I thought it might be useful for those of you who are interested if I let you know my itinerary for the UGC Tastings for En Primeur 2011 in Bordeaux. It will give you an idea of what I am tasting and if you want to contact me for my opinions on the wine I’ll … Read more
Another full day of tasting where I managed to re-taste both Palmer, Latour, Margaux and the wines from Sauternes and Barsac. For those of you who are wondering why I retrace my footsteps it is because barrel samples can vary and these are young wines that are a ‘work in progress.’ Once again I thought that Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc showed very well … Read more
I am finally ensconced in my hotel room writing this up after my first long day of tastings which started at 9 this morning in the Left Bank. My initial impression of the vintage so far is that it is not a ‘great one’ but one that some folks will refer to as a ‘classical … Read more
After my second day tasting in Bordeaux I can confirm that this is a vintage made under extremely taxing conditions and I believe that with what vagaries the weather had to throw at them the chateaux have been under pressure to deliver. As a result of tasting on the Right Bank and returning to the … Read more
We’d all like to drink like Kings but most of the French Premier Crus are so expensive they are far out of reach for most of us. However, savvy wine lovers can steal a trick or two on the chateaux and bag a superb wine for a fraction of the price. I’ll tell you how … Read more
I am now back in the UK and have had time to reflect on last weeks tastings. Numbers were noticeably down at the tastings and to summarise I think this is a unique vintage producing, in the main, pretty mediocre wines with a few exceptions (which I will list below). It is ‘unique’ in the … Read more
Having arrived back from Bordeaux and taken stock of all my tasting experiences I am sure there are many Bordeaux chateaux owners who are very disappointed with their wines this year. This is a year that has been extremely difficult for them where statistics have proved that the growing season was very taxing with problems … Read more
I thought I would let the dust settle before writing a blog about the Bordeaux 2010 prices and the fallout that ensued. There is a lot of unrest and unease in the market and I can only base these thoughts on what I have experienced and seen myself. There is a great amount of unsold wine … Read more
Having had time to assess Robert Parker’s scores on the 2010 vintage a few things are becoming clear. Firstly Parker has hailed the 2010 as a great vintage, secondly prices will remain high and thirdly due to the polarizing of price between the top chateaux and the lesser known estates there will be some bargains. I … Read more
Having had time to review and reflect on the En Primeur 2010 tastings here is my final list of wines that impressed above all others. These wines are, to my mind, are the stars of 2010. Chateau Haut Brion. 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Whilst in Bordeaux at En Primeur I am sometimes … Read more
