Bordeaux 2014 Cru Bourgeois: Haut-Médoc
The Haut-Médoc appellation (and the Médoc as well, to be fair) provides rich pickings for bargain hunters in Bordeaux. Indeed, generally speaking I would be much more positive about these two appellations than I would about the communal appellations previously reported on, and this ‘rule’ seems to be just as true in 2014 as it is in other vintages. Even without the drier summer that St Estèphe seemed to benefit from in 2014, some of the wines tasted here still managed to present not only ripe fruit and ripe tannins, but also a little substance and depth to cushion the acidity.
Not for the first time one of the most convincing wines here was that from Château Cambon la Pelouse. This estate’s strong performance in these cru bourgeois tastings, noticed back in the 2010 vintage and in various tastings since then, was the primary reason I called in at the estate a year or two ago, and subsequently added a detailed profile to the site. The vineyards are located right on the edge of Macau, sandwiched between fifth-growth Château Cantemerle to the south, and third-growth Château Giscours to the north. The proprietors, the Marie family, seem adept at making the best of their very privileged location, and I can think of numerous cru classé wines in Margaux I would turn down in favour of this. A nearby estate, the ever-reliable Château Belle-Vue, also showed well.
