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Bordeaux CIVB Annual Tasting 2007 Part 1

The following wines were tasted at a tasting organised on behalf of the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux in Edinburgh in October 2007. The tasting had a focus on generics and cru bourgeois properties many of which were of considerable interest, as well as occasionally stretching up to the higher echelons of Bordeaux, with the likes of Pichon-Lalande, Suduiraut and one or two others.

A number of UK importers and merchants attended and I have included details on stockists as well as prices (many of which do not include taxes and should only be used as a guide) with the notes, along with wine-searcher () links to facilitate price comparisons. Nevertheless I have ordered the wines by origin rather than importer, starting with generics and most of the left bank wines below, and in part two I cover the right bank and the sweet wines, obviously including Sauternes but also a good number of wines from some of Bordeaux's less commonly encountered appellations. (1/11/07)

Bordeaux CIVB 2007 Part 1 - Tasting Notes

Tasted in October 2007. Click to locate stockists.

Chateau Parenchère (Bordeaux Supérieur) 2004: It has been a long time since I have tasted Parenchère, which I always rated rather well for a generic Bordeaux. This has a classically styled, reserved nose with some dusty but quite pure summer fruits. There is a touch of flesh on the palate, with plenty of flavour, underpinned by a well proportioned mix of tannin and acidity. This is appealing and very accessible. Good. 14.5/20 (Alexander, £9-11)

Chateau Parenchère Cuvée Raphael (Bordeaux Supérieur) 2003: This is a special cuvée which I have noticed before but have never had the opportunity to taste before today. A dark colour, showing some early maturity, and on the nose dark fruits, less dusty than the straight domaine wine, and still showing some oak too. Again it is fleshy and flattering. A full style, not particularly hot but certainly quite grippy towards the finish. Rather peppery, with soft acidity. Overall it is nice and well put together, if rather straightforward and showing some elements of the warm vintage. 15+/20 (Alexander, £11-13)

Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: A lovely nose, still showing a touch of oak, but with some appealing lanolin and toast notes coming through from the Semillon. Full and dry, fresh, nicely defined, not exactly laser-like in its precision but nice, firm and pithy structure. Leafy and nettly at the edges. Coming along really nicely I think, and there is a fine future here. 17+/20 (Cockburns, £36.50)

Les Tours de Loudenne (Médoc) 2002: The second wine of Loudenne. A fairly ridiculous bright pink label with a castellated upper edge is at least worthy of comment. The wine isn't quite as bright as the label although it certainly has a fresh appearance, and it has an attractive nose showing good fruit with a layer of stone dust which is very traditional and left bank in style. It is soft although rather broad on the palate, with no structure of note although it has really appealing flavour, rather savoury and sappy. It has a caressing style but overall this is merely decent. 14/20 (Irvine Robertson, £9.34)

Chateau Loudenne (Médoc) 2002: This is certainly a touch more serious than the Tours, with an appealing perfume and floral character to the nose, with notes of violets and minerals. A touch fleshy and textured on the palate, again a soft and accessible style, nicely ripe though and with a fresh, crisp, almost nettly-prickly acidity below. There is a little grip too. It is quite attractive overall, but is best for current drinking I think. 15/20 (Irvine Robertson, £12.40)

Chateau Labadie (Médoc) 2005: This has a youthful hue in keeping with this recent vintage, and a lovely purity of fruit on the nose, spiced with notes of toffee from as yet unresolved oak. It is nicely put together, not overdone with regards to the wood, although I suppose it is a touch simple at present. The same is found on the palate, which has an attractive, pure, raspberry fruit and underneath that is a backbone of clean acidity and good tannins. Attractive although straightforward. Roll on the 2005s! 15+/20 (Raeburn, £9.99)

Chateau Greysac (Médoc) 2002: A moderately dense colour, with dark claretty fruit on the nose. An approachable style on the palate, with rather peppery tannins through the midpalate, and a good presence of stony, dusty cabinet Cabernet fruit. Quite well rounded but firm, with a nice style. This is drinking soon but has a nice potential. 15.5+/20 (Justerini & Brooks, £7.25)

Chateau Tour St-Bonnet (Médoc) 2000: A very light colour here, far too close to transparent to be good surely, with a brown core and a pink rim. And the nose is also very advanced and mature, with a spice and sandalwood character. The texture is light, with notes of caramel and burnt sugar, with some spice and a little grip, but this wine seems to be in a very tertiary stage. It seems soft and tired out. Unpleasant finish. Very disappointing. Is this really representative? 11/20 (Justerini & Brooks, £7.59)

