Wine Words & Video Tape

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Posts Tagged ‘Grand Cru Classé’

Bordeaux 2015: Château Palmer

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

IMG_0887Château Palmer is currently on-song. It has hit top marks in virtually every vintage in the past decade. The 2015 continues this run of form in an exceptional way. There is no doubt that the growing season and rainfall pattern in September favoured the Margaux appellation over everywhere else in the Médoc. Many properties here have made some of their best ever wines. At Palmer they have produced a powerful Margaux that easily rivals 2009 and 2010. It may even surpass them. The fruit qualities are glorious. Despite the concentration there is harmony and a tannic structure that is remarkably supple. It is the classic iron fist in a velvet glove.

Bordeaux 2014: St Estèphe

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

IMG_6747For me St Estèphe has produced some of the 2014 vintage’s most exciting wines. I’ve already written on Château Cos d’Estournel, Château Calon Ségur and Château Montrose who have jointly produced a set of 2014s can will probably hold their own alongside their remarkable 2010s. But this is not the end of the story. Very impressive wines have also been made at Château Capbern, Château Lafon-Rochet, Château Meyney, Château Ormes de Pez, Château Phélan Ségur, and Château Tronquoy-Lalande. Château Le Boscq, Château La Commanderie, Château Le Crock are all potentially excellent too. I’m a great fan of this appellation usually but 2014 is a wonderful vintage here. Given the reasonable pricing of so many of these wines, this vintage provides an excellent hunting ground for price-savvy Bordeaux enthusiasts. 

Bordeaux 2014: Château Montrose

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

IMG_6757For me Château Montrose is wine of the vintage in 2014. It is a towering achievement and surely hot on the heels of the brilliant 2010. The purity and the power are knockout, with layers of fruit, but also great freshness too. If Calon Ségur is St Estèphe’s answer to Lafite, Montrose is clearly its Latour. La Dame de Montrose is impressive, a notch or two down in scale from the grand vin, but this is caressing and aromatic St Estèphe. Château Tronquoy-Lalande is also very much worth considering. It is glossy and exciting and amongst the best I have tasted from this property.

Bordeaux 2014: Château Calon Ségur

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

040For me Château Calon Ségur is one of the wines of the vintage in 2014. This is enthralling St Estèphe and it is not far off the quality of the legendary 2009 and 2010. Calon’s technical director Vincent Millet described 2014 as ‘very exciting.’ The technical analysis is similar to that of 2010 and 2012, and in terms of flowering and picking conditions, similar to 2009. The purity here in 2014 is exceptional. The grace and delicacy is difficult to match, but there is also considerable concentration in 2014 too. Château Capbern, the ‘Gasqueston’ now dropped from the name, is vivacious and enticing in this vintage, a year in which St Estèphe reigns supreme.

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