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Bordeaux 2007: The Right Bank
Bordeaux 2007
En primeur
At Two Years
St Emilion & Pomerol
I have presented my notes here in the usual order of St Emilion followed by Pomerol, although on the day I tasted in reverse, starting at La Pointe and finishing up at Canon. The issue with St Emilion was as expected one of extraction, with a number of the wines - the usual culprits plus one or two other less frequent offenders - showing huge walls of tannin. Worryingly, even the usually divinely elegant Troplong-Mondot seems to have joined this gang. This continued trend for energetic extraction in this appellation is troubling, especially in the context of a vintage where the wines generally have leaner fruit and less texture. Nevertheless, I do have to admit that the overtly extracted wines did tend to show more substance than those wines with less tannin, at least helping to bring a sense of balance.
A peculiar feature I noted when writing up my notes, one that I have already alluded to in my introduction, is that I scored a trio of wines significantly lower than I did when tasting during the primeurs, the three in question being Clos Fourtet, La Gaffelière and Pavie-Macquin. In each case I had two opportunities to revisit the samples during the primeur week - these three being the only wines for which I did this - so my earlier assessment was based on two tastings rather then just one. Could this be responsible for an overly optimistic early assessment? Did I look harder at these three samples, summing up the positive points from each interaction with the wine to produce an overly optimistic score? Or is it just that, without the flesh they showed during the primeurs, they today display their somewhat ungainly structure more prominently, and my double tasting of the primeur samples was nothing more than a red herring? Perhaps. Perhaps that old healer time will tell; I look forward to my next opportunity to taste this trio again, at four years of age, in 2011.
As for Pomerol, I found a little more consistency here; there were certainly one or two disappointments amongst the handful of wines on display, but also a decent number which are approachable and elegant, just as the wines should be in what is clearly a weaker vintage. The stand out wine was for me La Conseillante, although the increasingly respectable Gazin was a very close second. (4/11/09)
The Right Bank 2007: Tasting Notes
Tasted at the UGC de Bordeaux tasting in October 2009. Click
to locate stockists:
Chateau Canon 2007: Dark,
restrained, exotic, with layers of spicy and gritty fruit. A polished palate,
although with a really hard structure beneath. There is a lot of tannic grip
here, and a firm, rounded substance. There are some attractive fruit elements
to be found though. 15+/20
Chateau Canon-la-Gaffelière 2007:
Smoky black fruits on the nose here, with a slightly hot edge. Soft and a little
unfocused on the palate, fresh though, with lots of substance. Grippy, rich in
dark character, with a wealth of tannins. As usual it teeters on the edge of
ever-extraction, but I suspect it will come good with time. 15.5+/20
Chateau Cap de Mourlin 2007: Vibrant, perfumed, with crunchy red fruit
on the nose. Soft, gently fleshy, with a soft perfume underpinned by a
solid grip underneath. Rather loose-knit though, tannic but not very well
composed. I suspect it will come together a little better with time. 13.5+/20
Chateau Figeac 2007: Fresh,
with red fruits, this has a little smoky character on the nose. A rather
reserved palate, some flesh, nicely broad although elegant on the palate, with a
good texture. Firm structure underneath it all though, rather gravelly which is
interesting, supple, but with a big tannic finish which is a touch surprising
for the vintage. It has the fruit and substance though. Could be very good. 16+/20
Clos
Fourtet 2007: I tasted this wine twice during the primeurs week
and thought it good; it showed less convincingly today. The nose carries aromas of
warm, gently spiced fruits, predominantly dark, although with seams of red
fruits too. The palate is quite polished, seamless, lightly textured and perhaps
a little stony. Firm tannins in the background, rather powerful, and
surprisingly rather short on the finish. Still, a decent effort which could come
good, but as I am less convinced I have added a note of caution. 15.5+?/20
Chateau
La Gaffelière 2007: Another wine tasted twice during the primeurs week,
and which I liked. Again less convincing today; the nose has some warm and
slightly macerated fruits, and the palate is soft and gently perfumed. Light,
chalky tannins, it has some suppleness but it also seems a touch lean. More
profoundly tannic at the end, where it is a little charcoaly and hard. A
very different impression; it would be worthwhile retasting this one. 15+?/20
Chateau Larcis Ducasse 2007:
A richly aromatic wine here, full of dark fruits, plums, liquorice and spice.
