Bordeaux 2012 Primeurs: Pauillac Tasting Notes
Overall, despite some commentators pointing at Pauillac as having enjoyed some relative success during the 2012 vintage, I don’t find any signs of greatness here. This has been a difficult vintage for Bordeaux as a whole, but those who have predominant Cabernet Sauvignon, planted on well-drained gravelly terroirs, have come off worst in this vintage, especially if the vines are young. The flowering of this variety was uneven and late; ripening was consequently also uneven and late. And the warm weather during the August drought resulted in hydric stress which caused photosynthesis, vine growth and ripening of the fruit to grind to a halt. It was this latter aspect of the growing season in 2012 that placed the usually highly desirable combination of Cabernet Sauvignon on gravel at the greatest risk of failure.
This difficulty ripening the Cabernets comes through in the wines, in the rather crunchy character of the fruit (not necessarily unappealing – think Saumur-Champigny) and also in the leaner textures through their middles (also not that bad – lighter vintages can be good for earlier drinking and the restaurant trade, if priced appropriately). More disconcertingly, however, some wines show rather grainy tannins of uncertain ripeness (which might be important if you like to drink your Pauillac younger, rather than older) and one or two show a green and herbaceous streak. Sometimes this seems very subtle, and is at a level that some drinkers may enjoy, although such wines may receive a panning from high-powered critics who favour concentration and sur-maturité. In other wines it is more clearly expressed, and is perhaps less appealing to all, although never was it really truly dominant in a sample.
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