I enjoy buying Sauternes; after all, you get such good value for money. And I enjoy drinking Sauternes too; show me a sensible person who doesn’t. I appear to have something of an imbalance between these two worthwhile activities though, and as a consequence I have several bins full of Sauternes, many from the 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003 vintages. Whereas there’s no need to drink up individual bottles at these sorts of ages, when you have cases or half-cases of each then there comes a time when you really have to start tucking in.

So, here’s my solution – more Sauternes on the Winedr blog. I don’t think I will manage a Sauternes every week; the spirit and palate are willing, it’s simply the lack of time (and hepatocyte attrition) that will hold be back. But I will see if I can keep it up. Maybe once I’ve worked my way through Sauternes, I will do the same with a Loire appellation. Quarts de Chaume, perhaps?

On we go, with this week’s wine. We start with a bit of a bang; a stunning wine, from Château Rieussec, from a great vintage.

Château Rieussec (Sauternes) 2001: I have enjoyed many examples of Sauternes from this vintage, but here in Rieussec we have something very special. The colour is rich and golden, but then that is not particularly unusual for the vintage in question. It is on the nose that the wine begins to stand apart from its peers, with a hugely convincing display of botrytis, counterbalanced by fresh aromas of bright fruit. Representing the former there are notes of honey, fragrant and scented with thyme, along with vanilla, coconut and a little twist of caramel. The fruit, meanwhile, comes in the form of orange and apricots, bright and defined, altough clearly also suggesting botrytis. The palate does not disappoint after this strong start, showing all the convincing richness of slippery, botrytis-coated fruit, along with some tangy, grippy orange character. What impresses most is the very complete, harmonious picture it presents, despite the remarkable substance and concentrated flavour it carries. A superb wine. 19/20 (January 2013)

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on January 16, 2013 at 4:01 pm
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It is a fact of life that as soon as you write something down, it begins to date. This is most apparent in printed media, where publication lead times sometimes approaching a year mean that reference books are not infrequently out of date before they even hit the shelves. Thankfully, with electronic media, pages can be updated as and when required. This is something I’ve been working on in recent months; all my Sauternes profiles have been overhauled and brought up to date, and I have nearly finished Pessac-Léognan. All of Bordeaux and the Loire is in the firing line, but next up is St Emilion, for several reasons, not least because references to the 2012 St Emilion classification, including details of promotion or demotion in the case of a good number of châteaux, need to be added or amended. I was all set to begin the ground work yesterday when news broke that, unfortunately, the chapter on the 2012 St Emilion reclassification has not yet been completed. How timely!

The most comprehensive report on the story can be found on the Terre de Vins site here (in French). The article opens with a slightly weary comment that “history seems destined to be repeated“, as this new problem is a legal challenge by demoted châteaux, exactly as we saw with the ill-fated 2006 St Emilion classification. In 2006 a group of disgruntled proprietors turned the show into a French farce with the classification reverting to that determined in 1996, except for the 2006 promotions which were allowed to stand. To be fair, however, the complainants had good grounds, not least a lack of impartiality on the overseeing committee. As a result, a robust system was established for the 2012 reclassification, including the handing-over of overall responsibility to the INAO rather than it being managed locally, the drafting in of big names from outside Bordeaux (who should therefore be impartial) to act as a reclassification committee, and engaging with two quality-assurance bodies, Qualisud and Bureau Veritas.

Ever since the publication of the listing, however, there has been discontent in one corner of St Emilion. The north-west corner to be precise, near the Barbanne and the boundary with the Montagne-St Emilion appellation. Here lies Château Croque-Michotte, from where proprietor Pierre Carle has orchestrated a challenge to the classification. It has been low-key – with a few articles in the French press, but little written beyond France’s borders – and a rather uninspiring YouTube video (which I don’t seem to be able to locate now – otherwise I would provide a link) detailing his complaints. I have to confess I thought the complaints would peter out, but it seems as though Pierre and his sister Lucile have a larger axe to grind than I had imagined. Having submitted their dossier pointing out the errors in the classification, and calling for amendments rather than annulment, their protests have not yielded any results, hence the progression to legal action. They no longer act alone, however, as the two other châteaux demoted have joined them; these are Château La Tour du Pin Figeac and neighbours Château Corbin-Michotte. The trio certainly appear to have a case, as they claim to have uncovered minutes from classification meetings where some of the defects in the process were pointed out and acknowledged.

