There was some variation amongst the 2014 Lalande de Pomerol’s tasted in Bordeaux last month. A number are extremely impressive. Top of the list here would be Château La Fleur de Boüard [and sibling Le Plus], Domaines des Sabines and Château Les Vieux Ormes. I also enjoyed the tension and elegance in Château Siaurac, the grit and chew of Château de Chambrun and the plushness of Château Grand Ormeau. To varying degrees the other wines felt a little lean and harder edged. You’d imagine these will fill in and round out after elévage, so it would be good to look at them again further down the track.

Given this, I’d expect Château La Gravière, Château Jean de Gué and Château Perron La Fleur, to improve, along with Château La Sergue and Château Tournefeuille, but there is no doubt that these wines felt distinctly tense and lean at this stage compared to others. I must say that Château de Chambrun was also leaner and less impressive at the Grand Cercle event [Sunday 29 March] than when tasted three days later at Château Canon-la-Gaffelière [Wednesday 1 April]. It is possible [likely] that there is some sample variation here, with those in the week fresher than those tasted during the weekend [though I didn’t detect that much variation in samples from other appellations at the well-run Grand Cercle event]. Anyhow it all serves as a reminder that primeurs judgements are being made on tasting samples that are often low in sulphur, changeable in nature, drawn at different times, from different barrels. It’s a wonder they are consistent at all.

The following wines were tasted at the Grand Cercle’s event at Château Bellefont-Belcier as well as at other properties during my week in Bordeaux during primeurs.

L’Ambroise du Château La Croix des Moines, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; jam; strawberry fruit; red; some lift; cool fruit; some rather hard oak; lacks flesh; chewy finish. Unsettled palate at present. [100% Merlot, 2ha]. Drink 2018-2023. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. 82-84.

Château de Chambrun, Lalande de Pomerol

Deep and saturated colour; pretty; some spices plums and lift; some gloss; sweet entry; glossy fruit but there is oak to resolve here and meld; chewy finish; lots of elements; once settled should be good. [94% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 60% new oak]. Tasted Canon-la-Gaffelière 1^st April ’15. Drink 2018-2023. 86-88 [earlier note] Mid depth; wood and plum with the emphasis on the former; some spices; some lift; little hardness; some fresh fruit bit also hard; has grip and chew; falls away a little but should come good. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. Drink 2018-2025. 84-86

Château La Fleur de Boüard, Lalande de Pomerol

Deep and saturated colour; attractive aromatics; some savoury meaty notes with sexy oak highlights and pain grillé elements; very seductive aromatics; deep and attractive; fleshy; sweet entry; perfumed fruit; very lush and complete; full and plump; terrific stuff; has clarity and a degree of freshness; plenty of ripe fruit. Glossy and attractive wine. [85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25ha]. Drink 2017-2028. 90-92

La Plus de La Fleur de Boüard, Lalande de Pomerol

Saturated colour; tighter even to the rim; similar levels of depth in the middle; ripe black fruits; seam of plummy black cherry fruit which is very precise; nice perfume [violets]; very attractive and seductive indeed; sweet fruit on the palate; fragrant and perfumed; rich but still manages to be light and fragrant despite the obvous depth and concentration. Very attractive stuff. Warmth on the finish, Some tobacco elements on the very finish. Will be delicious from the off. [100% Merlot]. Drink 2018-2030. 91-93

Château Grand Ormeau, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; glossy and healthy look; some earth; some herbal, medicinal notes; spices; attractive aromatics; bit of red fruit too; soft-ish entry; some plushness here; easy going and less extracted palate; texture and bite on the end. Good stuff. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. 86-88

Château La Gravière, Lalande Pomerol

Mid depth; some satiny fruit; open; red fruits; not unattractive; little attenuated on the palate initially leaner and more sinewy; could come good; quite focused. [100% Merlot, 2ha]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. Drink 2019-2024. 84-86+

Château Jean de Gué, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; redder; stewed fruit; briary notes; little compact; some oak; flesh too; needs to settle; finishes a little short with some oak on the finish. Needs to fill out, which I expect it will. [75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 10ha]. Drink 2019-2024. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. 83-85

Château Perron La Fleur, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; little feral note aromatically; some yoghurt; some spices; blackcurrant tones; some purity; lean in texture but interesting spicy characters; softish finish and not too dryng. Think this will meld. [100% Merlot, 5ha]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. Drink 2019-2023. 84-86+

Domaine des Sabines, Lalande de Pomerol, 2014

Deep and sat; brighter purple at edge; exotic spices; ripe plums; attractive concentration; sexy; fresher too; ripe fruit; some oak to meld; plenty of sweet plummy fruit though; like a junior version of Le Bon Pasteur; good depth and sweet fruit. Very enjoyable. Lots of texture but ripeness to the tannins. Excellent effort. Tasted 3 April, Jean-Luc Thunevin. Drink 2018-2025. 89-91+

Château La Sergue, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; some fresh plum; little cherry; modest aromatics; pent up; fruit is there but lean style at present; elegance but finishes short. [100% Merlot, 5ha]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. Drink 2019-2023. 83-85

Château Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; wood some plummy fruit; sweet/sour fruit; acidity; leaner bodied; blackcurrant and plum fruit elegant; freshness here; nicely judged; cool; verging towards the lean but not austere and will fill out. Goodish length. [75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 46ha]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. Drink 2019-2025. 86-88+

Château Tournefeuille, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; glossy look; open; some violet fruit; hardness here; lacks generosity and sample rather hard and lean at present with a somewhat chewy and tannic finish. Like to see this again down the track. Well regarded property. [70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. 82-84

Château St-Jean de Lavaud, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; darker core; fresher fruit; little cherry kirsh note; some plum and texture; fuller; but still the emphasis on the freshness and the acidity; chewy and rather lean finish. Should fill out a bit. [90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 1.1ha]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. Drink 2019-2023. 84-86+

Château de Viaud, Lalande de Pomerol

Mid depth; more purple at edge; little lift; some chalkiness; whiff of cherry; wood on the palate; little lacking in flesh; chewy finish. Another sinewy number which needs to uncoil. [72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 21ha]. Drink 2019-2024. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 29 March, 2015. 83-85

Château Les Vieux Ormes, Lalande de Pomerol

Deep and saturated; fresh looking; purple edge; lovely juicy, vibrant engaging wine; such joy and pretty fruit; but at the same time concentration; lovely purity; sappy but full; plenty of supple fruit; bouncy; sweet ripe attack; nice and vibrant palate with emphasis on the juicy fruit again; very full and satisfying; lovely acidity but also soft ripe fruit. Lovely sappy finish with some spice on the end. Great stuff and excellent Bordeaux. Lively and vibrant. Tasted JP Moueix. Drink 2019-2025. 88-90+