Bordeaux Twos, 2022: 1942 – 2012
Last week I published a tasting report on Six First Growths, featuring the wines of the five châteaux ranked as premier grand cru classé in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc, and the only property to be ranked as premier grand cru classé supérieur anywhere (just in case you’re not sure, it’s Château d’Yquem in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes). The wines were poured at a tasting dinner, hosted by the Académie du Vin de Bordeaux.
On any other night, having cleared my plate and drained my six glasses, I could have bid farewell and weaved my way back to my ultra-budget hotel room feeling rather pleased with myself. Not even the wafer-thin mattress (please raise your tiny violin to your chin), offering all the comfort of a bag of rocks, nor indeed the fact that I had to arise at some ungodly hour in order to drive up to St Estèphe for my 8am appointment the next day, at Château Calon-Ségur, would have been able to dampen my spirits.
But that’s not how it went. This is how the rest of the evening went…
Little wonder, then, that on this occasion my gluteal muscles remained firmly glued to my seat. Indeed, these six first growths were a mere opener (some opener!) to a broader tasting along the theme of vintages ending in ‘2’. Yes, it’s time for (pause for suitable drum roll…) Bordeaux Twos, a smorgasbord of wines from every vintage ending in a ‘2’ that you care to name.
Apart from 1992, of course (although I might be able to offer something to make up for that…).
And not 1972 either (nothing to offer here, sorry).
And not from 1932, or indeed anything older than that.
But, apart from that, every vintage ending in a ‘2’ that you care to name.
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