As yet there is no reaction from Jean-François Quenin, proprietor of Château de Pressac (which was elevated in the 2012 ranking) and president of the Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion, who wishes to review the dossier before making any comment.

I have to confess I have a lot of empathy with some of the weary tone within the Terre de Vins article linked above. Pierre Carle no doubt feels exasperated, as he sees that if the error he claims to have uncovered had gone his way, he would have accrued enough points to be ranked as grand cru classé (14 points was enough for this, 16 for premier grand cru classé). And although the officials involved are currently tight-lipped (and no doubt stony-faced) there are bound to be strong feelings of déjà vu here. From the point of view of a interested outsider, however, I do wonder what the outcome will be here. From within the system there must be a strong desire to reject these claims; the system regained some credibility in terms of process with the 2012 classification (even if we can snort at the proportion of promotions to demotions) but another successful legal challenge like that seen in 2006 will be a crippling embarrassment.

And does it all matter to consumers, which is perhaps where the proprietors of St Emilion should be directing their attention, especially given the prices charged by some? I sense there is already little interest in these sorts of shenanigans beyond St Emilion’s borders anyway; modern-day consumers are far more interested in what Parker and others have to say on the wines than some outdated and allegedly flawed system of ranking. When I wrote of the 2010 Cru Bourgeois gang (I can’t think what else to call them) last year I penned some suggestions on how I thought the classification could be improved, including less frequent rating, looking beyond what is in the glass (that dreaded word, terroir) and introducing internal rankings (including cru bourgeois exceptionnel and supérieur, for example). All of which sounds a little like what they are trying to do in St Emilion of course. But with this latest development I’m beginning to wonder whether the best classification in Bordeaux is the 1855 Médoc. Everybody with even a modicum of common sense can see that it is outdated and really of historical interest only, and while some châteaux perform to their level others do not, either above (Pontet Canet and others) or below (Durfort-Vivens and others). None of which matters; what matters is that some proprietors are pulling out all the stops and making great wine, independent critics inform the consumer, and prices are set accordingly. Perhaps it’s time to ditch these classifications altogether? If the recidivous challenge brough by Pierre Carle is successful, thereby cementing in place a system over two consecutive classifications where everybody is promoted and nobody is demoted, there might be no other logical conclusion.

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on January 15, 2013 at 11:42 am
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Just a little over a month ago I posted regarding the unexpected departue of Sylvie Cazes from her position at Pichon-Lalande, in Sylvie Cazes: End of a Very Short Era. At the same time she resigns from her role as president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC). Today I was pleased to learn from Decanter that the new UGC president is to be Olivier Bernard, of Domaine de Chevalier.

Olivier was the only candidate for the post, so this isn’t exactly a ‘shock’ result. Nevertheless he had an interesting prospectus, which included a plan to enhance the co-operation between the châteaux and the négociants; I was unaware that Olivier’s brother was Patrick Bernard, of the négociant Millésima. This co-operation, which may lead to us seeing some changes in the way Bordeaux is marketed, will be encouraged by the creation of a new eight-person commission, which will included four members each from the body of châteaux and négociants.

I like Olivier Bernard; he has always seemed friendly and approachable, and I wonder if that reflects his family’s relatively recent entry into the little world of Bordeaux château-ownership. The Bernard’s original business was distilling, and it was only in 1983 that Olivier acquired Domaine de Chevalier. It has been Olivier, aided by Claude Ricard for many years, who has catapulted the domaine towards the top of the Pessac pile. I would expect, even with Olivier’s new commitments, that these high standards will be maintained.

Although seemingly immutable, the UGC has not been around forever. There is a tendency to look at how Bordeaux is today and think that it has always been that way, but it is not so. The primeurs tasting circus, and the futures ‘campaign’, for example, are both relatively recent phenomena, having been born – I am reliably informed – in the early 1980s. The UGC is only slightly older, having been created in 1973. Next year, Olivier will have the privilege of presiding over some celebratory events as the organisation marks 40 years of existence.

