Clearly in recent years there was a major overhaul of winemaking operations.
Nevertheless it is an interesting wine. Drink now and enjoy.
Chateau Ferran 2009
88++ points
Pessac-Leognan. 13.5%
The wines of Graves seem to have even more marked tannins than others in 2009. Time will tell if these come into balance.
Chateau Gloria 2009
91+ points
Saint-Julien. 13.5%
Dark, shiney, strong rich bloody vital wine. Impressive. That said, I’ve yet to be ever charmed by a Gloria. And this one has to be 10 years or more away from gaining any charm. One for the cellar if you are to reap its true rewards.
Le Haut Medoc du Prieuré 2000
80 points
Haut-Medoc. 13%
i don’t know of this wine. Presumably like Giscours Chateau Prieure-Lichine owns some vineyard over the Margaux border that they are forbidden to use in the grand vin.
That said the wine is less interesting than its story. Plain. Fading.
Chateau Peyrabon 2009
88+ points
Haut-Medoc. 14%
Another ripe 2009. This one lacks excitment. Strong but undistinctive.
Chateau Latour Martillac 2007
88 points
Pessac-Leognan. 12.5%
surprisingly advanced colour. Gorgeous if oaky nose. Palate is flavoursome but the fruit, although it is strong is struggling to stand up to the oak.
Chateau D’Agassac 2009
90+ points
Haut-Medoc. 13%
50/50 Cab/Merlot blend is another astonishingly attractive young 2009 Bordeaux. This has a limey tone to it which sounds awful but quite the opposite it makes it fresh and interesting.
I don’t know this Chateau but I found their impressive website. They look very innovative. They have even bottled under screwcap (after a visit to Australia)! Very good to see.
Chateau Siaurac 2009
83 points
Lalande de Pomerol. 14.5%
Too ripe for me. It’s not blowsy or sweet but there is a bitterness and strength of alcohol. On a positive note I expect it will soften a little with a few years of age.
Chateau Senejac 2009
89+ points
Haut-Medoc. 13.5%
It’s interesting, and somewhat unexpected just how much the vineyard expresses itself inspite of the vintage (very distinctive, extraordinary) and the new ownership/operators – I believe that the Pontet-Canet team are in-charge and Senejac is now biodynamic.
But it’s still Senejac, with pronounced minerality even in such a sumptuous vintage. Terrior in action ?
Red fruits, firm palate, though tannins are ripe and soft. Not a blockbuster by any means, and hardly likely to stand out at a tasting. But food friendly. And cellar oriented too I think but I would expect it’s best development before 15 years of age.
Chateau Lynch-Moussas 2009
90+ points
Pauillac. 13%
The oak is very well judged and the substantial ripe tannins give a nice slightly dry cocoa finish. A much richer riper wine than this Chateau is known for. Yet retains enough appetising freshness.
New label.
Chateau D’Aurilhac 2009
90 points
Haut-Medoc. 14%
Better than their 2005. A modern chateau, the sort that really have benifitted from this vintage.
Caronne St Gemme 2009
90+ points
Haut-Medoc. 14%
Intense concentrated wine, the tannins are more prominent than some, not a bad thing, this is just a more classic masculine 2009. Extraordinary value. Quite different from the muddy weedy, club clarets that Caronne St Gemme used to produce – and still be admired for, for their price.
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2007
92 points
Sauternes. 13.5%
Practically everything one would want in a Sauternes of this age.
Chateau Sociando-Mallet 1995
88 points
Haut-Medoc. 12.5%
It’s a nice change to have a wine that is so savoury and dry. But many will be unimpressed by the vegetal, even weedy hints and the slight vinegary aged characters. 1995 was an over-hyped vintage.
Chateau Pedesclaux 2008
90+ points
Pauillac. 13%
One of the prettiest floral 2008. Stylish wine.
Chateau Pey La Tour 2009
82 points
Bordeaux. 13.5%
i’m always so optimistic, hoping that 2009 might lift a wine like this into something exciting. And to be fair this does have the stamp of 2009 and a 5 euro wine can only be expected deliver so much.
Fresh, simple. A cafe could/ should sell lots. Drink now.
Chateau Pedesclaux 2005
90+ points
Pauillac. 13%
A bit closed like so many 2005 at the moment (drink the more accessible 2006). But fine, lovely relaxed balance. It’s ripe claret as 2005 is but without any obvious weight, the ripeness is just part of the whole not a standout feature. This is a characteristic of a number of fine classed growths in 2005 and 2000. Whereas is 2009 I suspect the ripeness will usually standout.
Chateau Citran 2009
87+ points
Haut-Medoc. 13.5%
Not quite as succulent as some 2009. A little more limey and hard, classic perhaps? A touch bitter.
Needs time to fill out a bit.
Known for classic, workman like, a bit rustic but value claret I believe. Club claret. Needing some age though never blossoming with it.
Chateau Cambon La Pelouse 2009
89+ points
Haut-Medoc. 14%
Another rich but succulent 2009 Bordeaux. Shows good freshness. Great value. Good potential.
Chateau Fourcas Hosten 2009
86 points
Listrac, Medoc. 13%
A bit hard and extracted. Some bitter flavours. Concentrated, rich. Lacks the succulence of 2009, much more like some of the minor 2005 that were souped up. Some minor Chateaux perhaps getting a bit too excited by the vintage or just not knowing what to do with grapes that had so much ripeness and dry extract?
Le Haut Medoc de Giscours 2009
90 points
Haut-Medoc. 13%
Giscours own a bit of vineyard over the borderline from Margaux so they can’t include it in their grand vin, or any other wine labelled Margaux for that matter. Hence the name.
Yet this Haut-Medoc shows Margaux character. Which is a bit of a surprise given the strong character of the vintage. Restrained oak lets the fruit sing, cassis and a touch herbaceous (in spite of the intense ripeness). Reminds me of Hawkes Bay NZ.
Another wine at a quality level far above its price due to the 2009 vintage.
Chateau Lanessan 2009
89 points
Haut-Medoc. 13.5%
Probably the most attractive Lanessan I’ve ever tasted. The sort of wine many hoped the minor 2005 Bordeaux would be.
Clos du Marquis 1989
88 points
Saint-Julien. 13%
good colour still.
Palate less impressive. Warm ripe wine although not obviously an 1989. Offset by some vinegar. Hasn’t really developed great complexity with age. Shouldn’t really have been kept so long.
2nd wine (although actually a separate vineyard) of Leoville Las Cases).
Chateau Pedesclaux 2006
89+ points
Pauillac. 13%
Another fine Pedesclaux. This is (now) a modern chateau but not so modern that it doesn’t refect its vintage, which this wine clearly does.
Drinking well now although the individual components haven’t knitted together yet. Better yet to come.
Chateau Grand Larose 2008
89 points
Saint-Julien. 13%
A sophisticated drop, requiring some introspection (as Parker might say). Red rather than black fruits. Deftly judged warm oak.
Reminds me stylewise of Cantemerle 2008.
Chateau Haut-Batailley 2004
88 points
Pauillac. 13%
Haut-Batailley has that same elegant unforced style of Grand-Puy-Lacoste although this is more gentle and less concentrated than GPL 2004. A bit green as expected for the vintage and house style.
I hope and rather expect than in 4-6 years time this will show quite a degree of secondary aged characteristics.
