Château Meyney has to be one of the outstanding wine values in St Estèphe, an appellation that offers a lot of value for money. After terrific wines here in 2009 and 2010, Meyney produced an exceptional 2012. In 2013 it has followed up with another impressive wine. It has good depth and fleshy fruit for the vintage. The harvest here was even later than at neighbouring Château Montrose, finally completing October 19. Like Montrose, the property benefits from a relatively high position on a hilltop plateau sloping down towards the Gironde, a spot that offered a number of advantages in the wet, humid vintage. There’s also a degree of winemaking savvy here, allied to investment, which makes Chateau Meyney now regularly one of the properties to watch in the appellation.

Flowering occurred around June 20^th and mid-ripening [veraison] around August 10^th. The delayed start to the year through cold and wet weather naturally meant that the vintage would be a late one. I’m not sure but it would seem like Meyney must have been amongst the last to finish harvesting here [if not the last?]. The comparatively high position of the vineyards, as at Montrose, would have conferred a drying and well-ventilated aspect when the wet, damp September weather came.

The winemaking seems to have been nicely judged in 2013. There’s plenty of chew and density to Meyney in 2013. Perhaps it is not quite so knockout as it was in 2012 for me at the same stage but it’s still early days. I wonder [generally here] whether we’ll return to 2012 more and more in time. There’s a fraction less Petit Verdot in the blend in 2013, though at 11% it’s still pretty high [from memory it was 18% or so in 2012]. Also they’ve been reasonably easy on the oak seasoning [37% new oak].

1961 and 1970 Meyney tasted many years ago remain for me benchmark examples of heights this St Estèphe can achieve. The 1986, served from double-magnum last year, was a full-throttle, old-fashioned meaty beast. In a blind tasting of the 2004 vintage organised by Farr Vintners earlier this year, Meyney came out top of the St Estèphe appellation [trumping Montrose and Cos!]. Yet in this period 2008-2013 the property has had a tremendous run of form. The wines have depth, character and real polish. They have the potential to be long-lived but are much more approachable younger than their ancestors.

I’ve posted previously here on the recent investments by CA Grand Crus at Meyney and about the talented group winemaker Anne Le Naour. Things certainly seem to be going from strength to strength. Prices  remain reasonable [and affordable] for the quality. In the UK the 2013 can be found at Lea & Sandeman.

Château Meyney, St Estèphe

Deep and saturated look; purple at edge; toasty oak and material; lots of depth and sweetness; good palate with lots of chewy material and extract; quite chewy and needs to settle a bit but has good length. Good effort here once again.Very late harvesting on the Cabernet ending 19/10 has helped here. [45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, 37% new oak]. Drink 2020-2030. Tasted at Château Meyney 31/3/14. 87-89+