In his new role he steps into shoes that have been worn by some prestigious names, as follows:

2008 – 2012 Sylvie Cazes
2000 – 2008 Patrick Maroteaux
1994 – 2000 Alain Raynaud
1991 – 1994 Anthony Perrin
1989 – 1991 Peter Sichel
1975 – 1989 Pierre Tari
1973 – 1975 Jean-Bernard Delmas

Somehow I don’t expect Olivier to call an end to the primeurs circus, (which president would?!) but it will be interesting to see what effect his other proposals have on life in and around Bordeaux. It would be especially interesting to see some novel ideas when it comes to Sauternes, although I expect we will have to look to the Sauternais themselves for that.

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on December 19, 2012 at 11:15 am
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An Associated Free Press report from Friday December 15th, carried by several news outlets, including this one (in French), has Pierre Lurton (pictured below), MD of the LVMH-owned Château d’Yquem, declaring that there will be no Château d’Yquem grand vin released in the 2012 vintage. Usually this would mean the production of large volumes of a second wine, but even the existence of such a wine at Yquem seems to be shrouded in mystery (is it Château Haut-Charmes, or isn’t it?). As a consequence 2012 Château d’Yquem will effectively ‘disappear’, either into a disinherited and unacknowledged second wine, or sold off for blending by négociants. There is no mention, so far, of Ygrec, which I imagine will be produced as per the usual practice. Although my exposure to the vintage has so far been very limited, what I have tasted suggests there is potential for some good wines among the dry whites.

Château d’Yquem has a long track record of declassifying and disposing of less than adequate vintages, and it is worth bearing this in mind before the fingers start to wag and the “luxury brand, price management” accusation mantra takes hold. Yes, I am sure that maintaining the brand image and identity as a consistent and reliable (and reliably expensive) product is a key factor in this latest decision. LVMH surely wants a product worthy of the amount of cash that buyers must splash, rather than ‘interesting’ wines that ‘display the character of the vintage’. Nevertheless, it was the Lur-Saluces family who declassified the 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974 and 1992 vintages and not LVMH, who only acquired the château, in a somewhat hostile manner, in the late 1990s. Clearly in the rejected vintages the aristocratic proprietors felt that the quality was not up to what Yquem’s customers would expect.

The decision is, therefore, surely partly reflective of the absolute quality of the wine, and partly about maintaining the brand image and thus its value. Some have already questioned whether or not this is the ‘right’ decision. It is something of a Catch-22 situation for a high-flying estate such as Yquem when facing a harvest of rather lacklustre fruit. The alternative, of course, would be to enhance the rigor of their already very severe selection, make the best wine possible, and then sell it an appropriate price if the quality remains below what we would see in good vintages such as 2009, 2010 or 2011. This might please wine geeks, as they might have a chance to get their hands on Yquem at a lower price. It is a decision which would nevertheless also be subject to very valid criticism, for bottling something substandard under the Yquem label. Casting my net further afield for an example of this brings me to Tuscany, and 2002 Sassicaia. A cooler vintage which engendered a rather greener style of wine, I recall Sassicaia fans at a vertical tasting back in 2007 being remarkably vocal in their criticism of Tenuta san Guido for bottling the 2002, feeling that it should have been skipped just as Yquem is doing with 2012. Regular buyers of Sassicaia weren’t interested in such a wine, even if a lower price could be set to reflect and communicate the quality; they wanted the instantly recognisable gold-star-on-a-blue-background to be a marker for a high quality wine which could be bought, cellared and drunk with confidence. I suspect that it is these sorts of drinkers, rather than Yquem-interested wine geeks with a limited budget, that LVMH will be most interested in.

