Bordeaux 2015 at Two Years: Pauillac
Here in Pauillac the September rains seem to have also hampered quality in this vintage, although not to the same degree as seen in St Estèphe. The picture here seems to be more variable; some domaines declared more than 100 mm of rain in the run up to harvest, above average for the month, and comparable to the experiences of their compatriots just to the north. On the other hand, some domaines recorded less than 60 mm during this month, not only significantly lower rainfall than their neighbours, but lower than the average.
As a consequence, quality in Pauillac is more convincing than that seen in St Estèphe in this vintage, but there is also a degree of heterogeneity here. Some châteaux have indeed turned in a wine superior to their neighbours’ efforts in St Estèphe, taking full advantage of the very dry season and relatively dry run up to the harvest. Meanwhile others, it has to be said, seem rather more ordinary.
The Wines
I would normally start with some comment on the three first growths, but to do so brings me immediately to those châteaux which are absent from this report. I do not have a tasting note here for Château Latour, as I saw little point in visiting when the wine will not be released for another five or ten or however many years. I always visit during the primeurs, because at that point in time each wine tasted is another data point useful in developing an understanding of the vintage as a whole. But now that these notes are exclusively about making decisions to buy, based on judgements made on finished wines, I am not sure that a visit to taste would be a worthwhile use of my time in an otherwise very tight schedule. I have to say I don’t think I would have any problem in obtaining an appointment if I requested one, but it is surely more informative to taste the wine when it crops up in the domaine’s late-release programme.