Chateau Liversan (Haut-Médoc) 2003: I note the colour here is not particularly youthful, it already being a maturing oxblood hue. It has appeal on the nose though, which is showing a nice, dense, meaty, iron-infused claretty character, with a touch of violet perfume. There is still a seam of gritty tannin, and lots of texture. It seems a little sandy, and a touch hot and coarse. It is certainly very full-on, and it rounds off with a hot, tannic finish. Rather soft acidity. But the aromatics are appealing. 15.5/20 (Cockburns, £12.60)

Chateau Ramage la Batisse (Haut-Médoc) 2001: Nice fruit on the nose here, with some early secondary characteristics coming through, but it is a little quiet and perhaps a touch closed down. Cool character on the palate, with a little flesh and a good smoky style. Firm acidity, a little core of tannin and some grip on the finish make for a nicely composed wine which will be drinking soon. 15.5/20 (Boutinot, £15.20)

Chateau Maucaillou (Moulis) 2000: This still has quite a deep hue although it is beginning to fade towards a more mature colour. A good nose, dense and claretty, classic left bank style with some dusty, cabinet-like Cabernet fruit. There is a very slight feral note to it. It is quite plump, rather ripe and rounded, a big style of wine, although it is a little soft in terms of structure. But there are lots of good points here. An attractive proposition. 16.5/20 (Edinburgh Wine Importers, £17)

Chateau Fourcas-Hosten (Listrac) 1999: There is a very exciting nose here, forceful and bright, with gritty, iron-bound fruit to the fore but supported by a flattering, floral perfume behind. There is a stylishly composed palate, with a reserved character, a soft structure and appealing texture. It isn't quite as open and persuasive as the nose would suggest but there is plenty of pleasure and potential here, and I think this is really very good for the vintage. Worth opening a bottle now if you have one. 16.5+/20 (Alexander, £14-16)

Chateau Saint-Roch (St Estèphe) 2002: An appealing colour, with a touch of pink at the rim still. Minerally, with an attractive floral perfume on the nose and a nice, elegant body. A broad and savoury feel, with a pleasing fluidity that carries it across the palate. It has good detail, ripe rather than green character, and a rather grippy finish. Overall this is appealing. 15+/20 (Cockburns, £11.50)

Chateau Haut-Beausejour (St Estèphe) 2004: This has an attractive, reserved nose with some slightly meaty fruit and I find it really rather appealing. It has a very approachable style with some grip and a good acidic backbone for coming through after a little while. Good spicy tannins, ripe, rather traditional and solid in style, but with a little fleshy pleasure. Good. 15.5/20 (Irvine Robertson, £15.16)

Chateau de Pez (St Estèphe) 2002: An appealing, rather dusty style, with a nutty perfumed nose. On the palate it has an attractive presence with grip and a fleshy body, combined with moderately low acidity. I find it appealing. This is nice for drinking now although short-term ageing wouldn't be out of the question. 16-16.5+/20 (Irvine Robertson, £24.44)

Chateau Petit Bocq (St Estèphe) 1999: A good dense hue on inspection. It has a nice, gravelly perfume which is appealing although it isn't complex. Good texture and extract on the palate, grippy ripe tannins and good substance. Quite firmly put together, with acidity and freshness, and overall this has a nice style. Good for the vintage I think. 16+/20 (Justerini & Brooks, £13)

Chateau Haut-Marbuzet (St Estèphe) 2005: This has a very dense hue reflecting its youth and perhaps also the character of the vintage. It pales just a little at the rim. On the nose, enticing exotic ripe fruit, and plenty of it too. Pure, youthful and exuberant. There is a similar wealth of fruit on the palate which has a very good texture wrapped around a core of ripe tannins and a very correct, bright acidity. This is a delight to taste. Who wouldn't like this? 17-17.5+/20 (Boutinot, £37.80)

Les Tourelles de Longueville (Pauillac) 2003: The second wine of Pichon-Baron. A very good depth of colour on inspection, and a nice nose, quite restrained in terms of exuberance, but what it does yield is interesting, with spicy, exotic, raspberry jam and confit cherry characteristics, some of which obviously reflect the character of the vintage. Fleshy, attractive, but dry and minerally, quite tightened up, with a seam of polished tannins. A lovely finish. There are layers of flavour here. Very nice, but not for drinking just yet to see it at its peak. 16.5-17+/20 (Bibendum, £19.99)

