Moving on from the left bank communes we now come to the two principal right bank appellations of St Emilion and Pomerol. In a number of vintages - classic examples being 2008, 2001 and 1998 in my opinion, although there are other vintages where this is true - the right bank communes can outshine those on the left. In other years, of which the leading example is surely 1996, the left bank communes reign supreme. In 2007, for the red wine communes at least, few such distinctions are really valid (except to say that they all outperformed Margaux). On the right bank, however, it does seem that these wines are very slightly favoured, although I don't think the effect is strong enough for us to label 2007 as a right-bank vintage akin to some of those listed above. There are no great success stories here in this vintage.

Having said that, as is the case with most of the left bank communes, we have here a collection of wines which have turned out better than anyone might have imagined was possible from reading the original harvest reports, testament to the hard work put in by Bordeaux's many vineyard managers and technical directors. That is not to say, however, that this is a vintage crammed with great but under-appreciated wines; it is more that a growing season like that seen in 2007 would once have been a comprehensive washout characterised by a spread of dilute and unripe wines - think 1992, or 1984 - but instead wines that were at least drinkable were made. So to be clear, although better than expected, many wines still display the weaknesses of the vintage, a handful appallingly so, and as always the issue of prices - universally these were too high from the moment the wines were released - has to be thrown into the 'buy or avoid' equation.

The Story so Far

Tasting en primeur I made some reference to the very slightly higher quality seemingly apparent in St Emilion and Pomerol compared to the left bank communes; this really applies to Pomerol rather than St Emilion, the wines here showing a touch more substance, with more fruit in evidence over the structures of the wines. Extraction was less of a problem in St Emilion than it had been in recent years, and although at the time I wondered aloud whether that was a response to the vintage, it may also have been an early sign of a shift away from forceful, extracted, overly tannic structures to something more balanced, a shift that has certainly been more evident in the last few vintages (not at all châteaux, note). Nevertheless this peculiar disease was still present in some wines, and was very evident when tasting the wines at two years of age; even Troplong-Mondot showed signs of a change in style, a precursor to the alcohol-infused power-house style that came into full being with the 2009 vintage. As for Pomerol, few wines come my way at two years of age (only a handful of estates participate in UGC activities) but they showed more approachability and elegance than the St Emilions, in a style appropriate for a lesser vintage.

Bordeaux 2007

St Emilion: The Wines

Tasting the wines in late 2011, only two made any memorable impact, the first being the oft-derided - depending on your palate preference more than anything else - Figeac. In this vintage it was an uncertain impact though, with some aspects of the wine - its substance and texture - coming across quite nicely, whereas other elements were lacking or less appealing in style. The fruit had a slightly unripe, vegetal edge to it, and there was a paucity of appealing aroma or flavour. This latter aspect I found of no great concern, as wines do close down, although the former may be more of an issue. Nevertheless the substance and presence of the wine in the mouth was much more convincing than many of its peers. Overall there is good potential here, but there is also something of a question mark over how this will develop.

A more certain opinion is offered on Grand-Mayne, which I found to be one of the most convincing wines of the tasting, with sweeter black fruits than was displayed by most other wines, and an attractive, balanced composition. Otherwise there were some real tear-jerkers in this line-up. And I don't mean tears of joy.

Pomerol: The Wines

The selection of wines from Pomerol was smaller than from St Emilion, but thoroughly more convincing, tying in nicely with my previous experiences. Leading the pack was Trotanoy, an estate which really shines under the guidance of the Moueix family, and even in a difficult vintage such as 2007 the strength of the terroir - the estate is very close to the church (pictured above), at the heart of the Pomerol appellation - and the expertise of the proprietors shines through. But unlike the situation in St Emilion, where there were few other wines of interest, here Nenin, Beauregard and Clinet all showed quite well, Gazin and Le Bon Pasteur bringing up the rear. Overall this was a showing comparable (if not slightly superior) to that seen on the left bank; in other words there were some decent wines here, not necessarily exciting, but not to be rejected out of hand either. (18/1/12)

St Emilion & Pomerol 2007: Tasting Notes

Tasted at the Institute of Masters of Wine tasting in November 2011. Click to locate stockists.