More creamy fruit comes through on the palate, although the tannins show through
in a very firm and hard style, with some related bitter charcoal notes. Despite
this it seems better integrated and less overworked than some vintages of
Larcis-Ducasse, and I think given time this could be good. 15.5+/20
Chateau Larmande 2007:
Rather hot and honeyed fruit on the nose here, with a soft, dark fruit profile.
Fresher on the palate than I anticipated, although there is certainly a subdued
quality to the fruit. There is substance, some tannin too, and a moderate
texture. The tannins have a ripe feel to them. This has some pleasing qualities
and it could be good with time.
15+/20
Chateau
Pavie-Macquin 2007: Yet another wine tasted twice during the primeurs week,
and there I had two different impressions from two different samples. Today this
has rather a quiet, dark fruit profile on the nose. The palate has the same
character, underpinned by a very hard structure and a layer of ripe, binding
tannins. There is a firmly polished outer skin, with a rather ungiving
character. Firm tannins in the finish. A serious style showing a lot of
structure today, and I do wonder about how the fruit will carry it,
but there is potential here. 15+?/20
Chateau Troplong-Mondot 2007:
A nose of warm and spicy oak here, with some warm red fruits. A polished
mouthfeel, with a hard and slightly ungiving shell, within which there is fruit
with an appealing aromatic precision. There is also a surprisingly huge wall of
tannin which dominates the wine; I didn't experience that with the primeur
sample. It seems heavily extracted; will the fruit cope? 15.5+?/20
Chateau Beauregard 2007: An
attractive purity of fruit here, with a little blackberry, laced with vanilla. A
firm, well polished palate, good substance although certainly not generous.
Tight, with moderate weight, firm tannins and firm acidity. Supple fruit on the
finish. 15+/20
Chateau La Cabanne 2007: I thought this very disappointing when tasted
en primeur - indeed I refused to award a score in case the sample was not
representative. This has a deeper and duller hue than other wines of the
commune, with a darker more macerated style to the fruit, with some
honey-toasted oak. Very restrained and structured on the palate, very
old-school, dusty but supple tannins, with a harder mouthfeel than its peers
possess. Prominent tannins, decent acidity, and a firm finish. 14.5+/20
Chateau Clinet 2007: A more
typical, rather more exotic Pomerol spice here, dense but with fairly fresh and
bright fruit. Roasted herb notes, not swamped with oak, overall quite reserved.
More supple and gentle on the palate than I expected, quite firm in composition,
with light and well composed tannins. Gentle acidity, spicy finish, but rather
short. 15.5+/20
Chateau La Conseillante 2007:
One of the first wines to be tasted at the 2007 UGC event, this has a bright and
fresh hue, with notes of toasty barrel on the nose, alongside liquorice and
crunchy dark fruits. Quite supple on the palate, attractive, with a gentle feel.
Lots of oak apparent at the moment, but there is balance otherwise, with some
more grip towards the end. Not overdone. Good. 16.5+/20
Chateau Gazin 2007: A glossy,
deep cherry red hue, with a sweetness and smokiness to the fruit. Bright in
character, a little denseness to the fruit, overall an attractive nose. A very
firm palate, an austerity at the core, polished fruit and some substance. A
spiced tannin finish. Some length too. This is a more serious effort than some. 16+/20
Chateau Petit Village 2007:
A fresh and aromatic nose, good fruit, quite spicy too, fairly stylish and not
overdone. A well composed wine, with gentle flesh, firmly styled underneath
though, with some grip. Overall a good and attractive style which works well
within the confines of the vintage. 15.5+/20
Chateau La Pointe 2007: Soft
and slightly animally fruit on the nose here, with gently spiced wood. The
palate is rather soft, poorly distinguished, with a rather hollow feel to it. A
hard style, short on fruit, but showing plenty of overt structure. I find this
over-built and lacking generosity. 13+/20