Perhaps the real disappointment here will be the aforementioned ‘disappearance’ of the 2012 vintage. Sauternes geeks, who will all be aware of this decision, would in many cases happily cough up for the second wine of the vintage if they knew it contained declassified Yquem, just as Burgundy geeks probably hunted down the 2004 vintage wines from Domaine Leroy, knowing as they did that Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy had declassified all her grand cru wines into village-level cuvées. Concerns about the vintage, quality or similar would be put to one side if the promise of a great wine at a lower price was there (although having said that, Leroy’s 2004s were pretty expensive, so I’m not sure it’s a great example). But if we had a reliable second wine we could turn to in this vintage, it would surely be the ideal solution. Perhaps now would be the time for LVMH to introduce or acknowledge the second wine of Yquem? LVMH Label drinkers would be happy as they move blithely from swilling back the 2011 vintage to the 2013. More astute buyers of Yquem are content, as this latest event is just another episode in Yquem’s long history of maintaining high standards, and they can always buy the cheaper second wine if they wish to see what the vintage is like. The more cash-strapped among us can have a taste of Yquem, in a petit-millésime, surely the way all of us on a budget should be able to enjoy the great domaines of the world from time to time? And Pierre Lurton, Bernard Arnault (France’s richest man, majority shareholder of LVMH and thus owner of Yquem) and everybody else at LVMH are content as the pricing of the 2013 will be contrasted against the 2011, not the 2012 second wine; brand value will be maintained.

Am I missing something? Time for a second wine, Pierre?

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on December 16, 2012 at 4:55 pm
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I thought I should just make a brief post to inform readers as to forthcoming updates, with particular relevance to St Emilion.

Over the last year I have spent a lot of time in Bordeaux, not just for the primeurs but also on subsequent visits during the summer and in October as harvest kicked off. On several of the visits I focused on Sauternes, and built up a database of images for the region. On the back of that, I updated and expanded all my Sauternes profiles, from my eight-page examination of Yquem down to lesser-known châteaux such as the recently profiled Liot.

For the moment that’s it; although I have some notes on Partarrieu and Romer du Hayot to add, I will get around to adding these château profiles as and when I can. Now it is time to move on, and I’ve started with Pessac-Léognan this week, with an update and expansion of my Smith-Haut-Lafitte profile. This is in fact part of a programme of updates and new profiles that will eventually cover as much of Bordeaux in as much detail as is possible, and not just the pricy grand cru classé estates, but also better value châteaux; that’s why I’ve been adding profiles like Bauduc, L’A, La Croix Lartigue, d’Aiguilhe and the like (with more to come).

And eventually I will get around to St Emilion. At present I’m aware that many of profiles tended towards obsolescence with the St Emilion reclassification having finally been ratified this week, (and some châteaux such as La Mondotte (above) and Valandraud (below) still need to be profiled in the first place). I have been keeping more up to date in recent months, making weekend updates to ensure profiles remain relevant – today’s
Pichon-Lalande update is one such example. Nevertheless, rather than hurriedly insert a reference to the latest reclassification into each pre-existing St Emilion profile, I have decided I will leave them as they are for now, and subject each one to a more thorough update/expansion/rewrite as required once I have done updating Pessac-Léognan. The fact that my database of images includes a huge number of St Emilion personalities and estates is another reason for taking this route; I want to add these to my many profiles. I have, however, extensively updated my guide to the St Emilion classification, and I have also updated the left-hand manu that accompanies every St Emilion profile to reflect the new listing.

As for the Loire, I will continue to add some updates based on my tastings earlier this year, and will probably begin some more significant overhauls of the more detailed profiles early next year, when I have had a chance to visit the region once again.

Filed under: Bordeaux, Loire
Posted by Chris Kissack on November 16, 2012 at 3:51 pm
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During this year’s en primeur tastings I visited Pichon-Lalande, and there met Sylvie Cazes. As we tasted the latest vintage (or at least a barrel-sample approximation of it) I listened to Sylvie’s view of the recent history of Pichon, which she divided into three eras.

According to Sylvie, the first of the three Pichon-Lalande eras was under the direction of May-Eliane Lencquesaing, who took control of the estate in a very firm manner in 1978. Her first act was to buy out four of the other associates, thus acquiring 84% of the stock in the property, and so it was clear who was in charge. She then employed her nephew Gildas d’Ollone to manage the estate, as well as Thomas Dô Chi Nam to make the wine. The quality was tip-top, and when you hear people recount their experiences of great bottles of Pichon-Lalande that they have drunk, it is generally this era that they are referring to.

