Bordeaux 2004 at Two Years: Pessac-Léognan
As I discussed in my Bordeaux 2004 vintage review, this year sees the very welcome return of acidity in the white wines of the Graves region of Bordeaux, which incorporates the enclave of Pessac-Léognan. To generalise, the white style that characterises this vintage is full, powerful, structured, grippy and pithy, fresh but not delicate or filigree in nature. These were wines that I enjoyed tasting. It is perhaps not the greatest of white Graves vintages, but it is nevertheless very good, in many places.
The red wines are less easily described, at least in such a succinct manner. There is character in many, with good quality to be found from a small number of estates, led most notably by Domaine de Chevalier and the ever-successful (it seems) Haut-Bailly, but there was also a surprising, supple and successful wine from Larrivet-Haut-Brion, which may provide some good value drinking.
The wines here were tasted at two years of age, and I look forward to other opportunities – perhaps few and far between, sadly – to reassess them in the future. (7/11/06)