Chateau Pichon-Lalande (Pauillac) 1987: Just a little sediment despite decanting. This obviously mature wine now displays a fading, mature hue. The nose is not particularly open or expressive despite having been decanted. It has a gentle meatiness, with a stony-seashell crispness and a touch of iron. The palate has some appeal, although it lacks finesse and never really flatters the taster with anything of substance. A touch lean, acidic, almost disappearing on the midpalate, and rather short on the finish. To be honest it is rather short on pleasure too. 13.5/20 (Friarwood, £47.25)

Chateau Lalande (St Julien) 2004: Some attractive, rather pure fruit here, crisp and blackcurranty, well defined and bright. There is more intense cassis character on the palate, where it has a little floral edge too. It has a direct and delineated style, is quite pure, and very well put together. It has fresh acidity and some tannin beneath, but not a huge amount of the latter and I think this is for drinking soon. Good. 15.5/20 (Boutinot, £14.99)

Sarget de Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2000: The second wine of Gruaud-Larose. There is some appeal on the nose here, the wine is clearly just beginning to show some secondary characteristics. Notes of iron, and a rather reserved and lean layer of red fruit. On the palate there is a nice weight, and it still shows a pile of tannin. Clean finish. In all honesty I am a touch disappointed as the grand vin is monumental in this vintage, but this is fairly good nevertheless. I also think it has the potential to show better in the future. 15+/20 (Cockburns, £31.50)

Sarget de Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2001: The second wine of Gruaud-Larose. Early maturity is evident on inspection here, and the nose has more appeal than the 2000 at present, showing an attractive, perfumed character with flower petals scattered over meaty Cabernet fruit. There is a nicely rounded nature to the composition, and here it is also a little more flattering than the previous vintage. It has attractive flavours and correct acidity, giving an appealing, savoury finish. Better for drinking now than the 2000, although that will be the greater wine in the long run I think. 15.5+/20 (Raeburn, £15.99)

Chateau des Trois Chardons (Margaux) 2000: An estate belonging to the Chardon family located very close to Chateau Palmer. This seems a touch closed on the nose today, showing only some reserved, rather crisp and red fruit but little else. There is promise of things to come, however, as the palate is nicely endowed with texture, substance, a rounded slightly fleshy presence and a healthy, balanced composition. A nice substance which would work well in the cellar. Clean finish, leaving just a trace of tannin. Needs keeping. 16.5+/20 (Raeburn, £19.99)

Chateau des Trois Chardons (Margaux) 2001: Here we have an attractive nose with plenty of Margaux typicity, particular a floral, perfumed, gravelly note. The palate is attractive and has a touch of flesh, and is stylishly composed. This is really surprisingly good. It has elegance, a nice composition, and a lifted style backed up by some substance. There is really a lot of appeal here. 16+/20 (Raeburn, £19.99)

Chateau Martinens (Margaux) 2004: On the nose this has appealing, rather herby, crunchy blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Rather flattering on the palate, as although it starts off cool it soon shows a more fleshy side. Nicely composed though, classic style, good fresh acidity, and ripe tannin at the core. This is an underrated vintage for this commune I think. 15.5-16/20 (Boutinot, £16.99)

Domaine Zédé (Margaux) 2004: A deep, fresh red hue on inspection, still obviously a young wine. An appealing perfume of classic gravelly fruit and perfume. There is good substance here, a subtly fleshy texture with a nice acidic backbone, with good extract, tannins and grip. It is perhaps rather dry and a touch stalky, but overall I think this is good and it certainly has potential for the cellar. 16+/20 (TM Robertson, £16.49)

Les Charmes de Kirwan (Margaux) 2003: The second wine of Kirwan. Again there is maturity of colour on inspection of this wine, something that does seem to mark the 2003 vintage at the moment, at only four years of age. The colour is oxblood at the core, with a pink rim. The nose remains fresh, however, perfumed and gravelly with some fading notes of nut behind it all. The palate is reserved, quite elegant, sappy and broad, with some flesh. There is a bit of grip but it is not overdone despite the vintage. Although there is a feral note rearing up at the finish I find this appealing for a 2003. Good. 15.5/20 (Alexander, £19-20)