Bordeaux 2001: Tasting in 2018
I have been thinking of coming back for another look at the 2001 vintage in Bordeaux for some time; indeed, I first thought it was about time I revisited it back in 2016, when the wines were fifteen years old. It has taken me a couple of years to get around to making good on this promise to myself, but the wait has been worth it. This is a good vintage to have in your cellar right now.
The 2001 vintage was one of the truly great Sauternes vintages of our time, with many châteaux turning out prodigiously rich wines (not that rare) but in the majority of cases paired up with fabulously vibrant acidities (and in combination, this is rare), giving brilliant wines which had depth and longevity as well as balance. My cellar is still well stocked with this vintage, and the honest truth is I should probably be drinking these wines more frequently than I currently manage.
The red wines were also of high quality, especially in Pomerol but in reality there was considerable success across the entire region. Despite this, the vintage remained seriously under-rated for many years, mainly because it has long been overshadowed by the 2000 vintage, even though some regions and some châteaux made better wines in 2001 than they had done the preceding year. Thus for many years 2001 was the perfect drinkers’ vintage, with unappreciated quality in the red wines, and as a consequence the wines offered almost unparalleled value. In Bordeaux terms, at least.
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