Bordeaux 2014 Primeurs: Castillon & Co.
In this report I take a look at all the right bank wines which, in short, don’t wear the St Emilion or Pomerol appellations on their labels. This therefore makes for a report on some disparate regions, from the vineyards of Castillon east of St Emilion, along to the Côtes de Francs, on to the satellite appellations of Pomerol and St Emilion (I could tag the notes at the end of those reports, but frankly they are length enough as they stand), then Fronsac and eventually the Côtes de Bourg, all the way up on the right bank of the Gironde, opposite Margaux. To be honest there isn’t much to tie all these regions together, and this update is, I suppose, an uneasy alliance of convenience. The one thread that does connect them all, of course, is Merlot, this being the dominant variety blended with one or sometimes both Cabernets (and sometimes Petit Verdot and Malbec too). There is one exception, of course, and this is white wine of the Côtes de Francs appellation, where the Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon rule.
Starting first with Castillon, a region that was hit by hail in 2013, thankfully the vineyards were not so blighted this year. I liked the 2014 L’Aurage from Louis Mitjavile, as well as the 2014 Château Joanin-Bécot from Juliette Bécot, most of all, followed closely by Château Montlandrie (pictured) by Denis Durantou and Château Cap de Faugères. Just this small handful of wines illustrates nicely the very broad array of styles that can be found in this one appellation, from pure and violet-perfumed, to rich, textured and framed by tannic structure, to elegant classicism. There should be something here for everyone.
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