Then, she says, came the second era, a decline, as May-Eliane Lencquesaing lost interest in the estate and it was put up sale; as she courted with potential buyers the property appeared to languish, and in such circumstances quality can often slip, perhaps unnoticed. This was certainly Sylvie’s implication; the wines of this era were not so good.

Era three, of course, is the time of Roederer, who acquired the property in 2007. And it was all-change at Pichon-Lalande; Thomas Dô Chi Nam had already left for Margaux, and Gildas d’Ollone, who essentially ran the property under May-Eliane’s watchful gaze was soon put out to pasture, and in early 2011 Sylvie Cazes was drafted in to do the job, even though she already had significant responsibilities elsewhere, including on the Lynch-Bages board of directors, as president of the Union des Grands Crus, as well as being active in local politics. And then there was the new Bordeaux Centre of Wine Culture as well, no small task.

Which may explain why, yesterday, while I was engrossed in the Bordeaux 2008 vintage (more on that at a later date) at the Institute of Masters of Wine, it was announced that Sylvie was stepping down from her role at Pichon-Lalande. And that means she will be stepping down from the presidency of the UGC as well. The official line is that she has other projects to concentrate on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a reference to the Cultural Centre, on which I posted back in February.

It does make for a rather short ‘era’ though, doesn’t it? Having joined the Pichon team in February 2011, and with her departure scheduled for December 2012, that’s a little less than two years. The post at present remains unfilled from January 2013; prospective applicants might want to have a word with Sylvie first, to get the low-down on what working for the Rouzaud family in Bordeaux may entail.

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on November 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm
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It was officially confirmed on October 22nd – although the news hit Twitter courtesy of François Mauss during the preceding weekend – that Bernard Magrez and Martine Langlais-Pauly had agreed the sale of Clos Haut-Peyraguey. It’s an interesting story, not least because of rather convoluted path Magrez has taken to arrive at this point. Having been on the prowl for a Sauternes estate to add to his already impressive portfolio of Bordeaux properties which already includes Château La Tour Carnet and Château Pape-Clément, this isn’t the first time Magrez has bought an estate in the region this year. It is the first not to slip through his fingers at the last minute though.

Although the owner of about 40 estates in Bordeaux, until recently Magrez had only one in Sauternes; a small property named Latrézotte which he used for the production of a cuvée named Le Sauternes de Ma Fille. A belief in the growing Asian appetite for Sauternes led him to seek out a larger and perhaps grander estate, however, and it was widely reported in April 2012 that he had purchased Château Romer. As indeed he had…..sort of.

First up, a few words on Romer; there’s a great deal of potential for confusion here, as neither Romer nor the slightly better known Romer du Hayot have featured very much on Winedoctor over the years. Just to briefly clear things up, Romer was a Sauternes estate that was classified as a deuxième cru in the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac. Then, if I recall correctly, the estate was broken up as it was divided between heirs, and the major part of the estate came to the Hayot family. This became the Romer du Hayot we know today, and which I list among the second growths on my page on the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac. Meanwhile the other parts of the estate remained as Château Romer. I would think both are entitled to the deuxième cru ranking today, although Romer du Hayot does not even have a château to its name, this having been demolished during the 1970s when the autoroute was routed through the Sauternes vineyards. The vineyards of both are located just on the other side of the autoroute from Château de Malle.

So why “sort of”? Well, as soon as the Société d’Aménagement Foncier et d’Établissement Rural (more conveniently known as SAFER), an organisation intended to protect the interested of young (and perhaps financially disadvantaged) vignerons, learnt of the transaction between Bernard Magrez and proprietor Anne Farges, it intervened in favour of François Janoueix, a young vigneron who had also been interested in buying the estate. The sale was off; Magrez was, unsurprisingly, furious.

Nevertheless, unabashed, he continued his search for a property to buy. I believe Sigalas-Rabaud was considered, although it was – as we all learnt this week – Clos Haut-Peyraguey on which he settled. Proprietor Martine Langlais-Pauly was on a roll here, as quality at this estate has been climbing higher and higher in recent years. I visited in July, and saw no indication that the property was for sale; the only element of my visit that didn’t go to plan was the absence of Martine, with whom I had personally made the appointment. I didn’t think it suspicious at the time (what can I say….I’m used to being stood up!) but with the benefit of hindsight I wonder if negotiations regarding the sale of the property – which has changed hands for an undisclosed sum – took precedence?

