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Château Olivier

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Address: 175 Avenue de Bordeaux, 33850 Léognan

Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 64 73 31

E-mail: mail@chateau-olivier.com

Website: www.chateau-olivier.com

Château Olivier has a wonderful old stone chateau with turrets and a moat which dates back to the 12th century, making it one of Bordeaux’s oldest properties. This estate makes good wines in a traditional style.

Vineyard/Terroir: 52 hectares in a single block with Guntz gravel and clay-limestone soils. Planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc for the reds and 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Sémillon and 5% Muscadelle for the whites. Bunch and leaf thinning practiced in the vineyard and sorting.

Winemaking/Elévage: Temperature controlled with barrel ageing for the reds and whites.

Tasting notes:

White:
  • 2015 Pale silver; some oyster shell; little zip; fresh palate; zippy; appetizing; some minerals; has life and zip. Tasted UGCB 7/6/16. Drink 2017-2025. 87-89+
  • 2014 Silver colour; grapefruit and candy; pear drop; fresh and attractive; grapefruit on the attack; very bright and fresh; pear drop elements on the palate; quite classic and saline on the finish. Very attractive white. [78% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon, 2% Muscadelle]. Drink 2017-2025. Tasted UGCB 1 April, 2015. 91-93+
  • 2013 Palest grey; very composed; finesse here; freshness and lively acidity on the palate; lighter styled perhaps a little short on the finish though perhaps will fill out further. Tasted April 2014. Drink 2015-2023. 87-89
  • 2012 Pale silver/grey; spicy grapefruit tones with some ginger; fresh and appealing; attractive palate; vibrant with lots of fruit; very refreshing; nice length. Very good dry white. Drink now-2020. 92+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Pale straw; precise nose; pear drops, grapefruit; some candy; very attractive; floral characters too; bold palate, pent up; grapefruit tones and spicy notes; very good indeed. Salty finish. Refreshing. 90-92 Tasted Monday April 8, 2013 at Chateau Olivier.
  • 2011 Pale straw; fresh; some grass and gooseberry; feels fresh and spicy; similar tones on the palate with weight; full; lots of flavour here and nice weight. Will fill out further but excellent effort. Drink now – 2021 91+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Pale green/grey; grapefruit, spice and some candy; oyster shell; palate round and attractive, lots of grapefruit and citrus; lively and zesty. Good depth and has length. Very nicely done. 90-92+
  • 2010 Pale straw; quite neutral at first, some lees, little wet wool; some spice and citrus tones but not overly expressive; quite taut on the palate and lacks a bit of texture and weight versus the rest. May just be a little dumb. Needs to fill out. 86  [Earlier] Palest straw; fresh, some grass, like a summer meadow; fresh palate, attractive, some lees, ripe and round; very good and attractive wine. Very good with real freshness at the end. 90-92+/100 [80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon, all barrel fermented, 25% new] Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Pale straw/some gold;  lush grapefruit nose with some grass and nettle; like this; fresh and lively note; also spice and freshness; oak and some oyster shell n the palate; grapefruit; some race here; like this. 91+/100[Earlier] Very pale straw, grass, apples and some grapefruit and citrus notes; fresh and good; nice palate, refreshing with good zip. 88-90+/100 [Sauvignon Blanc 90%, Semillon 10%] Tasted 31st March 2010.
  • 2008 Light gold, lovely fresh grassy note to the nose; grapefruit and citrus elements too; real zest and some laolin too; waxy palate, fresh and nicely balanced. Very good again 88-90/100 UGC Oct ‘10

Red:

  • 2015 Deep at core; saturated look; purple edge; earth, chocolate, black cherry; stalky blackcurrant notes too; palate clean and pure with freshness and sap; quite nicely done in a fresher style. Tannic twist at the end. [55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 14% alc]. Tasted UGCB 7/4/16. Drink 2020-2028. 88-90+
  • 2014 Deep and saturated colour; fresh mineral tones; blackcurrants; nice fruit and attractive purity; traditionally styled [and no bad thing these days]; good flavour on the palate; very Bordeaux; freshness. Like this a lot. [55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 41% Merlot]. Drink 2019-2028. Tasted 1 April, 2015 UGC. 90-92+
  • 2013 Deep colour; tight to edge; purple; fresh stalky blackcurrant aromas; clean; lighter and less worked than say Malartic; nice sweet entry to the fruit; easy; not overdone; good elegant style if straightforward. Feels like Bordeaux. Good effort. [58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot]. Drink 2018-2025. 87-89+
  • 2012 Mid depth; earthy nose with cool blackcurrant aromas and spices in the background; some intensity here; blackcurrant tones on the palate with some chew at the back. Drink now-2025. 88 UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Mid depth; spice, blackcurrant, some stalky notes; palate ripe entry, fat in the middle with some astringency at the back. Grippy on the finish. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot 86-88 UGC Wednesday April 10, 2013
  • 2011 Mid depth; creamy blackcurrant aromas; some depth; stalky blackcurrant notes; chewy palate; grip and acid at the back which gives are rather mean and compact finish. Will round out but will always be angular and short I reckon. Drink 2015-2025. 86 UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Mid depth, purple at edge; nice briary sappy black cherry notes; cool and fresh; palate has nice fruit and obvious structure; lacks a little balance [wood tannins dominating]. Dry tannins. Feels a bit extracted relative to the fruit. Should settle. 86-88
  • 2010 Deeply coloured; dark centre; some spices, less expressive initially; some liquorice and menthol notes; depth apparent; palate feels a little chunky [by comparison with La Mission immediately before]; but plenty of depth and material here; lots of clean blackcurrant fruit on the palate; ripe tannins but present and perhaps a certain chunkiness here. Drink 2018-2030. 90 MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Mid depth; some freshness, little chalk and wet rock; blackcurrant, some olive, lots of extract on the palate; little one dimensional though fresh and chewy. Both the red and the white at Olivier disappointing in this otherwise fab year for Pessac-Leognan. Were much more promising during primeurs. 87 UGC Oct ’12 [Earlier] Deep and arterial; smoky blackcurrants, very deep, plush and lush, creamy too; lush sweet entry, plump but with structure. Ripeness. Very well handled. Quite terrific effort. 92-94+ [60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot] Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Mid depth; fresh, mineral, density; some cassis and blackcurrants but more minerals; dense and tannic [ripe] old fashioned but this works. Traditional and grippy. 90+/100 MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier] Concentrated, fresh, healthy colour; little high toned, nicely perfumed; some violets and raspberries alongside some stalky components; palate sweet entry, concentrated and layered palate; this should work and come together. Big and tannic. 90+/100 [50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot]. Tasted 31st March 2010.
  • 2008 Mid depth; bright; spicy red fruits alongside some bell pepper, capsicum notes; initially bright fruit on the palate with some leafy development but lacks a bit of flesh and finishes short. 86. MW Institute Nov ’12

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