Bordeaux 2013 at Two Years: Haut-Médoc & More
My two-year Bordeaux reports often skip rather lightly over the Haut-Médoc appellation. This is not because of any bias against the region; I am sure I am not the only Bordeaux drinker with a historical soft spot for Château La Lagune, and I have long found Château Cantemerle to offer classic style at a great price. These are wines that offer real Bordeaux drinking at real prices, especially so in the case of Château Cantemerle; I was first drawn to this estate with the 1996 vintage, of which I still have a few bottles left, and I have since added 2005, 2009 and 2010 to the cellar. Of course, such bottles come in handy when I’m not in the mood for Château Ausone or Le Pin (I am completely dreaming when I write this of course).
This year, however, once we throw in my notes on Moulis, Listrac and the Médoc, we have a more comprehensive review with 21 tasting notes. Partly this is because I spent a week in Bordeaux which gave me the opportunity to perhaps taste more wine than usual. Fair enough, no big deal. The second reason, however, reflects the quality of the vintage. Most of the tasting notes here were scribbled during the Union des Grands Crus tasting in London, which is usually a bit of a scrum. I spend a significant amount of time elbowing my way through the crowd instead of tasting or writing. The 2013 vintage, however, drew in a much smaller attendance than in previous years. As a consequence I got around much more easily, and tasted more wines than is usual.