St Emilion

Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot 2007: A rather dark and lightly confected fruit character on the nose here, with gamey overtones. There are little tinges of coffee and chocolate here too. The palate is brighter and a little more fresh than I expected, with a rather cool style leading into a rather firm, stony midpalate. The fruit is subdued, the suggestion sweet but without any real character coming through. The acidity is fairly prominent, but the tannins well hidden though. It ends up with a dry, lightly bitter finish. 14/20

Château Canon 2007: Some dark, smoky, cigar-tinged fruit here. It has a dry, bright and perhaps slightly austere style, rather than anything softer. A somewhat lean entry, and the start of the palate doesn't develop much. This leaves the middle of the wine firm, austere and rather harshly composed with rather hotter structure than the rest of the wine can manage. It seems very sinewy and wiry, with a hard and spiky underbelly at times. 14.5/20

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 2007: Warm, evocative, rich and cola-tinged fruit on the nose here. Some of the non-fruit elements here are clearly related to the oak, and there is also a suggestion of jam to the fruit which is certainly unusual for this vintage, The polish and flesh that comes on the palate is very welcome though, and the fruit here seems not jammy but firm, austere, tinged with charcoal and soot from the barrels. This all seems a bit intense at present but there is nothing here that is too extreme, and the tannic structure is not overdone considering the weight of the fruit. There is some promise here, and it needs time in the cellar. 15/20

Château Cap de Mourlin 2007: There is not a lot of fruit character on the nose here, it seems to display more meat and rubber character instead. The palate is soft and without great definition around the edges, although I do find some reasonably convincing solid substance in the middle. What it is really missing is the fruit though; it seems to be all bitter charcoal, tannins and acids. 13/20

Château La Couspaude 2007: A dark, smoky, charcoaly, a sooty nose, surely mostly oak-derived elements, with a fruit profile that is closely related to black cherry I think, with more than a touch of chocolate cake, although it is hard to see behind all the smouldering charcoal. Nevertheless this doesn't come through on the palate as strongly as I expected, with a supple layer of fruit backed up by firm but not excessive tannins, and if anything firm rather than softer acidity. If this wine can absorb all that oak character there could be something approachable here. 14.5/20

Château Dassault 2007: An attractive fruit profile here, rounded and expressive, lightly sweet, suggestive of black cherry fruit with a lightly buttery overlay which is probably oak-derived. A soft and warm entry, tightening up in the middle though to give a slightly more convincing impression, showing attractive substance with a chalky edge to the fruit. This latter characteristic is partly down to the bright acidity, but not the tannins which feel very subdued. This lacks the necessary grip to support the palate, and the substance to counter the acidity I think. 14.5/20

Château Figeac 2007: This does not seem very expressive on the nose today; there are little suggestions of cola-tinged fruit but it seems very reticent otherwise. The palate starts off with an appealing texture, maintained nicely through the middle of the wine. There are tannins here, soft and slightly chalky, and firm acidity in evidence too. The palate overall seems fairly convincing. although this is a judgement made on texture and composition not flavour or aroma, as this wine seems closed down tight at present. For that reason, slightly difficult to judge. 15-16?/20

Château Grand Mayne 2007: Some sweet, sugar-coated black fruits on the nose here, although I sense a very slight leafy influence coming in behind as well. All the same, I find this one of the more convincing wines of this appellation, aromatically at least,. The palate is soft and seamless, with a pretty red fruit character and a fresh, lovely composition. It seems to be entirely in keeping with the vintage, the structure light, the acidity fresh and not over the top, and overall this is an appealing mouthful of wine. It is balanced, delicately fruited, and it finishes clean and long. Impressive and confident for the vintage. 16/20

Château Magdelaine 2007: A sweet but also green and very stemmy character to the fruit on the nose here, curiously overlaid with notes of toffee and singed weeds. The palate has a supple and understated entry, but remains lean in the midpalate, with a dry and lightly bitter structure underneath. It feels rather non-descript and I was expecting more - of something - after that unusual aromatic profile. 13/20

