Bordeaux 2012 Cru Bourgeois: Médoc Communes
The famous communal appellations do not usually yield the best wines at the cru bourgeois level, as I often find there is more diversity and interest waiting to be discovered in the Haut-Médoc and Médoc appellations. Nevertheless, in the 2012 vintage I seemed to find more wines of note here than I did in the other more generic appellations, especially in St Estèphe, where there is perhaps greater strength among the body of Cru Bourgeois châteaux than there is in Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux, but also (to my surprise) in Listrac.
Starting with St Estèphe, the performance here was a little stronger than it was in the 2011 tasting, with higher scores here when compared with my notes on the 2011s. Three usual suspects lead the way, starting with the now revitalised Château Lilian Ladouys (pictured), today owned by Jacky Lorenzetti but which has winemaking input from Emmanuel Cruse following Lorenzetti having acquired a 50% stake in Château d’Issan in 2013. Quality has climbed significantly under the new regime. Secondly, Didier Marcelis has turned in another good performance in a difficult vintage at Château Sérilhan, this clearly being a very reliable address in the commune. Thirdly, the wine of Château Le Crock is another very good effort for the vintage; here the expertise of the Cuvelier family, who also own and direct operations at Château Léoville-Poyferré, shines through. I make no apologies for the fact that these three châteaux also featured in my 2011 Cru Bourgeois report; I am just casting the spotlight on where the quality is, if that is at the same châteaux one vintage after another, more kudos to those involved..