I look forward to seeing what changes Magrez makes at Clos Haut-Peyraguey, and assume that – being a well established first growth – it will continue an independent existence within his portfolio (Magrez is not averse to amalgamating properties, or earmarking one for the production of a second wine for another). In the meantime I will update my Clos Haut-Peyraguey profile as soon as possible.

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on October 23, 2012 at 1:44 pm
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In July I spent a day making flying visits in Sauternes, to Coutet, Clos Haut Peyraguey and Yquem. Perhaps the major discovery of the day was a tasting of a new wine, poured at Château Coutet by proprietor Aline Baly, called Opalie. I am reminded of this tasting this evening by Twitter activity – prompted by the official launch of Opalie this week.

The first official vintage is 2010, although there was a trial run in 2009, the results of which were not deemed satisfactory and the wine sold off; I think the oak was a little heavy-handed, although Aline didn’t go into details. The name is derived from the plural of opalus, which as Aline explained at the time was a deliberate ‘gemstone’ association. The fruit is sourced “from the best parcels” of the Coutet vineyard, says Aline, unlike the previous dry white, the Vin Sec de Château Coutet, which was always sourced from vines in Pujols, distant to the Coutet vineyard, and thus had the Graves appellation.

The production is limited to 3000 bottles, and the wine is produced in a new cellar equipped solely for this wine. As is the case with all Coutet wines, it has been made with consultation from the Mouton-Rothschild team. And in keeping with this, the price will not be anything other than wallet-busting I think.

Opalie de Château Coutet (Bordeaux) 2010: A blend of 50% Semillon and 50% Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatically this is fresh, fruit-rich and fragrant. A very confident nose, showing Semillon rather than Sauvignon Blanc character. There are notes of honeyed white flowers, but also some new oak here. The palate is full with a creamy edge to it, showing golden fruit bound by a marked oaky grip and some solid substance from the 14.5% alcohol perhaps. Substantially framed, with good acidity and a solid, grippy finish. But I find the oak to be dominating the character of the wine somewhat; otherwise my score would be higher I think, as the raw materials are very good. 16/20 (July 2012)

Speaking (if that’s the correct verb) with Jancis Robinson and Jeannie-Cho Lee on Twitter, both felt the oak to be less obtrusive than I did, with Jancis suggesting it may have integrated over the last few months. I hope I get a chance to retaste to see if that’s the case.

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on October 18, 2012 at 8:37 pm
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Two wines tasted here, from Château Thieuley. I visited this estate some time back, perhaps six years ago now, but never got around to writing it up, which was remiss of me. The property is a source of good value Bordeaux, which – as I keep reminding myself – really does exist. As is often the case, however, at this level, on these soils, the white wines often outclass the red. Hence my preference for the whites here, from two recent vintages.

It was impressive to see a wine at this price point (about 10 Euros I think – both were bought in France) bottled under DIAM taint-free cork. The Thieuley team – once headed up by Francis Courselle but his daughters Sylvie and Marie now hold the reins I believe – obviously mean business.

The 2010 went really well with some pan-fried salmon and home-made hollandaise I whipped up (I found eggs and butter in the fridge….how could I resist?) when in Bordeaux the week before last (was it that long ago already – how time flies). The 2008 did a similarly good job with some half-barbecued-half-steamed cod with chilli flakes at the poolside. You get the idea. Bordeaux works very well with fish; you just need to make sure its the right colour (the wine obviously – the fish can be any colour you fancy).