Château La Tour Figeac 2007: An unusual nose, suggestive of blackcurrant fruit, but also a slightly rubbery aroma, and a light touch of green. The palate seems very lean and stringy, with none of the fruit or texture that would be required to balance out the rather fierce and bitter structure of the palate. The finish is similarly stern and the wine does nothing to redeem itself here. 13/20

Château Trottevieille 2007: Sweet and slightly plump black berry fruits here. The palate seems firm and yet fades a little in the midpalate to reveal a structure that is fairly solid. It doesn't reveal much in the way of complexity or interest but there is a solid layer of substance, rather unyielding admittedly. Foursquare would be a good description here I think, although there is not an inappropriate amount of tannin and acidity. It may well make decent drinking in a few years. 14.5/20

Pomerol

Château Beauregard 2007: A really attractive nose here, the fruit having an appealing dark character, fresh and ripe though, along with an appealing potter's clay earthiness which is very characteristic of the appellation I think. This is certainly Pomerol! The palate is fairly soft and supple, gentle in terms of structure, with soft and understated tannins and plenty of bright acidity. The fruit has a rather dry character, slightly lean, and not quite up to what the nose suggested, although this is certainly a firm and well composed palate, with a gritty slightly chewy finish. Good. 15.5/20

Château Le Bon Pasteur 2007: Rather a lean fruit character on the nose, with a little suggestion of smoky meat coming in behind, and there is also a slightly rubbery element to it. The fruit seems to be soft in terms of definition on the palate, with a charcoaly layer of tannins behind, and no shortage of acidity. The fruit profile has a rather nondescript feel to it. The finish is light in character, and a little short, although it firms up a little on the second taste. This will not make old bones, although it could give some pleasant drinking. 15/20

Château Clinet 2007: Now this has a really sexy nose, all seductively spiced fruit mixed with potter's clay and also some slight hints of organic complexity, notes of tobacco and green peppercorn. Aromatically, at least, this is very convincing. The palate is no less impressive, with a supple layer of fruit showing a nicely packed concentration through into the middle, more than enough to cope with the dark structure of the wine and the dry, tannic backbone. Fresh, with good depth and interest, this is certainly one of the stronger wines of this assessment. Fresh, with good acidity, this is one wine that is set to improve. The finish is lightly tannic but promising. 16/20

Château Gazin 2007: Dark and slightly smoky fruits here, with lightly gamey notes coming in behind, but these are subtle elements and what I find most striking is the delicate and reassuring polish that the fruit possesses. There is certainly something that provides interest here. The palate has a good substance with a dry rather than sweetly polished character, but there is an attractive weight to it. The tannins seem quite firm, moving into austere, and are perhaps a little much for the vintage, but the other fruit elements stand up pretty well to it. There is no problem with acidity. An attractive if slightly top-heavy wine which possesses only a short finish. 16/20

Château Nenin 2007: A really open and rather plump character here, bright and blackcurranty, appealing but without any great layers of complexity with it. Mainly fruit notes, with some pretty black cherry elements coming through. A supple start to the palate, then a drier character through the middle, the furry and extracted tannins coming to the fore here. Chewy tannins, soft and plump fruit, and there are certainly some positive points here but does it have the depth to develop further? The acid backbone keeps it fresh on the palate at least, even if it is rather firm and weighty. 15.5/20

Château Trotanoy 2007: What a striking nose this wine possesses, quite distinctive from its peers here today. The fruit is dark in character, with blackberries and blackcurrants, but there is a bright, outgoing, very defined character to it that takes on a rather crystalline style. How you can have something so dark, and yet so evocative and crisp, is surprising. The palate is supple and bold, with bright fruit to the fore, and a stony and serious texture beneath, rather than the softer fruit of the vintage most wines possess. There is a firm backbone of tannin and acids, with the dry substance of the wine allowing the structure to take on an almost austere character. The nose remains seductive though, and I hope the palate relaxes with time into something in keeping with this. For now it is certainly a wine to be left well alone, with its big, lingering wall of tannins in the finish. Super quality taking into account the vintage. 17/20