As is the case with the 2008 vintage, St Emilion and Pomerol are where it's at in 2006. The colours of the wines are just fabulous, all crimson and scarlet. The textures are creamy and yet tense and compact, not soft or overly expansive. The flavours here are bright and youthful, each wine keen to display its fruit-richness on both the nose and palate. And the tannins are gritty and ripe, giving the wines wonderful structures and backbone. The wines on the left bank might well be very good, but over here around St Emilion and Pomerol they are very, very good.

They may not be to everyone's taste of course. As I had finished tasting the right bank wines, suitably impressed by their showing, I overheard one MW (I wasn't listening into everybody's conversations, honest!) dismiss them as being nothing more than "fruit and alcohol". With the comment on fruit I would have to agree. After all, what other flavours are you demanding from your four-year old Bordeaux? And in response to the alcohol comment, this was uncalled for. Yes some of the styles that can be found on the right bank do tend to favour extraction, big tannic structures and, on occasions, an undeniable presence of alcohol. But it's not a problem in 2006; these aren't wines dogged by the heat of excess alcohol on the palate. Perhaps it was the 2009 vintage right-bankers he was thinking of?

From St Emilion I was most enamoured with the quintet of Cheval-Blanc, Pavie, Angélus, Figeac and Canon-la-Gaffelière, quite a diverse group when we consider the style of each individual château, but in terms of absolute quality these five were closely related. Pavie was naturally by far the boldest and most strident of wines here, whereas Cheval Blanc impressed more with its perfumed character and cottony substance. This isn't a vintage characterised by a silkiness in the tannins, but the wines that come closest to meeting this ideal are to be found in St Emilion I think. As for the other wines, Figeac was a classic for this estate, all red fruit and gravelly perfume with a touch of mint, whereas both Canon-la-Gaffelière and Angélus have that wonderful extracted but not over-done presence in the mouth that I predict, based on some experience with more mature vintages, should settle down into a lovely weighty maturity given the appropriate amount of time.

From Pomerol I sampled far fewer wines, just four in fact, a reflection of the small number of properties that are prepared to send wines for a tasting such as this. So although I am prone to generalising, it is important that we take this small sample size into account. Looking at just these four wines quality was very good, with La Conseillante leading the way, followed closely by Gazin and Clinet. Petit Village, a wine I have underestimated in some vintages I think, also showed very well, more so than my impression from the UGC tasting two years ago.

All in all then 2006 is definitely not a vintage to ignore on the either the left bank or the right, but especially the latter. St Emilion and Pomerol rule the roost, but don't overlook the superb Pessac-Léognans on the other side of Bordeaux, nor indeed the many (if in some places a little more variable) offerings from the left bank communes of St Estèphe, St Julien, Pauillac and even, provided you choose carefully, Margaux. (24/11/10)

St Emilion & Pomerol 2006 - Tasting Notes

Tasted at the IMW 2006 Claret Tasting in November 2010. Click to locate stockists.

St Emilion

Château Angélus 2006: A rich and glossy hue, but very dark. Intense and spicy on the nose, which is full of dark roasted fruits, coffee grounds, and is still showing a lot of warm and very toasty oak. This gives it all sorts of toffee-like characteristics at present. But there is good fruit quality here too. An elegantly styled palate, still showing rather a robust oak-bound tannic grip very soon after the start but with a polished, silky layer of fruit coming in thereafter. Complex, grippy, svelte and stylish. Long and substantial too. A very good wine, much stronger than my impression from the primeurs sample. 18+/20

Château Barde-Haut 2006: This wine has a big, dense, medicinal, cherry and menthol nose, rather reminiscent of cherry cough medicine. Something of a soft and diffuse palate, although there is a lot of structure underneath it, and a very firm array of flavours reflecting those found on the nose. The tannins do have a rather soft edge, but equally the midpalate is a little lean and doesn't cope well with all the raw grip and acid to be found here. 14.5+/20

Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot 2006: A glossy, vibrant crimson-red hue. Rather a polished style on the nose, showing attractive fresh summer fruits with a little dark, sweet richness to them. Some polished oak too. Rather a dry style on entry, a very reined-in flesh here, softening in the midpalate, showing good fruit, spicy and dark, and good structure too, with a resounding flourish of ripe tannins at the finish. Dark red fruit character, sweetly ripe raspberry moving into darker black cherry, with creamy vanilla on top. A restrained composition on the palate though, and a solid structure. 17+/20

Château Canon 2006: A crimson-red hue here. A touch of exoticism to the fruit character, bright and crunchy definition, with a slightly smoky, sweet crumble character to it. The oak again. Suggestive if good fruit density though. Rather a solid composition in the palate, a soft shell of fruit, within which there is a thin seam of tannin which shows more on the finish. Nice acidity and freshness here. Elegant but reserved rather than flattering, Stylish and for classicists. Will need time. 17+/20

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 2006: Glossy, dark crimson hue. Deep and very nuanced character to the fruit here, darker than some, black cherry more than anything else. Spicy depth to it as well, the oak here bringing an almost wild and feral element to it. The palate is quite flashily put together, creamy on entry with the underpinnings of tannin and acidity well tucked in beneath the skirt of fruit. Very polished, very finely composed, and with a touch of silk about it. Lovely effort. 18+/20

Château Cheval Blanc 2006: There is a greater intensity of aroma here than with the other firsts; although they were perfumed and elegant this has a greater concentration and more convincing substance to it, so in terms of ability to impress this is, aromatically at least, a cut above some of its peers. This is complemented by a very rich presence on the palate, broad and with some well-reined in flesh, and a lovely, well-judged concentration, opening up in the middle to reveal a layer of perfume sitting above darker, earthy, tannin-related elements. There is a supple, cottony element to the tannins, and a very firm character overall. This should be great given time. 18.5+/20

Château La Couspaude 2006: Dark, meaty, spicy fruit on the nose, slightly high-toned, certainly very richly styled. Lots of nice substance on the palate, very dark and dense as the nose suggested, all fruit cake and plum, with a rather meaty, beef stock, extracted character to it all. Robust, lots of firm tannin giving it a very hard and inky edge, and some rather spiky acidity too. The extract seems a bit ambitious here to me. 14/20

Château Dassault 2006: Dark and spicy, slightly mentholated and high-toned. Rather soft and supple on the palate, broad, with a touch of sweetness, certainly another substantial composition here. It is also a touch raw, revealing lots of extract on the palate, with plenty of big, soft, tangible substance. A little bit chewy, more meat stock character, and a somewhat low level of acidity lending to that chewy feel. Lacks a little freshness. 14/20

Château Figeac 2006: Quite dark, good concentration. As always a very different character from the rest of the commune on the nose - and different can often be good in my book. Very dark elements here, gravelly, lightly perfumed, with touches of charcoaly fruit, and little elements of mint too. And there is a vein residual toffee-oak yet to integrate. A nice substance on the palate, reserved but with nicely defined edges, fairly tense presence of fruit in the middle, showing a more attractive tightening up of its substance here. This is well judged and stylish with great nuances of game and even a little spicy stock coming in. Reminds me a touch of some top Pessacs; is that the gravel terroir, perhaps? Could be super. 18+/20

Clos Fourtet 2006: A bright hue but less vibrant and concentrated than some. A dark and spicy fruitcake nose, clearly a strong Merlot influence here, but with good freshness coming out of the glass too. Spicy, strangely not a great depth of character, but only lightly oaky too. Rather a solid shell of a palate, all spice and structure here, with not as much vigour and definition as some. And there is a rather sweet and gritty fruit character to it. This need time to come together as it seems a bit soft and loosely composed right now. Some nice elements present though. 16.5+/20

