Bordeaux 2007 at Ten Years: St Estèphe
I am not one to bring preconceptions to a tasting. Wines in supposedly great vintages can fall flat on their faces; I am, for example, really looking forward to seeing how some of those high-alcohol turbocharged right-bankers from 2009 and 2010 are doing when they hit their tenth birthdays during the next few years. And I have a willingness to see the merits in wines from lesser vintages, where bargains can sometimes be found; I am certainly enjoying drinking some wines from the 2002 vintage at the moment. Those who drink only the trophy wines, the very best labels from the very best vintages (these days sold at the most remarkable prices), are missing out on some of the joys of getting to know Bordeaux in my opinion. The wines of petit châteaux, and those from lesser vintages, are always worth exploring.
Having said that it is almost impossible to come to a vintage such as 2007 without some preconception. I have a strong opinion about the wines of this vintage, along with 2002 one of the most troubled of the first decade of the 21st century. I recall flying out to Bordeaux and tasting many wines at the primeurs in April 2008, and I remember revisiting the wines after bottling, and at four years of age. There were a lot of wines showing greener flavour elements, and rather lean and light textures. It is difficult to completely evict such memories from one’s consciousness and approach the wines with a clean slate.
And so I am perhaps guilty of lifting the first glass to my nose with a feeling that these wines might be rather hard work. And I was immediately reminded why one should never pay too much attention to such preconceptions. These first few wines, from St Estèphe, were certainly much better than I expected.
