Bordeaux 2005 at Ten Years: Pessac-Léognan
The vineyards of Pessac-Léognan have long tended to be overlooked. They are somewhat divorced from the left-bank/right-bank distinction, not really belonging to either; as if to reinforce this fact they sometimes perform well in traditional ‘left-bank vintages’ such as 1996, and also sometimes in right-bank vintages such as 1998. And yet we never hear talk of a ‘Pessac vintage’, even when the region is one of only a few to succeed, such as in 2012 when many of the most convincing wines I tasted hailed either for Pessac-Léognan or Pomerol.
This predisposition to being overlooked is recognised within the region, and was the main reason behind the decision by the Union des Cru Classé de Graves to come to London to host a tasting of mature wines, from the 2007 and 1998 vintages, in late 2014, hoping that it might raise the profile of the region a little. I am content to note that every major vintage report I have written has included a look at Pessac-Léognan (white wines as well as red), and so I don’t feel guilty of overlooking the region. In addition, to complement what already exists on Winedoctor, the next few months should see the publication of several updated profiles for the region, as well as several new profiles, and reports on a mini-vertical of Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Haut-Brion.