Château Monbousquet 2006: A creamy red-crimson hue. Quite a dark and intensely coiled up nose, unfolding to reveal a core of fruit wrapped up in some oak which gives it a toffee edge but veering into a more intense, chocolatey style. The fruit character is very dark, sweet, concentrated, like confit-roasted plum skin. Old coffee grounds too. Lots of toast going on here. Surprising very well judged on the palate, I was expecting something more smothered in oak, but there is a very direct and defined presence of fruit at the core, with oak around, and paradoxically the fruit seems to win out such is its good definition. Good acids too keeping some freshness here. It needs to absorb all that oak but it has the substance to do that I think. 17+/20

Château Pavie 2006: A slightly darker purple-crimson hue than the preceding wines, and on the nose a density of Merlot fruit which mixes the characteristics of spicy, dark-fruited cake with dried plums. Not pruney though, there is a fresh fruit character to the intensity. Great creamy presence on the start, revealing more structure through the middle, but at all times the flesh and sweetness of the wine keeps the ripe, peppery tannins at bay. Plenty of the desired acidity too, There is definitely plenty of interest provided here, and the composition is very fine. Too forceful to be described as silky but the integration of texture and tannin is still admirable. Very long, upright, structured finish too. Excellent wine. 18.5+/20

Château Pavie-Decesse 2006: Quite a deep, slightly creamy, dark crimson-red hue. Plenty of coffee-tinged red fruits here, the oak coming in as quite a toasty presence on the nose. Sweet, caramelly, slightly marshmallowy-creamy vanilla ice cream swirled with black cherry fruits. In the mouth lots of cream at the start as well, then a drier midpalate, still with piles of substance. A nice depth and broad presence in the mouth, with good grip, and some ripe and gritty tannins. And there is good acid here too. Attractive but the oak is a little dominant at presence. 17+/20

Château Trottevieille 2006: A less intense hue here compared to some of its peers. The nose has an attractive polish of red fruits, slightly sherbetty in style, a ripe and lightly perfumed strawberry character, with a slightly gamey background. A little oak here too. An attractive palate, little fruit complexities, with a rather solid shell around the outside, giving the wine a reserved rather than fleshy feel, but there is something appealingly grippy and fresh about it. A nice clean finish, with some good punch here. An attractive wine. 16+/20

Pomerol

Château Clinet 2006: A very fresh, red-crimson hue here. Lots of very typical Pomerol spice on the nose, creamy fruit, dark in character, just-ripe blackberry fruit swirled with vanilla cream, but with that lovely, slightly earthy, tobacco-tinged vein reminiscent of iron and clay behind it that just screams Pomerol. A gentle start, polished with no rough edges at all, reserved, a touch soft and loose perhaps, more so than expected. Not showing any black fruits here, more of a red, woodland fruit style. Lots of grip and structure and acid though. This has quite a reserved character that will need some time to come together. 17.5+/20

Château La Conseillante 2006: Glossy, vibrant, bright hue. A very open and expressive nose here, aromatically appealing with nuances of slightly wild fruit, nuanced with the dense, cold clay and iron, but offset by a perfumed core too, fresh, pansy-like, with a touch of fraises des bois. A supple start, quickly showing a very well-judged structure, everything coming into balance, then relaxing into a supple, seductive character, not fleshy but very relaxed and lithe. This has a beguiling character, showing every nuance of its being in this tasting. Lovely. 18.5+/20

Château Gazin 2006: A darker wine, and quite reserved in style, less giving in terms of aroma, but there are subtle nuances of violet-tinged fruits. And on the palate, very much firmer, a similar style to Clinet but with more substance in the middle of it. Certainly very different in style from the St Emilions just tasted. It warms up and opens out in the middle, showing a robust spice and fruit, with a forceful grip to it all. Very savoury though and seductive in terms of balance if not flesh. This is moreish, and will be delicious given time. 17.5+/20

Château Petit Village 2006: A very deep style of fruit here, dense, compact, giving it a very gamey-cakey edge which I have to confess I find rather appealing. A different expression of Merlot and Pomerol, but still very identifiable. It has the perfume and the depth, but also a roasted, dense character. A nicely polished entry, quite relaxed, kicking off in a quite robust fashion but then broadening out, relaxing, showing good style and substance. Very nicely composed, balanced and again moreish. Well done! 16.5+/20