Château Thieuley Blanc (Bordeaux) 2010: Bottled under DIAM. A very pale hue in the glass. The nose is very much dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, which brings a fairly grassy element to the aromatics, along with slightly richer, sweeter notes of white grape and melon. Some of these latter characteristics must surely be Semillon related though. There’s also a slightly smoky, sandy feel to it that I rather like. The palate is gently fleshy, but with good firm, dry and savoury grip giving it shape and substance in the mouth, and showing a lot of bite without seguing into greenness towards the finish. A very attractive wine, with plenty of pithy bite to it, showing all the character and punch of the 2010 vintage. Long and gently spicy finish. 16.5/20 (October 2012)

Château Thieuley Blanc (Bordeaux) 2008: Bottled under conventional cork. A blend of equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from vines grown on gravelly-clay soils, fermented in stainless steel, with temperature control. The nose here is fresh with bright fruit, the aromatic character currently dominated by the Sauvignon Blanc, with something of a stony-steely edge to it. As the nose suggests it has a very clean style on the palate, fresh albeit with a supple weight, and also a rather green and herbaceous edge to the fruit. Not unattractive, although surpassed by more recent vintages I think. 15/20 (July 2012)

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on October 16, 2012 at 3:12 pm
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For many years now, Jean-Guillaume Prats has been the public face of Cos d’Estournel. In fact, the association between Jean-Guillaume and the estate in question has been so strong that I have on occasion found it easy to forget that he is manager here, not proprietor. His presence during the primeur tastings was always confident, forthright and ultimately charming as he delivered what was always one of the more positive spins on the latest vintage.

The Prats family did indeed own Cos d’Estournel up until 1998, when it was acquired by the Merlaut family’s Taillan Group, an organisation best associated with Chasse-Spleen and Gruaud-Larose, to name just two of their properties. Two years later Cos was sold again, this time to Michel Reybier, a name better associated with luxury spas, apartments and hotels than vineyards. His hotels and spas can be found in Saint Tropez, Paris and Geneva. And although he owns vineyards in Hungary, Cos d’Estournel remains the jewel in the crown when it comes to the viticultural side of the operation.

For the past few years Jean-Guillaume Prats has been overseeing a huge amount of building work at Cos d’Estournel, more so than at many other cru classé châteaux. Other estates have seen renovation and restoration, but the work at Cos d’Estournel goes on and on. On my most recent visit to the estate just a few weeks ago, the cranes were still in position, lorries and other construction vehicles dotted about the screened-off building site at the back of the domaine. The picture below was taken even earlier this year, in April 2012. You have to wonder – with the château’s golden sandstone now restored and gleaming in the Bordeaux sunshine, and the multi-million-euro cellar with its laser-welded stainless steel milk vats finished years ago, why the work goes on. The word in Bordeaux is that Cos d’Estournel will be the latest addition to Michel Reybier’s portfolio of luxury accommodation, a vineyard and spa combined. Well if it’s good enough for Smith-Haut-Lafitte (home to luxury spa Les Sources de Caudalie), why not Cos d’Estournel?

In his time since he was appointed manager, in 1998 at the time of the Taillan takeover if I recall correctly, Jean-Guillaume Prats has shaped Cos d’Estournel into a dark, extracted, saturated, concentrated, occasionally inky example of St Estèphe. The wines divided opinion; some loved them – Parker and those who emulate his scores in particular – but others were less convinced. I would include myself in the latter category. I don’t deny that Jean-Guillaume has had a great deal of success with the path he has taken, but personally I think the style he has given us from Cos d’Estournel works fine when souping up the rather dull and austere wines of the Médoc – so hats off to him for his rather attractive and drinkable Goulée – but a more sensitive hand might, for my palate, be more beneficial when working with a great terroir like that at Cos d’Estournel.

I know a few others feel the same, and so the news of his departure – which filtered out of Bordeaux on October 15th – will no doubt be met with a mixed reaction. Some will no doubt be disheartened, and shocked to hear of his departure in the middle of harvest. I don’t think this is the result of a heated mid-harvest bust-up though, like that between Pinguet and the Hwangs (OK, that wasn’t mid-harvest, but it was certainly acrimonious), as Jean-Guillaume won’t be leaving in the middle of the harvest (an event that did befall Lafon-Rochet only a few years ago – catapulting Basile Tesseron into the hot seat) until January 2013. Rumour has it that he has his eyes set on pastures new, away from Bordeaux (rumoured to be Spain). This will mean new blood at Cos d’Estournel, and I wonder what effect that will have on the style of wine. Whatever happens, I wish the charming and ebullient Jean-Guillaume well with his future career.

Filed under: Bordeaux
Posted by Chris Kissack on October 16, 2012 at 5:15 am
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